Donald Campbell
Encyclopedia
Donald Malcolm Campbell, CBE
(23 March 1921 – 4 January 1967) was a British
speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s. He remains the only person to set both world land
and water speed record
s in the same year (1964).
, the son of Malcolm, later Sir Malcolm Campbell
, holder of 13 world speed records in the 1920s and 30s in the famous Bluebird cars and boats, and his second wife, Dorothy Evelyn née Whittall.
Campbell attended Uppingham School
. At the outbreak of World War II
he volunteered for the Royal Air Force
, but was unable to serve because of a childhood illness. He joined Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd in West Thurrock
, where he became a maintenance engineer. Following his father's death in 1948 and aided by Malcolm's chief engineer, Leo Villa
, the younger Campbell strove to set speed records on land
and water
.
He married three times: to Daphne Harvey in 1945, producing daughter Georgina (Gina) Campbell in 1946; to Dorothy McKegg in 1952; and to Tonia Bern in 1958, which lasted until his death in 1967. He apparently also had some interest in the paranormal
, which he nurtured as a member of the Ghost Club.
Despite being a qualified engineer, a successful businessman, a multiple record-breaker in his own right and a highly effective advocate of his own cause, Campbell was not an easy man and seemed driven to emulate, if not surpass, his father's achievements.
, but after a structural failure at 170 mph (270 km/h) on Coniston Water
, Lancashire
in 1951, and the death of John Cobb
, who was killed in 1952 trying to break the water speed record, he decided that he would develop a new boat.
Designed by Ken and Lew Norris, the Bluebird K7
was an all-metal jet-propelled 3-point hydroplane with a Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl
jet engine
producing 3500 lbf (15.6 kN) of thrust. It was unveiled in late 1954, and taken, in January 1955, to Ullswater
in the English Lake District for its initial trials. After many, problems and a number of modifications to K7, Campbell finally succeeded on Ullswater
on 23 July 1955, where he set a record of 202.15 mph (324 km/h), beating the previous record by some 24 mph (10.7 m/s) held by Stanley Sayres.
The name "K7" was derived from its Lloyd's unlimited rating registration. It was carried in a prominent circular badge on its sponsons, underneath an infinity symbol.
Campbell set a total of seven world water speed records in K7 between 1955 and 1964. The series of speed increases—216 mph (96.6 m/s) later in 1955, 225 mph (100.6 m/s) in 1956, 239 mph (106.8 m/s) in 1957, 248 mph (110.9 m/s) in 1958, 260 mph (116.2 m/s) in 1959—peaked on 31 December 1964 at Dumbleyung Lake
, Western Australia
when he reached 276.33 mph (123.5 m/s); he remains the world's most prolific breaker of water speed record
s.
Campbell was awarded the CBE
in January 1957 for his water speed record breaking, and in particular his record at Lake Mead in the USA which earned him and Britain very positive acclaim.
In 1956, Campbell began planning a car to break the land speed record, which then stood at 394 mph (630 km/h). The Norris brothers designed Bluebird-Proteus CN7
with 500 mph (223.5 m/s) in mind. The CN7 was completed by the spring of 1960, and was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus
free-turbine engine of 4450 shp.
Following low-speed tests conducted at the Goodwood circuit in Sussex, England, the CN7 was taken to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, scene of his father's last LSR triumph in 1935. The attempt was unsuccessful and CN7 was written off following a high-speed crash in September at Bonneville. Campbell was not seriously hurt, suffering a fracture to his lower skull, and was by 1961 on the road to recovery and planning the rebuild of CN7.
The rebuilt car was completed, with minor modifications, in 1962 and, by the end of the year, was shipped to Australia for a new attempt at Lake Eyre
in 1963. The Lake Eyre location was chosen as it offered 450 square miles (1,165.5 km²) of dried salt lake, where rain had not fallen in the previous 20 years, and the surface of the 20 miles (32.2 km) track was as hard as concrete. As Campbell arrived in late March, with a view to a May attempt, the first light rain fell. Campbell and Bluebird were running by early May but once again more rain fell, and low-speed test runs could not progress into the higher speed ranges. By late May, the rain became torrential, and the lake was flooded. Campbell had to move the CN7 off the lake in the middle of the night to save the car from being submerged by the rising flood waters. The 1963 attempt was over.
Campbell and his team returned to Lake Eyre in 1964, but the surface never returned to the promise it had held in 1962 and Campbell had to battle with CN7 to reach record speeds (over 400 mph (178.8 m/s)). After more light rain in June, the lake finally began to dry enough for an attempt to be made. On 17 July 1964, Campbell set a record of 403.1 mph (180.2 m/s) for a four-wheeled vehicle (Class A). Campbell was disappointed with the record as the vehicle had been designed for much higher speeds. CN7 covered the final third of the measured mile at an average of 429 mph (191.8 m/s), peaking as it left the measured distance at over 440 mph (196.7 m/s).
In 1969, after Campbell's fatal accident, his widow, Tonia Bern-Campbell negotiated a deal with Lynn Garrison, President of Craig Breedlove and Associates, that would see Craig Breedlove
run Bluebird on Bonneville's Salt Flats. This concept was cancelled when the parallel Spirit of America supersonic car project failed to find support.
He had become the first, and so far only, person to set both land and water speed records in the same year. Campbell's land record was short-lived, because rule changes meant that Craig Breedlove
's Spirit of America, a pure jet car, would begin setting records later in 1964 and 1965. Campbell's 429 mph (191.8 m/s) speed on his final Lake Eyre run remained the highest speed achieved by a wheel-driven car until 2001; Bluebird CN7 is now on display at the National Motor Museum
in Hampshire, England, her potential only partly realised.
jet aircraft, which developed 4500 pound-forces (20,017 N) of thrust. The modified boat was taken back to Coniston in the first week of November 1966. The trials did not go well. The weather was appalling, and K7 suffered an engine failure when her air intakes collapsed and debris was drawn into the engine. By the middle of December, some high-speed runs were made, in excess of 250 mph (507 km/h) but still well below Campbell's existing record. Problems with Bluebirds fuel system meant that the engine could not reach full rpm, and so would not develop maximum power. Eventually, by the end of December, after modifications to her fuel system, the fuel starvation problem was fixed, and Campbell awaited better weather to mount an attempt.
Campbell's last words on his final run were, via radio intercom:
'Pitching a bit down here...Probably from my own wash...Straightening up now on track...Rather close to Peel Island...Tramping like mad...er... Full power...Tramping like hell here... I can't see much and the water's very bad indeed...I can't get over the top... I'm getting a lot of bloody row in here...I can't see anything...I've got the bows out...I'm going!....(muffled grunt)'
The cause of the crash has been attributed to Campbell not waiting to refuel after doing a first run of 297.6 mph (478.9 km/h) and hence the boat being lighter, and also the wash caused by his first run and made much worse by the use of the water brake. However, the area in the centre of the course, where Bluebird was travelling at peak speed on her return run was calm, and not disturbed by the wash from the first run, which had not had time to be reflected back on the course. The fuel tank was in approximately the same position as K7's centre of gravity, and therefore had little impact on the boat's weight distribution.
Another possible cause was a cut-out of the jet engine caused by fuel starvation. The configuration of K7 at high speed meant that the thrust of the jet engine provided a downward pressure at the bows of the boat. K7 was operating at her absolute limit in terms of a nose-up pitching angle of 6'. A sudden loss of power caused by an interruption to fuel flow would mean that this downthrust was lost and K7's bows would have risen above the 6' safe limit. Some evidence for this last possibility may be seen in film recordings of the crash - as the nose of the boat climbs and the jet exhaust points at the water surface no disturbance or spray can be seen at all.
New analysis carried out in 2010 & 2011 for the book, Donald Campbell, Bluebird And The Final Record Attempt identified a more prosaic reason why the accident took place.
It seems most likely that Bluebird exceeded her stability envelope. Bluebird K7 was unknowingly pushed beyond its limits in the attempt. Campbell was not reckless and at no time until seconds before disaster did he think he had exceeded Bluebird's safe operating envelope. He had not over-ridden (course marshal) Leo Villa's instructions about the return run, a radio malfunction meant that he was not able to get Villa’s confirmation, but there is no reason to think that Villa would not have given the OK to return quickly, while water and weather conditions remained favourable. No one involved with her engineering was fully aware that the limit was just above the 300 mph mark that Campbell was aiming for. If the boat had travelled 5-10 mph faster on the initial run, there is a distinct possibility that the accident would have occurred then. Campbell was effectively a test pilot, going into the unknown. The only way to test the theory was to run at speeds no one had previously travelled. At that time, in 1967, there was an incomplete understanding of the exact aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces that Bluebird was subject to, and indeed even today, these forces are still lethal if any boat attempting to do this sort of speed has an incorrect configuration.
On the fateful day Campbell's first run averaged 297.6 mph. On the return Campbell aimed to achieve a peak speed at the start of the measured kilomtre (subsequently confirmed as 328 mph)and then aim to slow to around 300 mph at the end of the kilometre, giving an average of around 310 - 315 mph, and a new record average of the two runs of over 300 mph. Instead the hydroplane’s static weight was overtaken by ever increasing aerodynamic lift. The boat was lifted off the three planing shoes which were supposed to be the contact with the water surface. It started to run on the tip of its three fixed razor sharp stablising fins & rudder with the hull lifted clear out of the water. At that point, Bluebird, which was effectively riding on a cushion of air started to bounce 6-9 inches off the water, at her bows, on her starboard side. After the third and most violent bounce, the boat slowed, either because Campbell lifted his foot off the throttle or because of a malfunction in the engine fuel supply system. But there was nothing that Campbell could then do to maintain stability as reducing the thrust of the engine would gradually reduce the downward pressure on the bows, and increase the risk of taking off, which is what happened. At this point Bluebird wanted to fly.
Examination of colour film evidence unearthed in 2010 showed that the first run on 4 January was not without incident as has been generally claimed, but demonstrated evidence of instability and front end lift at the end of that run and catastrophe was only narrowly averted. There has been speculation that Campbell was undone by the quick turn-round, and hit the wash of the first run when embarking on his second. But Sheppard concludes that Campbell knew exactly what he was doing, knowing how the minimal wake from a hydro-plane was largely absorbed by the gentle shores of Coniston. This evidence has been dismissed by analysis and also eye witness observation. There is also no evidence of the boat hitting an obstacle, the other common theory.
Campbell thought he was well within the limits of Bluebird. He at no point thought that at a speed of just over 300 mph, the boat would take off. The boat had a maximum performance based on drag versus power of 330 mph. Campbell expected that even at that speed, in the right water conditions (flat calm), the boat would remain on the surface of the lake, and not attempt to fly.
On 28 January 1967 Campbell was posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
For courage and determination in attacking the world water speed record.
song "Out of This World" (from the album Afraid of Sunlight
), which was written about Campbell and Bluebird. Smith was criticised in some quarters for appearing jubilant whilst reportedly sitting astride the wreck when she rose from the lake, but he did not do this, standing instead on Bluebird's left hand deck with the express permission of Donald's widow, Tonia Bern-Campbell, and offering no more than a wave and a thumbs-up at the request of the gathered media. He later issued an apology on his Bluebird Project website despite the facts being incorrectly reported.
The recovered wreck revealed that Campbell had possibly activated the water brake to try to slow Bluebird down on her final run though it later emerged that a secondary power source may have activated it subsequent to the sinking. The boat still contained fuel in the engine fuel lines, discounting the fuel-starvation theory, though the engine could have cut out as a result of injector blockage. No evidence has emerged thus far to support this theory.
Campbell's body was recovered from the lake on 28 May 2001. Marillion
members Steve Rothery
and Steve Hogarth
were present for the recovery of the wrecked boat but not for that of Campbell's remains.
Campbell was interred in Coniston
cemetery on 12 September 2001 after his coffin was carried around the lake. A funeral service was then held at St Andrew's Church in Coniston
a funeral service in Coniston village attended by his widow Tonia, daughter Gina, other members of his family, members of his former team, and admirers. Jean Wales (Donald Campbell's sister) had, however, been against the recovery of her brother's body out of respect for his stated wish that, in the event of something going wrong, "Skipper and boat stay together". When Donald Campbell was buried in Coniston cemetery on 12 September 2001 she did not attend the service; nor is she believed to have visited his grave. Steve Hogarth, lead singer for Marillion, was also present at the funeral and performed the song "Out of This World" solo.
The story of Donald Campbell's last attempt at the water speed record
on Coniston Water
was told in the BBC
television film Across the Lake in 1988, with Anthony Hopkins
as Donald. Nine years earlier, Robert Hardy
had played Donald's father, Sir Malcolm Campbell
, in the BBC2 Playhouse television drama "Speed King" - both were written by Roger Milner and produced by Innes Lloyd
. In 2003, the BBC showed a documentary reconstruction of Campbell's fateful water-speed record attempt in an episode of Days That Shook the World. It featured a mixture of modern reconstruction and original film footage. All of the original colour clips were taken from a film capturing the event, Campbell at Coniston by John Lomax, a local amateur filmmaker from Wallasey, England. Lomax's film won awards worldwide in the late 1960s for recording the final weeks of Campbell's life.
In the village of Coniston, the Ruskin Museum
has a small display of Donald Campbell memorabilia, and the Bristol Orpheus engine recovered in 2001 is also displayed. The engine's casing is mostly missing, having acted as a sacrificial anode in its time underwater but the internals are remarkably preserved. Donald Campbell's helmet from the ill fated run is also on display.
A project is under way to rebuild 'K7', aimed at returning Bluebird to Coniston before permanently housing her at the Ruskin museum. The project is currently due for completion sometime in 2011.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(23 March 1921 – 4 January 1967) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s. He remains the only person to set both world land
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
and water speed record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
s in the same year (1964).
Family and personal life
Donald Campbell was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the son of Malcolm, later Sir Malcolm Campbell
Malcolm Campbell
Sir Malcolm Campbell was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times during the 1920s and 1930s using vehicles called Blue Bird...
, holder of 13 world speed records in the 1920s and 30s in the famous Bluebird cars and boats, and his second wife, Dorothy Evelyn née Whittall.
Campbell attended Uppingham School
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
. At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he volunteered for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, but was unable to serve because of a childhood illness. He joined Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd in West Thurrock
West Thurrock
West Thurrock is a traditional Church of England parish and town in Thurrock, Essex, England, located 17.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross, London.-Location:...
, where he became a maintenance engineer. Following his father's death in 1948 and aided by Malcolm's chief engineer, Leo Villa
Leo Villa
Period 3D photographs taken by Leo Villa on a Stereo Realist camera given to him by Donald Campbell.- References :...
, the younger Campbell strove to set speed records on land
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
and water
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
.
He married three times: to Daphne Harvey in 1945, producing daughter Georgina (Gina) Campbell in 1946; to Dorothy McKegg in 1952; and to Tonia Bern in 1958, which lasted until his death in 1967. He apparently also had some interest in the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
, which he nurtured as a member of the Ghost Club.
Despite being a qualified engineer, a successful businessman, a multiple record-breaker in his own right and a highly effective advocate of his own cause, Campbell was not an easy man and seemed driven to emulate, if not surpass, his father's achievements.
Water speed records
Campbell began his speed record attempts using his father's old boat Bluebird K4Bluebird K4
Blue Bird 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....
, but after a structural failure at 170 mph (270 km/h) on Coniston Water
Coniston Water
Coniston Water in Cumbria, England is the third largest lake in the English Lake District. It is five miles long, half a mile wide, has a maximum depth of 184 feet , and covers an area of . The lake has an elevation of 143 feet above sea level...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in 1951, and the death of John Cobb
John Cobb (motorist)
John Rhodes Cobb was a British racing motorist. He made money as a director of fur brokers Anning, Chadwick and Kiver and could afford to specialise in large capacity motor-racing...
, who was killed in 1952 trying to break the water speed record, he decided that he would develop a new boat.
Designed by Ken and Lew Norris, the Bluebird K7
Bluebird K7
Bluebird K7 was a turbo jet-engined hydroplane with which the United Kingdom's Donald Campbell set seven world water speed records during the 1950s and 1960s. Campbell lost his life in K7 on January 4, 1967 whilst making a bid to raise the speed record to over on Coniston Water.-Design:Donald...
was an all-metal jet-propelled 3-point hydroplane with a Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl
Metrovick F.2
The Metropolitan-Vickers F.2 was an early turbojet engine and the first British design to be based on an axial-flow compressor. It was considered too unreliable for use during the war, and never entered production...
jet engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
producing 3500 lbf (15.6 kN) of thrust. It was unveiled in late 1954, and taken, in January 1955, to Ullswater
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately nine miles long and 0.75 miles wide with a maximum depth of slightly more than ....
in the English Lake District for its initial trials. After many, problems and a number of modifications to K7, Campbell finally succeeded on Ullswater
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately nine miles long and 0.75 miles wide with a maximum depth of slightly more than ....
on 23 July 1955, where he set a record of 202.15 mph (324 km/h), beating the previous record by some 24 mph (10.7 m/s) held by Stanley Sayres.
The name "K7" was derived from its Lloyd's unlimited rating registration. It was carried in a prominent circular badge on its sponsons, underneath an infinity symbol.
Campbell set a total of seven world water speed records in K7 between 1955 and 1964. The series of speed increases—216 mph (96.6 m/s) later in 1955, 225 mph (100.6 m/s) in 1956, 239 mph (106.8 m/s) in 1957, 248 mph (110.9 m/s) in 1958, 260 mph (116.2 m/s) in 1959—peaked on 31 December 1964 at Dumbleyung Lake
Dumbleyung Lake
Dumbleyung Lake, also widely known as Lake Dumbleyung, is a salt lake in Western Australia. It is located at , in the Great Southern region of Western Australia...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
when he reached 276.33 mph (123.5 m/s); he remains the world's most prolific breaker of water speed record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
s.
Campbell was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in January 1957 for his water speed record breaking, and in particular his record at Lake Mead in the USA which earned him and Britain very positive acclaim.
Land speed record attempt
Bluebird-Proteus CN7
The Bluebird-Proteus CN7 was a technologically advanced wheel-driven land speed record-breaking car, driven by Donald Campbell, built in 1960 and rebuilt in 1962.- Design :...
with 500 mph (223.5 m/s) in mind. The CN7 was completed by the spring of 1960, and was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus
Bristol Proteus
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Hooker, Sir Stanley. Not Much Of An Engineer. Airlife Publishing, 1985. ISBN 1853102857....
free-turbine engine of 4450 shp.
Following low-speed tests conducted at the Goodwood circuit in Sussex, England, the CN7 was taken to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, scene of his father's last LSR triumph in 1935. The attempt was unsuccessful and CN7 was written off following a high-speed crash in September at Bonneville. Campbell was not seriously hurt, suffering a fracture to his lower skull, and was by 1961 on the road to recovery and planning the rebuild of CN7.
The rebuilt car was completed, with minor modifications, in 1962 and, by the end of the year, was shipped to Australia for a new attempt at Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia and 18th largest in the world...
in 1963. The Lake Eyre location was chosen as it offered 450 square miles (1,165.5 km²) of dried salt lake, where rain had not fallen in the previous 20 years, and the surface of the 20 miles (32.2 km) track was as hard as concrete. As Campbell arrived in late March, with a view to a May attempt, the first light rain fell. Campbell and Bluebird were running by early May but once again more rain fell, and low-speed test runs could not progress into the higher speed ranges. By late May, the rain became torrential, and the lake was flooded. Campbell had to move the CN7 off the lake in the middle of the night to save the car from being submerged by the rising flood waters. The 1963 attempt was over.
Campbell and his team returned to Lake Eyre in 1964, but the surface never returned to the promise it had held in 1962 and Campbell had to battle with CN7 to reach record speeds (over 400 mph (178.8 m/s)). After more light rain in June, the lake finally began to dry enough for an attempt to be made. On 17 July 1964, Campbell set a record of 403.1 mph (180.2 m/s) for a four-wheeled vehicle (Class A). Campbell was disappointed with the record as the vehicle had been designed for much higher speeds. CN7 covered the final third of the measured mile at an average of 429 mph (191.8 m/s), peaking as it left the measured distance at over 440 mph (196.7 m/s).
In 1969, after Campbell's fatal accident, his widow, Tonia Bern-Campbell negotiated a deal with Lynn Garrison, President of Craig Breedlove and Associates, that would see Craig Breedlove
Craig Breedlove
Craig Breedlove is a five-time world land speed record holder. He was the first to reach , , and , using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America.-Land vehicle speed records :...
run Bluebird on Bonneville's Salt Flats. This concept was cancelled when the parallel Spirit of America supersonic car project failed to find support.
Dual record holder
Campbell now reverted to Bluebird K7 for a further attempt on the water speed record. After more delays, he finally achieved his seventh WSR at Lake Dumbleyung near Perth, Western Australia, on the last day of 1964, at a speed of 276.33 mph (123.5 m/s).He had become the first, and so far only, person to set both land and water speed records in the same year. Campbell's land record was short-lived, because rule changes meant that Craig Breedlove
Craig Breedlove
Craig Breedlove is a five-time world land speed record holder. He was the first to reach , , and , using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America.-Land vehicle speed records :...
's Spirit of America, a pure jet car, would begin setting records later in 1964 and 1965. Campbell's 429 mph (191.8 m/s) speed on his final Lake Eyre run remained the highest speed achieved by a wheel-driven car until 2001; Bluebird CN7 is now on display at the National Motor Museum
National Motor Museum
The National Motor Museum is a museum in the village of Beaulieu, set in the heart of the New Forest, in the English county of Hampshire.- History :...
in Hampshire, England, her potential only partly realised.
Final Water Speed Record attempt
In 1966, Campbell decided to try once more for a water speed record. This time the target was 300 mph (480 km/h). Bluebird K7 was fitted with a lighter and more powerful Bristol Orpheus engine, taken from a Folland GnatFolland Gnat
The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force....
jet aircraft, which developed 4500 pound-forces (20,017 N) of thrust. The modified boat was taken back to Coniston in the first week of November 1966. The trials did not go well. The weather was appalling, and K7 suffered an engine failure when her air intakes collapsed and debris was drawn into the engine. By the middle of December, some high-speed runs were made, in excess of 250 mph (507 km/h) but still well below Campbell's existing record. Problems with Bluebirds fuel system meant that the engine could not reach full rpm, and so would not develop maximum power. Eventually, by the end of December, after modifications to her fuel system, the fuel starvation problem was fixed, and Campbell awaited better weather to mount an attempt.
Death
On 4 January 1967, Campbell was killed when Bluebird K7 flipped and disintegrated at a speed in excess of 300 mph (134.1 m/s). Bluebird had completed a north-south run at an average of 297.6 mph (478.9 km/h), and a peak speed of 315 mph (507 km/h). Campbell used a new water brake to slow K7 from approximately 220 mph (98.3 m/s). Instead of refuelling and waiting for the wash of this run to completely subside, Campbell decided to make the return run immediately to beat it before it had been reflected back onto the course. This was a normal option that Campbell had available to him when operating Bluebird on high speed runs. The second run was even faster; as K7 passed the start of the measured kilometre, she was travelling at over 320 mph (510 km/h). However her stability had begun to break down as she travelled at speed she had never achieved before, and the front of the boat started to bounce out of the water on the starboard side. 600 yards from the end of the measured mile, K7 lifted from the surface and after about 1.5 seconds, gradually lifted from the water at an ever increasing angle, before she took off at a 90-degree to the water surface. She somersaulted and plunged back into the lake, nose first. The boat then cartwheeled across the water before coming to rest. The impact broke Bluebird forward of the air intakes where Campbell was sitting, killing him instantly; the main hull sank shortly afterwards.Campbell's last words on his final run were, via radio intercom:
'Pitching a bit down here...Probably from my own wash...Straightening up now on track...Rather close to Peel Island...Tramping like mad...er... Full power...Tramping like hell here... I can't see much and the water's very bad indeed...I can't get over the top... I'm getting a lot of bloody row in here...I can't see anything...I've got the bows out...I'm going!....(muffled grunt)'
The cause of the crash has been attributed to Campbell not waiting to refuel after doing a first run of 297.6 mph (478.9 km/h) and hence the boat being lighter, and also the wash caused by his first run and made much worse by the use of the water brake. However, the area in the centre of the course, where Bluebird was travelling at peak speed on her return run was calm, and not disturbed by the wash from the first run, which had not had time to be reflected back on the course. The fuel tank was in approximately the same position as K7's centre of gravity, and therefore had little impact on the boat's weight distribution.
Another possible cause was a cut-out of the jet engine caused by fuel starvation. The configuration of K7 at high speed meant that the thrust of the jet engine provided a downward pressure at the bows of the boat. K7 was operating at her absolute limit in terms of a nose-up pitching angle of 6'. A sudden loss of power caused by an interruption to fuel flow would mean that this downthrust was lost and K7's bows would have risen above the 6' safe limit. Some evidence for this last possibility may be seen in film recordings of the crash - as the nose of the boat climbs and the jet exhaust points at the water surface no disturbance or spray can be seen at all.
New analysis carried out in 2010 & 2011 for the book, Donald Campbell, Bluebird And The Final Record Attempt identified a more prosaic reason why the accident took place.
It seems most likely that Bluebird exceeded her stability envelope. Bluebird K7 was unknowingly pushed beyond its limits in the attempt. Campbell was not reckless and at no time until seconds before disaster did he think he had exceeded Bluebird's safe operating envelope. He had not over-ridden (course marshal) Leo Villa's instructions about the return run, a radio malfunction meant that he was not able to get Villa’s confirmation, but there is no reason to think that Villa would not have given the OK to return quickly, while water and weather conditions remained favourable. No one involved with her engineering was fully aware that the limit was just above the 300 mph mark that Campbell was aiming for. If the boat had travelled 5-10 mph faster on the initial run, there is a distinct possibility that the accident would have occurred then. Campbell was effectively a test pilot, going into the unknown. The only way to test the theory was to run at speeds no one had previously travelled. At that time, in 1967, there was an incomplete understanding of the exact aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces that Bluebird was subject to, and indeed even today, these forces are still lethal if any boat attempting to do this sort of speed has an incorrect configuration.
On the fateful day Campbell's first run averaged 297.6 mph. On the return Campbell aimed to achieve a peak speed at the start of the measured kilomtre (subsequently confirmed as 328 mph)and then aim to slow to around 300 mph at the end of the kilometre, giving an average of around 310 - 315 mph, and a new record average of the two runs of over 300 mph. Instead the hydroplane’s static weight was overtaken by ever increasing aerodynamic lift. The boat was lifted off the three planing shoes which were supposed to be the contact with the water surface. It started to run on the tip of its three fixed razor sharp stablising fins & rudder with the hull lifted clear out of the water. At that point, Bluebird, which was effectively riding on a cushion of air started to bounce 6-9 inches off the water, at her bows, on her starboard side. After the third and most violent bounce, the boat slowed, either because Campbell lifted his foot off the throttle or because of a malfunction in the engine fuel supply system. But there was nothing that Campbell could then do to maintain stability as reducing the thrust of the engine would gradually reduce the downward pressure on the bows, and increase the risk of taking off, which is what happened. At this point Bluebird wanted to fly.
Examination of colour film evidence unearthed in 2010 showed that the first run on 4 January was not without incident as has been generally claimed, but demonstrated evidence of instability and front end lift at the end of that run and catastrophe was only narrowly averted. There has been speculation that Campbell was undone by the quick turn-round, and hit the wash of the first run when embarking on his second. But Sheppard concludes that Campbell knew exactly what he was doing, knowing how the minimal wake from a hydro-plane was largely absorbed by the gentle shores of Coniston. This evidence has been dismissed by analysis and also eye witness observation. There is also no evidence of the boat hitting an obstacle, the other common theory.
Campbell thought he was well within the limits of Bluebird. He at no point thought that at a speed of just over 300 mph, the boat would take off. The boat had a maximum performance based on drag versus power of 330 mph. Campbell expected that even at that speed, in the right water conditions (flat calm), the boat would remain on the surface of the lake, and not attempt to fly.
On 28 January 1967 Campbell was posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
Instituted in 1939 by King George VI as the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct, the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct acknowledged brave acts by civilians and members of the military in non-warlike circumstances during a time of war or in peacetime where the action would not otherwise be...
For courage and determination in attacking the world water speed record.
Recovery of Bluebird
The wreckage of Campbell's craft was recovered by the Bluebird Project between October 2000 when the first sections were raised and June 2001 when Campbell's body was recovered. The largest section comprising approximately two thirds of the centre hull was raised on 8 March 2001. The project began when diver Bill Smith was inspired to look for the wreck after hearing the MarillionMarillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
song "Out of This World" (from the album Afraid of Sunlight
Afraid of Sunlight (album)
Afraid of Sunlight is Marillion's eighth studio album, released in 1995. It was their last for EMI ....
), which was written about Campbell and Bluebird. Smith was criticised in some quarters for appearing jubilant whilst reportedly sitting astride the wreck when she rose from the lake, but he did not do this, standing instead on Bluebird's left hand deck with the express permission of Donald's widow, Tonia Bern-Campbell, and offering no more than a wave and a thumbs-up at the request of the gathered media. He later issued an apology on his Bluebird Project website despite the facts being incorrectly reported.
The recovered wreck revealed that Campbell had possibly activated the water brake to try to slow Bluebird down on her final run though it later emerged that a secondary power source may have activated it subsequent to the sinking. The boat still contained fuel in the engine fuel lines, discounting the fuel-starvation theory, though the engine could have cut out as a result of injector blockage. No evidence has emerged thus far to support this theory.
Campbell's body was recovered from the lake on 28 May 2001. Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
members Steve Rothery
Steve Rothery
Steve Rothery is the guitarist of the English rock band Marillion. He was born in Brampton, South Yorkshire, England. From the age of six he lived in Whitby, North Yorkshire.-Biography:...
and Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
were present for the recovery of the wrecked boat but not for that of Campbell's remains.
Campbell was interred in Coniston
Coniston, Cumbria
Coniston is a village and civil parish in the Furness region of Cumbria, England. It is located in the southern part of the Lake District National Park, between Coniston Water, the third longest lake in the Lake District, and Coniston Old Man; about north east of Barrow-in-Furness.-Geography and...
cemetery on 12 September 2001 after his coffin was carried around the lake. A funeral service was then held at St Andrew's Church in Coniston
a funeral service in Coniston village attended by his widow Tonia, daughter Gina, other members of his family, members of his former team, and admirers. Jean Wales (Donald Campbell's sister) had, however, been against the recovery of her brother's body out of respect for his stated wish that, in the event of something going wrong, "Skipper and boat stay together". When Donald Campbell was buried in Coniston cemetery on 12 September 2001 she did not attend the service; nor is she believed to have visited his grave. Steve Hogarth, lead singer for Marillion, was also present at the funeral and performed the song "Out of This World" solo.
Legacy
Between them, Donald Campbell and his father had set eleven speed records on water and ten on land.The story of Donald Campbell's last attempt at the water speed record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
on Coniston Water
Coniston Water
Coniston Water in Cumbria, England is the third largest lake in the English Lake District. It is five miles long, half a mile wide, has a maximum depth of 184 feet , and covers an area of . The lake has an elevation of 143 feet above sea level...
was told in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television film Across the Lake in 1988, with Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
as Donald. Nine years earlier, Robert Hardy
Robert Hardy
Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...
had played Donald's father, Sir Malcolm Campbell
Malcolm Campbell
Sir Malcolm Campbell was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times during the 1920s and 1930s using vehicles called Blue Bird...
, in the BBC2 Playhouse television drama "Speed King" - both were written by Roger Milner and produced by Innes Lloyd
Innes Lloyd
Innes Lloyd was a British television producer of BBC drama producers.-Doctor Who:...
. In 2003, the BBC showed a documentary reconstruction of Campbell's fateful water-speed record attempt in an episode of Days That Shook the World. It featured a mixture of modern reconstruction and original film footage. All of the original colour clips were taken from a film capturing the event, Campbell at Coniston by John Lomax, a local amateur filmmaker from Wallasey, England. Lomax's film won awards worldwide in the late 1960s for recording the final weeks of Campbell's life.
In the village of Coniston, the Ruskin Museum
Ruskin Museum
Ruskin Museum is a small local museum in Coniston, Cumbria, northern England.It was established in 1901 by W. G. Collingwood, an artist and antiquarian who had worked as secretary to art critic John Ruskin...
has a small display of Donald Campbell memorabilia, and the Bristol Orpheus engine recovered in 2001 is also displayed. The engine's casing is mostly missing, having acted as a sacrificial anode in its time underwater but the internals are remarkably preserved. Donald Campbell's helmet from the ill fated run is also on display.
A project is under way to rebuild 'K7', aimed at returning Bluebird to Coniston before permanently housing her at the Ruskin museum. The project is currently due for completion sometime in 2011.
External links
- www.bluebirdspeedrecords.com
- Across the Lake tribute site
- Donald Campbell, Bluebird and the Final Record Attempt
- DONALD-CAMPBELL-BLUEBIRD-AND-THE-FINAL-RECORD-ATTEMPT Facebook page
- Bluebird Project website with information on the recovery of K7 and her restoration
- http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Speedrecordgroup
- The Racing Campbells tribute site
- Steve Hogarth's account of the raising of Bluebird
- Lakeland Motor Museum in Cumbria Malcolm and Donald Campbell Exhibit
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1556039/Jean-Wales.html