Bloodhound SSC cockpit revealed ahead of record attempt

Windscreen thicker than fighter jet and 3D-printed steering wheel for 1,000mph car

The cockpit for the Bloodhound SSC world land speed record car has been revealed as the record attempt draws nearer.

Taking more than 10,000 hours to design and manufacture, the cockpit weighs in at just 200kg and is bolted directly in to the metallic chassis.

The titanium steering wheel is one of many features that has been produced through 3D printing and is customised specifically to fit driver Andy Green's hands and finger reach.

There are a number of digital readouts giving information on things like speed in mph as well as Mach speed. As well as the high tech digital equipment, there are also bespoke analogue Rolex dials being used, too, which have been tested to withstand the high desert heat and vibration that comes with travelling at 1,000mph.

Its custom-made windscreen is thicker than that of a fighter jet and will withstand an impact with a 1kg bird at a speed of 900mph. Meanwhile the structure of the cockpit will also carry ballistic armour to protect the driver should a stone be thrown up from the wheels.

The car has pedals like a regular car, though they are custom designed for Green. The right-hand pedal throttles the EJ200 jet engine and will be used to start the Car moving. The left pedal controls the wheel brakes and will be used to slow the Car at speeds below 200mph (321km/h). But this accounts for under one per cent of the total braking effort.

As with the pedals and steering wheel, Green will also use a carbon fibre seat that has been moulded specifically to his body shape, while his full-face race spec helmet will be attached to a jet fighter-style breathing system to feed Green clean breathing air throughout the record attempt.