Campbell-Railton Bluebird (1935) Engine 36.700cc Supercharged Rolls Royce R V12

Designed by Reid Railton and built at Brooklands The overall layout and the simple twin deep chassis rails were retained from Campbells previous 1931 Bluebird. The bodywork remained similar, with the narrow body, the tombstone radiator grille and the semi-spatted wheels, but the mechanics were new. Most significantly, a larger, heavier and considerably more powerful Rolls-Royce R V12 engine replaced the old Napier Lion, again with supercharger, requireing two prominent "knuckles" atop the bodywork, to cover the V12 engine's camboxes. Blue Bird's first run was back at Daytona, setting a record of 272 miles per hour (438 km/h) on 22 February 1933, but Campbell concluded that the car could go much faster it the wheelspin could be tamed, leaving maybe another 50mph available.

In 1935 the car was rebuilt, bodywork was now rectangular in cross section and spanned the full width over the wheels. Although actually higher, this increased width gave the impression of a much lower and sleeker car, an impression highlighted by the long stabilising tailfin and the purposeful raised ridges over the engine camboxes. Mechanically the changes to the car had focussed on improving the traction, rather than increasing the already generous power. Double wheels and tyres were fitted to the rear axle, to improve grip. Final drives were split into separate drives to each side. This reduced the load on each drive, allowed the driver position to be lowered, but required the wheelbase to be shortened asymmetrically on one side by 1 1⁄2-inch Airbrakes were fitted, actuated by a large air cylinder. For extra streamlining the radiator air intake could be closed by a movable flap, for a brief period during the record itself

In this form Blue Bird made its first record runs back on Daytona Beach in early 1935. On 7 March 1935 Campbell improved his record to 276.82 miles per hour (445.50 km/h), but the unevenness of the sand caused a loss of grip and he knew the car was capable of more. Leading to a relocation to the Bonneville Salt Flats. For this attempt Sir Malcolm was accompanied by his young son Donald, on 3 September 1935, it reached 301.337 miles per hour (484.955 km/h) breaking the 300 mph barrier for the first time by a bare mile-per-hour, crowning Sir Malcolm Campbell's record-breaking career

This replica was photographed at the Lakeland Motor Museum, England.

The original is located at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, located at Daytona International Speedway Tour Centre.

Thankyou for a massive 56,759,810 views

Shot 13.06.2016 at the Lakeland Motor Museum, Backbarrow, Cumbria REF 122-134

Tags:   Bluebird Bluebird.K7 1967 1960's Boat Speed.Boat Hydroplane WSR Water.Speed.Record Campbell Donald.Campbell Backbarrow Lakeland.Museum Motor.Museum Museum Lakes2016

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Bluebird K4 (Replica)

Blubird K4 was a powerboat commissioned in 1939 by Sir Malcolm Campbell, to rival the Americans' efforts in the fight for the world water speed record. Designed as a three-point hydroplane unlike its predecessor Bluebird K3 which had a single keel. The difference in performance being that at speed a conventional single keel powerboat has a keel with a indent or "step" projecting from the bottom of the hull. At speed, the force on this step is enough to lift the bow upward, reducing the wetted surface area of the hull and thus also the frictional drag. A "three pointer" has a two distinctly separate floats fitted to the front, and a third point at the rear of the hull. When the boat increases in speed, most of the hull lifts out of the water and planes on these three contact points alone. These points being even smaller in area than the planing hull of a monohull hydroplane, have even less drag. Having a broad spacing between the front planing points, the three-pointer is less susceptible to instability caused by small disturbances than is a monohull. However, if the bow lifts beyond its safety margin, the aerodynamic forces on the broad forward area of the hull will cause it to "kite" upwards, leading to a somersault and crash. The craft was built by Vosper & Company as a replacement to Blue Bird K3, which had set three other water speed records for Malcolm Campbell before the K4 was built. It also used the same Rolls-Royce R engine.

On the 19th August 1939 Sir Malcom Campbell sucessfully broke the World Water Speed in K4 on Coniston Water, in the Lake District attained a new record of 141.740 mph (228.108 km/h or 123.168 kn). After the war Malcom Campbell replaced the Rolls-Royce R engine with a de Havilland Goblin turbojet engine but had not make the craft any faster. Sir Malcom Campbell died at his home on New Years Day 1948 Under the terms of his will, Sir Malcolm's possessions, including the record breakers, were auctioned off and Donald was forced to buy them back. K4 was then re-engined with a propellor and one of the previous Rolls-Royce R engines. Donald tried the boat but deemed it too slow, so after another superstructure rebuild and finally structural failure in 1951

It was replaced by the jet-powered K7, in which Donald set several records, then died during a final record attempt in 1967

Thankyou for a massive 56,758,059 views

Shot 13.06.2016 at the Lakeland Motor Museum, Backbarrow, Cumbria REF 122-130

Tags:   Bluebird Bluebird.K4 1939 1930's Boat Speed.Boat Hydroplane WSR Water.Speed.Record Campbell Sir.Malcolm.Campbell Donald.Campbell Backbarrow Lakeland.Museum Motor.Museum Museum Lakes2016

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Donald Campbell set a new World Land Speed Record of 403,10 mph (648.783 kph) in this car on the 17th July 1964
Bluebird cost £ 1 million to build and was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus 4,100 bhp gas turbine engine. The tail fin was a later addition, following a crash at Bonneville, Utah in 1960.
Lake Eyre, South Australia was then chosen because it was a desolate,flat, salt plain. However rain became one of a series of delays that dragged the record attempt on for two years. With the record finally achieved, Campbell returned to Water Speed Record Breaking.
Note the small model of The Golden Arrow alongside. The full sized car will appear later in this sequence
shot at The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu 15.05.2010.
Ref 58-443

Tags:   Bluebird British LSR 1960's

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BLUEBIRD ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157625877297700

Donald Campbell set a new World Land Speed Record of 403,10 mph (648.783 kph) in this car on the 17th July 1964 at Lake Eyre, Australia.
Bluebird cost £ 1 million to build and was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus 4,100 bhp gas turbine engine. The tail fin was a later addition, following a crash at Bonneville, Utah in 1960.
Lake Eyre, South Australia was then chosen because it was a desolate,flat, salt plain. However rain became one of a series of delays that dragged the record attempt on for two years. With the record finally achieved, Campbell returned to Water Speed Record Breaking.
Note the small model of The Golden Arrow alongside. The full sized car will appear later in this sequence
shot at The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu 15.05.2010.
Ref 58-442

Tags:   Bluebird British LSR 1960's

© All Rights Reserved

Tyre and Wheel developed by Dunlop for Donald Campbell 1964 World Land Speed Record breaking Bluebird
BLUEBIRD ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157625877297700

Donald Campbell set a new World Land Speed Record of 403,10 mph (648.783 kph) on the 17th July 1964 at Lake Eyre, Australia.
Bluebird cost £ 1 million to build and was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus 4,100 bhp gas turbine engine. The tail fin was a later addition, following a crash at Bonneville, Utah in 1960.
The Dunlop tyres and wheels were developed specically for the record attempt, and to cope with the twin problems of the heat generated and the abrasive nature of the Salt Flats

Lake Eyre, South Australia was then chosen because it was a desolate,flat, salt plain. However rain became one of a series of delays that dragged the record attempt on for two years.

With the record finally achieved, Campbell returned to increasing the World Water Speed Record. The FIA changed the requirments for Land Speed Record to allow rocket powered cars, Campbells Land Speed Record fell to American Craig Breedlove, and Campbell set about raising sponsorship for a rocket powered Bluebird Mach 1.1 with a target speed of 840mph. To increase publicity for his rocket car venture, in the spring of 1966, Campbell decided to try once more for to better his own water speed record. This time the target was 300 mph (480 km/h) using lighter and more powerful Bristol Orpheus engine, taken from a Folland Gnat jet aircraft, the developement of the new engines were beset by problems, delaying any attempt into the winter of 1967, when weather conditions further delayed any serious run. With a narrow window in the weather and the engine now sorted Campbell attempted a runon the morning of 4th January 1967 after the first run the record was well within grasp, though there were concerns about the boats trim, Instead of refuelling and waiting for the wash of this run to subside, Campbell decided to make the return run immediately, the start of the second run was even faster but just 200 metres from the the southern marker buoy. Bluebird was now experiencing bouncing episodes, engine flame out then occurred destabiling the craft and causing a back flip. The boat was lost and a very brave man lost his life.

Diolch am 77,649,890 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

Thanks for 77,649,890 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

Shot 22.09.2019 at the Birmingham Museum and Art Galleries, Dollman Street Stores open Day 143-1090

Tags:   Dunlop British Tyre Tyres Bluebird DonaldCampbell BirminghamMuseum2019

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