Bluebird undergoing restoration work
PHers are being invited to have their say in a public consultation to help get the Bluebird K7 hydroplane onto Coniston Water.
Between 1955 and 1964 the K7 was piloted to seven water speed records by legendary speed-freak Donald Campbell. But on the January 4 1967, it flipped over at over 300mph on the lake, destroying the hydroplane and tragically killing Campbell.
In March 2001 the wreckage of the K7 was recovered, along with Campbell's body later that year. Since then a team has been restoring the wrecked hydroplane, aiming to restore it to the state that it was in before the crash, using as much original material as possible.
Project director Bill Smith told PH: 'The K7 is one of the great engineering icons of the twentieth century, and it was given a second chance by Donald's daughter, Gina Campbell.She wanted us to return Bluebird to the state she was in a minute before her final run.'
The project should be completed in 2010 and it is hoped the boat will find its way to the Coniston village museum in the Lake District. But before then, the team want to bring the boat back to Coniston Water.
'It seems a shame that Donald Campbell is remembered for the one time it went wrong after such an illustrious career,' added Smith. 'We don't want a dead machine - there are too many dead machines in museums, we want to make a living exhibit.'
A local bylaw currently enforces a 10mph speed-limit at Coniston, with exception being taken only for world record attempts. But the team aims to test the boat to around 100mph, and don't want to disturb attempts at record week in November.
Smith understands the council's position: 'They have to be seen to be responsible, and not allow just anybody to come in and pollute the lake and disturb the wildlife. But the transparent way we are organised means that we can plan for these things ahead of time, and pre-empt any issues that might arise.'
The Bluebird Project team want to have a new bylaw created specifically for the K7 to allow it to test on Coniston Water, and the council is currently holding a public consultation on the matter. Smith wants PHers to help his team by visiting the webpage and filling out the survey.
'I'm a bit of a petrolhead myself, so I gravitate towards PistonHeads, and I visit the site regularly. I know the people there appreciate great engineering. As well as celebrating Campbell's achievements and giving people the opportunity to enjoy some national pride, it will also bring sustainability to a small village museum, and a world class attraction to an area reliant on tourism.'
He also noted that with the bylaw in place, the option would remain open for Bluebird to periodically return to the water, perhaps in annual or bi-annual demonstration runs.
'On a personal level, I didn't get to see her the first time around, and I know many others will feel the same, and want to see her running.'
To have your say, visit www.lake-district.gov.uk/bluebirdconsultation and take a look at the Bluebird Project website at www.bluebirdproject.com.
The video below shows some amazing footage of the Bluebird before and after the accident.