Record-breaking project

Our high-performance PANOTEX® brand was taken to new limits when Squadron Leader Andy Green drove through the sound barrier in his Thrust SSC record-breaking car - wearing a specially developed PANOTEX® suit to protect him in the event of fire.

“I couldn’t have asked for more, it did the job perfectly. It gave me a very high level of protection and was also comfortable to wear in the desert heat - I’m absolutely delighted with it”.
Andy Green, driver of Thrust SSC in his successful supersonic drive to break the land-speed record.

As well as an outer suit made from PANOTEX® 200, Andy Green also wore gloves, balaclava and underwear made from PANOTEX® 180. This not only protected Andy against heat transfer and flames, but was also extremely comfortable to wear, thanks to its moisture-absorbent properties - particularly important in the searing heat of the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA.

PANOTEX® owes its fire-resistance properties to the fact that it includes fibre which has a 60% carbon content, so the combustible elements have been removed.

For further information about our fire-resistant yarns and fabrics, or personal protection, please contact us.