Ralph DePalma in his Packard '905' Special at Daytona Beach in 1919

ThrustSSC, driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, holds the land speed record.

The land speed record (or absolute 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 ("Special Vehicles") flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.^[1] The record is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called "passes").^[2] Two runs are required in opposite directions within one hour, and a new record mark must exceed the previous one by one percent to be validated.^[3] There are numerous other class records for cars; motorcycles fall into a separate class.

History[link]

The first regulators were the Automobile Club de France, who proclaimed themselves arbiters of the record in about 1902.^[4]

Different clubs had different standards and did not always recognise the same world records^[5] until 1924, when the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) introduced new regulations: two passes in opposite directions (to negate the effects of wind) averaged with a maximum of 30 minutes (later more) between runs, average gradient of the racing surface not more than 1 percent, timing gear accurate within 0.01sec, and cars must be wheel-driven.^[6] National or regional auto clubs (such as AAA and SCTA) had to be AIACR members to ensure records would be recognized.^[7] The AIACR became the FIA in 1947. Controversy arose in 1963: Spirit of America failed on being a three-wheeler (leading the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to certify the record when the FIA refused) and not wheel-driven so the FIA introduced a special wheel-driven class.^[8] No holder of the absolute record since has been wheel-driven.

Piston-engined, wheel-driven land speed record[link]

In 2008 Tom Burkland broke the piston-engined, wheel-driven record for the flying mile, recording a speed of 415.896 mph (669.319 km/h). He drove the Burkland family streamliner powered by two 450+ cu. in. supercharged alcohol-fueled Donovan (aluminum Chrysler) engines (bought second-hand), with crankshafts bolted together nose-to-nose.^[9][10]

In September, 2010 George Poteet made a serious attempt to break the piston-engined, wheel-driven record for the flying mile and flying kilometer. He drove the Speed Demon built by Ron Main, powered by a 299 cubic inch aluminum 'Hellfire' V8, built by Kenny Duttweiler.^[11] Their effort was thwarted by a number of parts failures attributed to the 2500 horsepower generated by the relatively small motor. The team stated their intention to return in 2011 to set a record over 450 mph (724 km/h), and at the 2011 Bonneville Speed Week Poteet achieved 426 mph (685 km/h).^[12]

The Target 550 team of Marlo Treit and Les Davenport are planning to raise the record for this class to more than 500 mph (804 km/h). They plan to mount their attempt in the near future on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The car is being built by Jim Hume in the state of Washington in the northwestern region of the US. It will be powered by two Dodge hemispherical head (Hemi) motors with Waterman fuel pumps, Whipple superchargers, Mallory Mags, Crane Cams, Gates drive belts, RCD pulleys, heads by Webster and KB billet crankshafts. The car will have a frontal area of 8.61 sq ft (0.800 m²) and is 40+ feet long with a 1.5 degree included angle on the sides of the body front to rear. The model was tested and modified in the Western Washington University wind tunnel with assistance from Dr. Michael Seal. The current front end provides 1000 lbs of downforce to prevent the car from becoming airborne.^[13]

Women's land speed record[link]

In 1906 Dorothy Levitt broke the women's world speed record for the flying kilometer, recording a speed of 91 mph (146.25 km/h) and receiving the sobriquet the "Fastest Girl on Earth". She drove a six-cylinder Napier motorcar, a 100 hp (74.6 kW) development of the K5, in a speed trial in Blackpool.^[14][15][16]

Records[link]

1898–1965 (wheel-driven)[link]

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
December 18, 1898	Achères, Yvelines, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc[17]	Electric	39.24	63.15
17 January 1899	Achères, Yvelines, France	Camille Jenatzy[17]			41.42	66.659			First man to break a land speed record [17]
December 18, 1898	Achères, Yvelines, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc	Electric	65.79	105.878			First specialist land speed record vehicle, first 60mph pass[4]
April 13, 1902	Nice, France Promenade des Anglais	Leon Serpollet	Gardner-Serpollet Oeuf de Pâques (Easter Egg)	Steam[4]	75.06	120.80
1902[clarification needed]	Albis-St. Arnoult, France	William K. Vanderbilt	Mors	Internal combustion	76.08	122.438			First IC-powered record[4]
January 12, 1904	Lake St. Clair, USA	Henry Ford	Ford 999 Racer	IC	—		91.37	147.05	On frozen lake[18] (Not recognized by L'Automobile Club de France)
January 26, 1906	Ormond Beach, USA	Fred Marriott	Stanley Rocket[6]	Steam	127.66	205.44			First record over 200 km/h (124 mph). First speed greater than contemporary rail speed record. Remained the record for steam powered vehicles until 25 August 2009.[19]
November 6, 1909	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Victor Hémery	200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 1	IC	125.94	202.68	115.93	186.57	First run using electronic timing[6]
June 24, 1914	Brooklands, United Kingdom	L. G. Hornstead	200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 3	IC	—		124.09	199.70	First 2-way record, set at Brooklands under new Association International des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) 2-way rule[6]
12 July 1924	France	Ernest Eldridge	FIAT Mephistopheles	IC	—		145.89	234.98	Fastest LSR ever on a public road[6]
March 29, 1927	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Segrave	Mystery (aka "Sunbeam 1000 hp")		203.79	327.97			The first car to reach a speed over 200 mph (320 km/h)[20]
February 19, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird		206.956	333.048			[7]
April 1928[clarification needed]	Daytona Beach, USA	Ray Keech	Triplex Special	3 Liberty	207.552	334.007			[21]
March 11, 1929	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Seagrave	Irving-Napier	925 hp (690 kW) Napier	231.446	372.459			Seagrave was knighted for this effort[22]
1929[clarification needed]	Verneuk Pan, South Africa	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird	IC	246.09	396.025			First 250 mph (400 km/h) pass. Campbell was knighted for this effort[22]
March 7, 1935	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird	IC	276.816	445.472			[22]
1937[clarification needed]	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird	IC	301.129	484.598			First 300 mph (480 km/h) pass, first absolute record set at Bonneville[22]
19 November 1937	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George Eyston	Thunderbolt	Two Rolls-Royce Schneider Trophy engines (4,700 hp (3,500 kW))	311.42	501.16			[22]
1938[clarification needed]	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George Eyston	Thunderbolt		345.49[22]	556.012
1938[clarification needed]	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John R. Cobb			350.2	563.566			[22]
1938[clarification needed]	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George Eyston	Thunderbolt		357.5	575.314			[22]
August 23, 1939	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Railton Special	IC	369.74[22]	595.04	367.91	592.09[citation needed]
September 16, 1947	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Railton Mobil Special	IC	394.196[6]	633.79	394.19	634.39	First 400 mph (640 km/h) pass[citation needed]
July 17, 1964	Lake Eyre, Australia	Donald Campbell	Bluebird CN7	turbine			403.10[8]	644.96

1963–present (jet and rocket propulsion)[link]

Craig Breedlove's mark of 407.447 miles per hour (655.722 km/h),^[8][23] set in Spirit of America in September 1963, was initially considered unofficial. The vehicle breached the FIA regulations on two grounds: it had only three wheels, and it was not wheel-driven, since its jet engine did not supply power to its axles. Some time later, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme created a non-wheel-driven category, and ratified Spirit of America's time for this mark.^[8] On July 27, 1964, Donald Campbell's Bluebird CN7 posted a time of 403.10 miles per hour (648.73 km/h) on Lake Eyre, Australia. This became the official FIA LSR, although Campbell was disappointed not to have beaten Breedlove's time. In October, several four-wheel jet-cars surpassed the 1963 mark, but were eligible for neither FIA nor FIM ratification. The confusion of having three different LSRs lasted until December 11, 1964, when the FIA and FIM met in Paris and agreed to recognize as an absolute LSR the higher speed recorded by either body, by any vehicles running on wheels, whether wheel-driven or not.^[24] Thus, Art Arfons' Green Monster was belatedly recognized as the absolute LSR holder,^{[clarification needed]} Bluebird the holder of the wheel-driven land speed record, and Spirit of America the tricycle record holder. No wheel-driven car has since held the absolute record.

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
August 5, 1963	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet			407.447[8][25]		Ratified by FIM as vehicle has 3 wheels.
November 2, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	555.485	893.966	555.485	893.966[26]
November 15, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	594	955.950	608.211	-[27]
October 28, 1970	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Gary Gabelich	Blue Flame	Rocket	630.478	1014.656	622.407	1001.667	[28]
October 4, 1983	Black Rock Desert, USA	Richard Noble	Thrust2	Turbojet	634.051	1020.406	633.47	1019.47	[28]
September 25, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	713.990	1149.055	714.144	1149.303	[28]
October 15, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	760.343	1223.657	763.035	1227.986[29]	First supersonic record

Current location of vehicles[link]

The Sunbeam 350HP, Sunbeam 1000HP, Golden Arrow, and Bluebird CN7 are on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, England.^[30]

See also[link]

• List of vehicle speed records
• Wheel-driven land speed record
• British land speed record
• List of fastest production cars
• Land speed record for rail vehicles
• Motorcycle land speed record
• Pioneer 2M - Soviet Union attempt at the land speed record in early 1960s
• Budweiser Rocket - Reached a momentary top speed of 746 mph (1,201 km/h) and claimed to have broken the sound barrier in 1979
• North American Eagle Project - Aiming for 808 mph (1,300 km/h) to break current record.
• Bloodhound SSC - Project aiming for 1,050 mph (1,690 km/h) to carry out record attempt in early 2013.
• Rosco McGlashan - Australia's fastest man on the land. His Aussie Invader team is building a fully rocket-powered LSR car.
• The Bullet Project - Australia's Land Speed Challenger Powered by Australian Technology

References[link]

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2009)

External links[link]

• Autoracing Speed Records at the Open Directory Project
• Aussie Invader official website - Australian challengers to the supersonic showdown, who will be the first team to break 1000 mph!
• The UK Land Speed Racing Association

Vehicle speed records[link]

• Flight airspeed record
• Transcontinental air speed record
• Land speed record
• Land speed record for railed vehicles
• Fastest production car
• Motorcycle land speed record
• Fastest speed on a bicycle
• British land speed record
• Water speed record
• Underwater speed record
• List of vehicle speed records
• Land speed record for rail vehicles

Natural speed records[link]

Human speed records[link]

• World records in athletics
• List of speed skating records

Animal speed records[link]

• Cheetah Fastest land animal in a sprint
• Peregrine Falcon Fastest animal (in diving flight)
• Sailfish Fastest animal in swimming

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (January 2010)

An object's speed across land is measured by difference in movement between the object and the land beneath it. Atmospheric pressure and aerodynamics must be considered when attempting to calculate possible speeds from the force applied.

Units[link]

Common units of land speed include:

• kilometers per hour, (symbol km/h)
• miles per hour, (symbol m/h)
• meters per second, (symbol ms⁻¹), the SI derived unit

See also[link]

• Land speed record
• Motorcycle land speed record
• Land speed record for railed vehicles
• Animal land speeds
• Very High Speed Transit

This physics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2010)

Danny Thompson
Thompson backing Martin Simpson in 2008 Folk by the Oak Festival Photo: David Laws
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Henry Edward Thompson
Born	(1939-04-04) 4 April 1939 (age 73) Teignmouth, Devon England, United Kingdom
Genres	skiffle, folk rock, jazz
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Upright bass, guitar, mandolin, trumpet, trombone, tea chest bass
Labels	Island Records
Associated acts	Pentangle, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated,
Website	Danny Thompson.co.uk
Notable instruments
"Victoria", a double bass built in 1865

Daniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson (born 4 April 1939, Teignmouth, Devon) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson (no relation) and John Martyn, but including many others: at various times has for example played with Nick Drake, Roy Orbison, Julie Felix, Freddie and the Dreamers, Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tom Paxton, Donovan, Vivian Stanshall, David Sylvian, Kate Bush, Mary Hopkin, Loreena McKennitt, Tim Buckley, and Davey Graham. For five years, he was a member of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, and he was a founding member of the British folk rock band Pentangle. Since 1987, he has also recorded four solo albums. He converted to Islam in 1990.^[1]

Biography and career[link]

His father, a miner, joined the Royal Navy at the start of World War II and was lost in action whilst crewing submarines. When Thompson was aged 6, the family moved to London and he was brought up in the working-class area of Battersea. At school he excelled at football and played as a junior for Chelsea, the team he has supported ever since. Whilst at school he learnt guitar, mandolin, trumpet and trombone before settling on the Upright bass as his instrument of choice.

While he has his own album releases Thompson is predominantly a session musician contributing to other artists, his highest profile recordings are currently with Richard Thompson e.g. Mirror Blue, The Old Kit Bag, and the concert DVD release Richard Thompson Live in Austin Texas, from the Austin City Limits televised concerts.

Like many musicians, Danny Thompson's life has featured brushes with substance abuse. During his partnership with John Martyn, their drinking and the excessive behaviour it spawned became the stuff of legend. In one incident related by Martyn, he woke up after passing out on a hotel room floor, to find himself under a rug which Thompson had nailed down, leaving only Martyn's head exposed. Thompson went about his business, eating breakfast etc., ignoring Martyn's pleas to let him loose.

Danny Thompson spent some time living in Clopton, Suffolk in Suffolk during the late 1970s early 80's with his wife Daphne and son Dan (Danny Junior who went on to be the drummer with Hawkwind) The lifestyle was that of a rock star with a country manor and a Bentley and eventually a recording studio in the grounds of Manor House. Thompson loved the fame and fortune but made time for everyone he encountered and spent time socializing with the parishioners of The Clopton Crown and The Otley, Suffolk White Hart. Early in the 1980s he moved away from Suffolk and back to London as a base to work from. Thompson regularly watches Watford F.C. with his friend Ralph McTell.

Thompson received a Lifetime achievement award in the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. An acclaimed biography of Thompson was written by John Hillarby.

"Victoria"[link]

Danny Thompson's initial experience of bass playing was with a skiffle group, with whom he played a tea chest bass (a bass he built himself out of a tea chest, which folded up so he could carry it). In the early 1960s he bought a second-hand double bass from an old man in Battersea who let him have the instrument for £5 (despite the fact that it was worth much more than that), on the basis of his keenness to play it. He christened the instrument "Victoria" and it has remained his instrument of choice ever since. The bass was built by Gand, a French luthier, in 1865.

Victoria has been Thompson's sole instrument for the majority of his career, aside from three tours playing bass guitar for Roy Orbison in 1963.^[2] In response to increasingly stringent airline luggage regulations, Danny acquired a Czech-Ease travel bass in early 2007. Victoria is now used for all his work in the UK, with the new bass, named "Alfie", used for all international engagements.^[2]

In the early part of the 1980s he worked closely with documentary film-maker, Roy Deverell and composed music for two of his award-winning films, Echo of the Wild and A Passion to Protect. The films are about John Aspinall's pioneering work with endangered mammals.

Partial discography[link]

Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated[link]

• Red Hot From Alex (1964)
• Live at the Cavern (1964)
• Sky High (1966)
• Blues Incorporated (1967 - re-issue of Sky High)
• I Wonder Who (1967)
• 'A New Generation of Blues (1968)

Pentangle[link]

• The Pentangle (1968)
• Sweet Child (1968)
• Basket of Light (1969)
• Cruel Sister (1970)
• Reflection (1971)
• Solomon's Seal (1972)
• Open the Door (1985)

Danny Thompson[link]

• Whatever (1987)
• Whatever Next (1989)
• Elemental (1990)
• Whatever’s Best (1995)
• Danny Thompson & Peter Knight (1995)

Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson[link]

• Live At Crawley (1995)
• Industry (1997)

Others[link]

Danny Thompson has played on dozens of albums and singles during his career. The following is only a small selection.

• Vic Abram: The Folk Singer (1980)
• ABC (band): Alphabet City (1987)
• Mike Lindup: Changes (1990)
• Richard Barbieri: Stranger Inside (2008)
• The Blind Boys of Alabama: Spirit of the Century (2001)
• Tim Buckley: Dream Letter: Live in London (1968)
• Kate Bush: The Dreaming (1982); Hounds of Love (1985); 50 Words for Snow (2011)
• Christine Collister: The Dark Gift Of Time (1998); An Equal Love (2001)
• Graham Coxon: The Spinning Top (2009)
• Barbara Dickson: Don’t Think Twice (1992); Dark End of The Street (1995)
• Donovan: There Is a Mountain (single) (1967)
• Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left (1969)
• Marvin Etzioni: Marvin The Mandolin Man (1992)
• Everything But The Girl: Amplified Heart (1994)
• Marianne Faithfull: North Country Maid (1966); The World of Marianne Faithfull (1970)
• Peter Gabriel: Up (2002)
• Davey Graham: Folk Blues & Beyond (1965); Large As Life & Twice As Natural (1968); Hat (1969); Fire In The Soul (1999)
• Boo Hewerdine: Baptist Hospital (1995)
• Mary Hopkin: Earth Song / Ocean Song (1971); Live at The Royal Festival Hall 1972 (2005)
• Hunter Muskett: Every Time You Move (1970)
• The Incredible String Band: The 5000 Spirits (1967); Hard Rope & Silken Twine (1973)
• Bert Jansch: Birthday Blues (1969); Moonshine (1972); L.A. Turnaround (1974); Avocet (1979); Sketches (1990)
• John Martyn: Bless the Weather (1972); Solid Air (1973); Inside Out (1973); Sunday's Child (1975); Live At Leeds (1975); One World (1977); On the Cobbles (2004)
• Magna Carta: Lord of the Ages (1973)
• John & Beverley Martyn: The Road To Ruin (1970)
• Loreena McKennitt: The Book of Secrets (1997)
• Ralph McTell: Easy (1974)
• Alison Moyet: Hoodoo (1991)
• Deva Premal: Dakshina (2005)
• Cliff Richard: Congratulations (1968)
• Darrell Scott: Theater of the Unheard (2003)
• Ayuo: Songs from a Eurasian Journey (1997)
• Songhai. Collaboration with Flamenco group Ketama and Kora player Toumani Diabate: Songhai (1988); Songhai 2 (1994)
• S. E. Rogie: Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana (1997)
• Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
• David Sylvian: Brilliant Trees (1984)
• Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring (1986); Spirit of Eden (1988)
• Richard Thompson: Amnesia (1988); Mirror Blue (1994); Live At Crawley (1995); You? me? us? (1996); Two Letter Words (1996); Celtschmerz (1998); Mock Tudor (1999); Semi-detached Mock Tudor] (2002); The Old Kit Bag (2003); Ducknapped (2003); [Live From Austin (2005); [Sweet Warrior] (2007)
• Thunderbirds (TV series): (theme tune) (1964)
• Kathryn Tickell: Common Ground (1988)
• T Rex: Light of Love (1974); Zinc Alloy & The Hidden Riders (1974)
• Loudon Wainwright III: I’m Alright (1985); More Love Songs (1986); Therapy (1989)
• Dawud Wharnsby: Vacuous Waxing (2004)

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Official Danny Thompson Website
• Danny Thompson My Space
• The Danny Thompson Website
• Danny Thompson Cd's and Pristine Unplayed Vinyls
• Biography
• Thompson and Islam
• Worked extensively with John Martyn in the 1970s
• Some of the Notes Hurt Your Eyes - A musical conversation with Bassist Danny Thompson
• entry for Danny Thompson at allmusic.com
• 1 of several entries for Danny Thompson at allmusic.com with mixed-up data
• another of several entries for Danny Thompson at allmusic.com with mixed-up data

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 records in the same year (1964).

Family and personal life[link]

Donald Campbell was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, 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.^[2]

Campbell attended St Peter's School, Seaford and 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.^[3] He apparently also had some interest in the paranormal, which he nurtured as a member of the Ghost Club.^[4]

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.^[5]

Water speed records[link]

Campbell began his speed record attempts using his father's old boat Bluebird K4, 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 3,500 lbf (16 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 (325.33 km/h), beating the previous record by some 24 mph (39 km/h) 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 (348 km/h) later in 1955, 225 mph (362 km/h) in 1956, 239 mph (385 km/h) in 1957, 248 mph (399 km/h) in 1958, 260 mph (420 km/h) in 1959—peaked on 31 December 1964 at Dumbleyung Lake, Western Australia when he reached 276.33 mph (444.71 km/h); he remains the world's most prolific breaker of water speed records. 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.

Land speed record attempt[link]

Bluebird CN7 on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

In 1956, Campbell began planning a car to break the land speed record, which then stood at 394 mph (634 km/h). The Norris brothers designed Bluebird-Proteus CN7 with 500 mph (800 km/h) in mind. The CN7 was completed by the spring of 1960, and was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus free-turbine engine of 4,450 shp (3,320 kW). 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 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 (1,170 km²) of dried salt lake, where rain had not fallen in the previous 20 years, and the surface of the 20-mile (32 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 (640 km/h)). 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 403.10 mph (648.73 km/h) 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 (690 km/h), peaking as it left the measured distance at over 440 mph (710 km/h).

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.

Dual record holder[link]

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 (444.71 km/h).

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 (690 km/h) 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.

Final Water Speed Record attempt[link]

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 Gnat jet aircraft, which developed 4,500 pounds-force (20,000 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 (400 km/h) but still well below Campbell's existing record. Problems with Bluebird's 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[link]

On 4 January 1967, Campbell was killed when Bluebird K7 flipped and disintegrated at a speed in excess of 300 mph (480 km/h).^[6] 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 (350 km/h). 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 angle 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.

The most prolific Water Speed Record breakers in history. Donald Campbell and Bluebird K7 at high speed on Coniston Water in 1967

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.^[7]

It seems most likely that Bluebird exceeded her stability envelope.

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 kilometre (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 stabilising 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.^[8]

[edit] 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 Marillion 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,^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} He later issued an apology on his Bluebird Project website despite the facts being incorrectly reported.^{[citation needed]}

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^[9] 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. Steve Hogarth, lead singer for Marillion, was also present at the funeral and performed the song "Out of This World" solo.

Legacy[link]

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 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.^[10] The project is currently due for completion sometime in 2011.

Daughter Gina Campbell has been heavily involved in the project to restore the "Bluebird", and has also contributed to the family legacy in a more direct way, by setting the women's world water speed record in 1984 in "Bluebird II", at 122.8 mph (197.6 km/h). She bettered this mark in 1990 with a speed of 166 mph (267 km/h) - a record which stood until 1993.^[11]

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Footage of Donald Campbell Fateful Water Speed Record Attempt, 1967
• 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