Up close with the fastest man on earth

Wing Commander of the Royal Air Force (RAF), Andy Green, is the current holder of the world land speed record, and the first and only man to break the sound barrier on land.

He is also one of the six selected 'visionaries' as ambassadors for Bentley’s flagship sedan - the Mulsanne. Bentley has specially selected a group of individuals who have achieved significant success in their fields, and more important pushed the boundaries and shared forward visions - like those that were used to create the Mulsanne.

Other 'visionaries' which were selected include actor and philanthropist Jackie Chan, FIA (World Motorsport) President Jean Todt, and award-winning architect Wang Shu. Wang was also voted Wall Street Journal's 'Innovator of the Year'.

In the short presentation to the local journalists, Andy Green explained passionately about what it takes to be a land speed record holder, as well as his ambition to break his own record - a project which is currently in the works. The aim is to set a new record of 1,000mph (approx 1,609km/h) to beat his current 1,227.99km/h - a record he set on 15^th October 1997.

Speaking of the engineering challenges, Green explained the significance of every tiny detail that will make (or break) the endeavour. For instance, the pitch angle of the car's nose - a variation of a single degree nose down will exert up to 10 tonnes of down-force at sound-exceeding speeds, and will eventually cause the front wheels and structure to give way and have catastrophic consequences. 

Comparing his job as a fighter pilot with the RAF to his current venture, Green shared about the immense difficulty of the latter. The trainings to be a fighter pilot may be tough, but there are experiences (from lessons and his predecessors) to learn from. However, in order to outdo his previous record, the team and himself has to stretch beyond their limits - often without the help of textbooks or other teaching materials.

Jump to the next page to catch Andy Green speak about the exceptional innovations that has taken place over the past century. And in the true fashion of speed, the interview is conducted in a Bentley Mulsanne that was driven personally by Green at speeds of up to 300km/h, across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, U.S.A.
The car - Bloodhound SSC

You may already have heard or seen it in pictures. The Bloodhound SSC (the moniker stands for Super Sonic Car) is a bespoke car designed to set the 1,000mph (1,609km/h) record. Measuring 14 metres in length and weighing over seven tonnes, the SSC is propelled by a jet and rocket engine - churning out a total of 135,000bhp.  

Engineered with a mix of car and aircraft technologies, the front part of the SSC features a carbon fibre monocoque (similar to a racing car), with its back half constructed using a metal framework and panels - akin to that of an aeroplane.

We wish Andy Green and Team Bloodhound every success in their record-breaking attempt.