Jet-Powered Car Breaks Sound Barrier

Tue., Oct. 14, 1997

Compiled From Wire Services

The British Thrust SSC is not only the fastest car on Earth, it is also apparently the first to break the sound barrier.

The jet-powered car streaked across the Black Rock Desert north of Reno on Monday at an unofficial speed of 1.007 percent of Mach 1, or faster than 750 mph.

The actual speed of sound is in the 750-765 mph range, depending on weather conditions in the 5,000-foot altitude.

Since the speed of sound varies with the temperature on the desert 125 miles north of Reno, Thrust Project Manager Richard Noble wants to exceed the speed of sound by 10 percent before returning to England.

While Monday’s dash apparently exceeded the sound barrier, it will not go into the record books until Green completes two runs within one hour and again surpasses Mach 1. Driver Andy Green set a new land speed record on Sept. 25 with an average of 714.144 mph.

Monday’s run came one day short of 50 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in the air.

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Jet-Powered Car Breaks Sound Barrier

Jesse Tinsley

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