We could have gone faster, says former fighter pilot, after setting new world land speed record
A former senior officer in the RAF has set a new world land speed record of 653.909km/h (406.320mph) using a hydrogen-powered car at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
Wing Cdr (Ret'd) Andy Green, who described the attempt as an "extraordinary achievement", drove JCB's 32ft Hydromax car, which is powered by two of the company's hydrogen combustion engines.
The record run was overseen by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and is subject to ratification by the governing body's Land Speed Records Commission.
"During the two record runs today, I actually had to lift off the accelerator and actually slow down through the measured mile because we'd hit our limiting speed," he said.
The vehicle used for the record produced a combined 1,600 brake horsepower. The car's speed is five to six times the legal limit in most countries, which the former wing commander described as creating a weird effect.
The 63-year-old did a run in each direction over a mile within an hour, with the average speed establishing the record time.
His first came in at 644.740km/h (400.623mph), and his second at 663.266km/h (412.135mph).
Describing the process of the record attempt, he said: "I took it up to 674.315km/h (419mph) in the middle of the measured mile, lifted off the pedal, coast down to the end of it, and then shoot out at 611.55km/h (380mph), the car stopped exactly where it should have done at the end of the track.
"Had we had more goes, we could have gone faster and faster."
He already holds the outright world land speed record after driving ThrustSSC to 1,227.985km/h (763.035mph) in 1997, becoming the first and still only person to break the sound barrier on land, according to the FIA.
The former fighter pilot, who received an OBE in 1997, flew Phantoms, Tornados, and Harrier aircraft during his service with the RAF.
He deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and the Falklands and also served as Officer Commanding Operations at RAF Wittering.
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