Richard James Anthony Noble | |
|---|---|
 Richard Noble (left) | |
| Born | (1946-03-06)6 March 1946 (age 79) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Education | Winchester College |
| Occupation | Speed record holder |
Richard James Anthony Noble,OBE (born 6 March 1946) is a Scottish entrepreneur who was holder of theland speed record between 1983 and 1997. He was also the project director ofThrustSSC, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set atBlack Rock Desert,Nevada in 1997.
Noble was born inEdinburgh,Scotland and educated atWinchester College.[1] He became a qualified pilot.
In 1984 he exploited a production hiatus atCessna aircraft to create theARV Super2, a new all-British lightaircraft.[2] The Super2 was fitted with a new British engine, theHewland AE75. Only around 40 ARVs were made before theIsle of Wight factory closed.[3][4]
Thrust2, the record-breaking car driven by Noble, travelled at 633.468 mph (1019 km/h) in theBlack Rock Desert inNevada,US. The accomplishment won Noble the 1983Segrave Trophy. ThrustSSC, the supersonic car driven byAndy Green, broke the record at 763.035 mph (1221 km/h) or Mach 1.02. Noble was planning another land speed record attempt to take place in 2019:Bloodhound SSC which aimed to surpass 1,000 mph but the project went into bankruptcy and was sold to Ian Warhurst. Noble remained a Director of Bloodhound Education Ltd. Bloodhound Education is a stand-alone charity which is funded by grants from corporate sponsors such asSaudi Aramco and others. [5]
Noble's next project was to develop the "Farnborough F1", a six-passenger single-enginedturboprop low-wing aircraft designed as an "Air Taxi" that could operate out of small airstrips.[6] 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 transferred and the aircraft renamedKestrel K-350. A prototype aircraft first flew in 2006[7] but certification and production remain uncertain.[8][9]
In 2010 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology by theUniversity of the West of England.[10]
In 2018 Noble was awarded an honorary degree fromThe University of Bradford.[11]
Noble's autobiography is titledThrust: The Remarkable Story of One Man's Quest for Speed.[12]
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