(picture: Arthur Benjamins)
(picture: Arthur Benjamins)
After Malcolm Campbell’s 9 successful attempts at the Land Speed Record, he discussed the possibility of going after the World Water Speed Record with Reid Railton. Fred Cooper had been consulted and designed a hull, which had been tested in the Admiralty water tank at Hasler, and the boat was constructed in the Saunders-Roe yard on the Isle of Wright.
The Rolls Royce R37 2,500hp engine that was used in the 1935 Bluebird car powered it. The boat was a 23ft single-engined single-step, and bore a close resemblance to the 24ft Miss Britain III. It was constructed of double skinned mahogany with a stressed aeroplane fabric deck and streamlined tail section; it had a light alloy backbone running its whole length and Vee-drive.
In June 1937, after eighteen months of construction the Z/K30 was ready for its first trials. She was taken to Balloch on Loch Lomond, Scotland. During this period Campbell’s eyes began to deteriate, so they hung enormous lengths of linen to the rocks, so he had something to focus on.
Although Loch Lomand allowed Campbell to remedy some of the boat’s teething problems, heavy winds and torrential rain sent logs and driftwood into the Loch, so the team returned south to Surrey.
Several enquiries were made, and Lake Maggiore was chosen due to its huge expanse of water, which lies in two countries Italy and Switzerland. At the Italian end lies Sesto Collende, an Italian Navy base, but due to restrictions Locarno in Switzerland was chosen. The Canottiere Pelicani (Locarno’s local sculling club) had offered them the use of their boathouse with a slipway. Many other concessions, such as free board and lodgings, were laid on because Sir Malcolm and his hydroplane was a definite attraction, there was also a place situated midway across the lake where there was a promontory ideal for the timekeepers, and a 4 ½ mile course laid diagonally across the lake from Mappo to Gerro.
Bluebird K3, as she was now registered was delivered on an Adams Transport lorry to Locarno. The local mayor Syndaco Rusco should great interest in the boat when it arrived, and influenced a Roman Catholic priest to bless the boat and christened Uccello Azzuro in the boathouse with holy water on the bows. It is typical of Campbell’s tact as an unofficial British ambassador, as despite being a Scots Protestant with distinctly low church ideas, he accepted the offer and was present at the ceremony.
Once the boat was started, a major problem was how to keep the engine from overheating during high-speed runs. To reduce weight, Reid Railton devised a sealed system for the engine water coolant, incorporating no manually operated cocks to regulate the temperature. A small tank was divided into two compartments, which were interconnected by a thermo-static valve: cold water was then fed into one side of the tank from the engine coming from the other side. A thermo valve maintained correct temperature and surplus water from the cold tank was ejected overboard.
After Campbell’s first sprint, he complained that the temperature gauge had risen over 100 degrees. After discussion, Cooper and Railton transferred the water scoop from the forward step to the transom, because it was suspected that on the planning the step lifted the scoop right out of the water.
Two days later, whilst making a trial, the water scoop proved so robust and its water aperture so big that it tore a portion of the transom. After modification Campbell decided to attack Gar Wood’s water speed record. The water temperature went up so high that it literally blew up the R-37 engine, and Campbell had to be towed back to the dock.
The engine was replaced with the R 39 engine, and repairs were made to the boat. On September1st 1937, Campbell broke the water speed record with a new average of 123.33 mph, commenting ‘She’s a proper sow to hold - yawning all over the ruddy place. I know I can do better and all being well, I’ll take another crack tomorrow’. The following day, he improved his own record to 129.5 mph.
In 1937/38, the Blue Bird K3 was modified and taken to the Geneva Boat show in 1938 where Campbell was to do some demonstration runs. Lake Geneva was so congested that Campbell made further enquiries for a new lake, as he believed Blue Bird could go even faster.
Blue Bird was taken to Lake Hallwil or Hilwilersee, and located at a place called Bretensburg, near the German border. Campbell had been offered a new boathouse and slipway, as he could not wait whilst work was being carried out, the boat and spare engine was left with a guard, whilst Campbell returned to England.
Campbell returned, and Commander Peter Du Cane - a technical expert of Vospers, a Portsmouth boat building company, was present. Campbell complained that the K3 was a real brute to handle and positively dangerous, but Du Cane convinced him that this was a typical characteristic.
After five trial runs, Campbell was given ‘all systems go!’ with ideal water conditions he broke his own record, and set a new speed of 130.86 mph. Blue Bird K3 had reached her limit, and Campbell had further ideas to break the water speed record. Blue Bird K3 can now be seen at Filching Manor, England.
Acknowledgements:
"Famous Speedboats of The World" by D Phillips-Birt
"The World Water Speed Record" by Leo Villa and Kevin Desmond