'Donald Campbell- The Final Record Attempt' by Neil Sheppard

[Renegadenemo]

Absolutely- there's no arguing with K7

I'd just like to qualify that... there's no arguing with K7 assuming we've read the drawings correctly. Anyone for a game of sponson building?

[Dominic Owen]

...assuming we've read the drawings correctly...

Shouldn't that include "Assuming the drawings were followed correctly in the first place"?

[STEEVB]

Neil - bought your book a few months back - Bloody marvelous ! well done sir

[Renegadenemo]

Shouldn't that include "Assuming the drawings were followed correctly in the first place"?

All the sponson drawings include the legend, In a certain KWN's handwriting, 'Fill any large cavities with 'Loy''

Loy being basically car bodge, I've made mention of this for years because Ken never actually drew any large cavities. He did the sponson drawings himself too, unlike many of the others, and was very proud of the finished job, but he must've known what was coming when it was time to build the damn things. What a nightmare! Oh to be allowed to clash some 'Loy' into them now. Sorry, Ken. All is forgiven.

On a (slightly) more serious note. I'd bet the reason that machine tramped so badly was because the sponsons were never a matched pair. Considering that the length of the cockpit rails isn't within a half inch of one another and the frame was cockeyed from birth, what's the chances of something as tricky as a sponson turning out the same on both sides?

Not a hope...

[sheppane]

Here's an image I would have loved to have included in the book, if I had a better copy of it.
By John Wardaugh from the Daily Express, It shows the application of the water brake after the 2nd run on the 13th of December 66. Note the massive amount of spray it causes and K7's level - to slightly nose down trim. The brake was working quite well here, with minimal rear shoe hop, it really digs in initially, as can be seen from the spray mountain a boat length behind K7.
Images of water brake application are pretty rare, notwithstanding it's fairly regular use on the 12th, 13th and 14th of December 66.

13-12_1966_Waterbrake_application.jpg

[Renegadenemo]

Neil, what speed was that? No reason why we shouldn't give it a go if it's not too fast. All the hydraulics are working now.

[sheppane]

Neil, what speed was that? No reason why we shouldn't give it a go if it's not too fast. All the hydraulics are working now.

Speed will be somewhere between 180 and 220 mph. The water brake when applied was used to shed 100 - 120mph in pretty short order, so the speed you are envisaging of around 150mph should give you sufficient scope.

The Christmas Day run images show K7 passing old hall at about 250mph, and then applying the brake before the Bluebird cafe, and the brake still down as the cafe was passed. Once below 100mph, K7 will shed speed pretty quickly without the brake, if the engine is throttled right back.

[Renegadenemo]

Once below 100mph, K7 will shed speed pretty quickly without the brake, if the engine is throttled right back

I remember Lew Norris telling me that K7 was extremely efficient once she was planing. He said that, although she was a bitch to get up and out of the water, once there she preferred to stay there and would plane down to 30mph. That'll be another interesting experiment.

[sheppane]

Looking for the ideal Christmas gift?

Donald Campbell's final Water Speed Record Attempt of 1967 continues to fascinate to this day, Neil Sheppard documents the brave and ultimately tragic venture with this beautiful hard-bound and soft-bound book.

The story is illuminated with stunning colour and monochrome photography, from many previously unseen collections and interspersed with compelling quotes from Campbell, his team members and other witnesses to events as they happened. Executed in a refined diary style and with superb attention to detail, this stunning tome is an ideal gift.

The hard-bound book is available as a regular signed edition and as a limited and numbered collectors edition. This version comes in a full colour fold out wrapper, and is signed by five members of Donald Campbell's engineering and support team.

The soft-back version is essentially the same book as the first, hard-bound edition, but contains a number of text revisions and additions as well as more than 25 new and previously unseen illustrations. The cover price will be £20.

cover 2.jpg

You can place orders for all editions at our shop, http://www.bluebirdk7.com. Shipping of the soft-back book will commence once the book is officially published by the History Press, expected to be in early November.

[sheppane]

Looking for the ideal Christmas gift?

Donald Campbell's final Water Speed Record Attempt of 1967 continues to fascinate to this day, Neil Sheppard documents the brave and ultimately tragic venture with this beautiful hard-bound and soft-bound book.

The story is illuminated with stunning colour and monochrome photography, from many previously unseen collections and interspersed with compelling quotes from Campbell, his team members and other witnesses to events as they happened. Executed in a refined diary style and with superb attention to detail, this stunning tome is an ideal gift.

The hard-bound book is available as a regular signed edition and as a limited and numbered collectors edition. This version comes in a full colour fold out wrapper, and is signed by five members of Donald Campbell's engineering and support team.

The soft-back version is essentially the same book as the first, hard-bound edition, but contains a number of text revisions and additions as well as more than 25 new and previously unseen illustrations. The cover price will be £20.

You can place orders for all editions at our shop, http://www.bluebirdk7.com. Shipping of the soft-back book will commence once the book is officially published by the History Press, expected to be in early November.

We are doing a book launch and signing at the Ruskin Museum on Friday the 9th, followed by a slide presentation at 1.30pm. The presentation will be shown in the village institute next door from about 2.30 I would guess, and will last about an hour and a half.

All are very welcome to attend.