Richard Noble
Encyclopedia
Richard Noble, OBE
(born 6 March 1946) was the holder of the land speed record
between 1983 and 1997, and was the project director of ThrustSSC
, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set at Black Rock Desert
, Nevada
in 1997.
Thrust2
, the record-breaking car driven by Noble, travelled at 633.468 mph (1019 km/h). The accomplishment won Noble the 1983 Segrave Trophy
. ThrustSSC, the supersonic car driven by Andy Green
, broke the record at 763.035 mph (1221 km/h) or Mach 1.02. Noble is planning another land speed record attempt to take place in 2011: Bloodhound SSC
aims to pass the 1,000mph mark.
Noble was born in Edinburgh
, Scotland
and educated at Winchester College
and became a qualified pilot. In 1984 he exploited a production hiatus at Cessna
aircraft to create a new all-British light aircraft
, the ARV Super2
. Only some 35 ARVs were made before the Isle of Wight
factory closed; but production is planned to resume at Opus Aircraft in North Carolina
.
Noble's next project was to develop a "Farnborough Air Taxi" , i.e. a six-passenger single-engined turboprop
low-wing aircraft (a sort of cut-down Pilatus PC-12
) that could operate out of small airstrips. The intended market was to provide transport for businessmen who found the existing air, rail and road networks too inflexible and expensive. Noble started Farnborough Aircraft in 1998, but after failing to find backing from any major financial institution, sold shares to small investors. A bitter dispute followed, and development stopped while new investment was found. The rights to the design were sold and design and development continues. A prototype has been flying since 2006 but certification and production remain uncertain.
In 2010 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of the West of England
.
Noble's autobiography is entitled "Thrust".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 6 March 1946) was the holder of the land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
between 1983 and 1997, and was the project director of ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC
ThrustSSC, also spelt Thrust SSC by secondary sources, is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss....
, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set at Black Rock Desert
Black Rock Desert
The Black Rock Desert is an arid region in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in 1997.
Thrust2
Thrust2
Thrust2 is a British designed and built jet propelled car, which held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997.The car was designed by John Ackroyd and driven by Richard Noble. On October 4, 1983 the car reached a top speed of and broke the record at . This was...
, the record-breaking car driven by Noble, travelled at 633.468 mph (1019 km/h). The accomplishment won Noble the 1983 Segrave Trophy
Segrave Trophy
The Segrave Trophy is awarded to the British national who accomplishes the most outstanding demonstration of the possibilities of transport by land, sea, air, or water. The trophy is named in honour of Sir Henry Segrave, and has been awarded in most years since 1930.A subsidiary award, the Segrave...
. ThrustSSC, the supersonic car driven by Andy Green
Andy Green
Wing Commander Andy D. Green OBE BA RAF is a British Royal Air Force pilot and World Land Speed Record holder.-RAF career:...
, broke the record at 763.035 mph (1221 km/h) or Mach 1.02. Noble is planning another land speed record attempt to take place in 2011: Bloodhound SSC
Bloodhound SSC
Bloodhound SSC is the name of a project aiming to break the land speed record with a pencil-shaped car powered by a jet engine and a rocket designed to reach approximately...
aims to pass the 1,000mph mark.
Noble was born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and became a qualified pilot. In 1984 he exploited a production hiatus at Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
aircraft to create a new all-British light aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, the ARV Super2
ARV Super2
The ARV Super2 is a British two-seat, strut-braced, shoulder wing, light aircraft, designed by Bruce Giddings as an affordable trainer. Around 35 aircraft were produced in the 1980s before the manufacturing companies went into liquidation....
. Only some 35 ARVs were made before the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
factory closed; but production is planned to resume at Opus Aircraft in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Noble's next project was to develop a "Farnborough Air Taxi" , i.e. a six-passenger single-engined turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
low-wing aircraft (a sort of cut-down Pilatus PC-12
Pilatus PC-12
The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
) that could operate out of small airstrips. The intended market was to provide transport for businessmen who found the existing air, rail and road networks too inflexible and expensive. Noble started Farnborough Aircraft in 1998, but after failing to find backing from any major financial institution, sold shares to small investors. A bitter dispute followed, and development stopped while new investment was found. The rights to the design were sold and design and development continues. A prototype has been flying since 2006 but certification and production remain uncertain.
In 2010 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
.
Noble's autobiography is entitled "Thrust".
External links
- Official Page
- Farnborough Aircraft website archives on Archive.org