Far too often I pick up a book purporting to be about the design and engineering of some car or other and find it sadly lacking in any meaningful content. Quite frankly I expected the same from this book. But I could not have been more wrong, this book is as engrossing as it is inspiring. The work of Norris Brothers on the Bluebird CN7 is mind boggling it included, data logging, head up displays, a composite chassis, tyres developed in tandem with a manufacturer.
This was a car built back in the days when British technology was the best in the world, Blue Streak, V bombers, the hovercraft, and the English Electric lightning were all in recent memories. The author was one of the lead engineers on the project and has done a brilliant job of capturing the engineering behind the record breaker. The engine, a Proteus , was specially modified by Norris Bros to have a power shaft at each end of the engine.
These shafts are connected directly to final drive assemblies with differentials and fixed ratios of 3. On his two courageous runs, he brought Bluebird to an average speed of Victory was his!!! Your email address will not be published. Your comment:. I consent to my name and e-mail address being stored along with this comment, and to the website editors communicating with me by e-mail about the comment if necessary.
Campbell suffered a fracture to his lower skull, a broken ear drum as well as cuts and bruises. He convalesced in California until November Meanwhile plans had been put in motion to rebuild CN7 for a further attempt. Twenty-five years later and with six World Water Speed Records under his belt, Campbell was challenging for the record his father had held nine times. And then there was Bluebird herself. The massive car was powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Proteus gas-turbine engine producing 3,kw 4,hp at 11,rpm that powered all four wheels through two David Brown fixed ratio gearboxes.
Bluebird was to be a shining example of British technology and engineering at its best, and no expense had been spared in this pursuit. Campbell initially made some gentle runs to get accustomed to the monstrous blue car, building up slowly from kph mph to kph mph before asking for the steering ratio to be lowered after the runs.
Despite still being unhappy with the steering, Campbell went back out to make his fifth run. Campbell then made what would be a fateful decision to do some acceleration tests. Norris was clearly unhappy about this and Dunlop tyres Don Badger also reminded Campbell that the test tyres fitted to CN7 were only good for kph mph. The massive 4,kg 9,lb car suddenly leapt into the air for what seemed like an eternity before crashing back down onto the salt as it continued to roll over, shedding wheels and bodywork until finally sliding on its belly to a halt.
But the car was a total write-off except for the Proteus gas-turbine engine and some minor ancillary components. But this was to be just a prelude to a new chapter, as Campbell and a rebuilt Bluebird would challenge for the record again in Australia, while Arfons, Ostich and Thompson would try their hand once more at Bonneville. For as different as these men were, they all shared the same dream and possessed the same kind of superhuman courage and determination that is needed to try and become the fastest man on land.
Extracted from a superb article by Geoff Dawes His confidence was severely shaken, he was suffering mild panic attacks, and for some time he doubted whether he would ever return to record breaking. As part of his recuperation he learned to fly light aircraft and this boost to his confidence was an important factor in his recovery. By he was on the road to recovery and planning the rebuild of CN7. The Bluebird-Proteus CN7 from behind showing jet exhausts Lake Eyre, The rebuilt car was completed, with modifications including differential locks and a large vertical stabilising fin, in After initial trials at Goodwood and further modifications to the very strong fiber-glass cockpit canopy, CN7 was shipped this time to Australia for a new attempt at Lake Eyre in The Lake Eyre location was chosen as it offered square miles 1, km2 of dried salt lake, where rain had not fallen in the previous 20 years, and the surface of the 20 miles 32 km long 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 attempt was over.
Campbell received very bad press following the failure to set a new record, but the weather conditions had made an attempt out of the question.
BP pulled out as a sponsor at the end of the year. After more light rain in June, the lake finally began to dry enough for an attempt to be made. On July 17, , Campbell set a record of
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