Could Bluebird Return to Coniston?
Restoration team wants to bring Bluebird back to Coniston Water
Bluebird undergoing restoration work
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.
Why not leave it as a great memory of Donald with the best of British?
What really would it prove by running it again?
I hope they get this running but I fear some silly H&S type ruling may get in the way.
I can see were your comming from as well. I did read somwere that one reason they have done this is to stop seople finding the wrcek and selling parts/memorabelia on ebay and the likes.
Most guys like him would want it running again.
By running it, it becomes not just a tribute to him but also hopefully inspire others. I for one am fed up with youngster looking to cr4p role models for their aspirations.
I'm sure this would encourage tourism to the area to help keep the area profitable during harder times and hopefully encourage a few in to engineering/motorsport/anything but watching Big Bruv and wanting to be the next "big thing"
On a similar note, back in the 20's(?) a chap by the name of Parry Thomas crashed his car Babs and died during a speed record attempt on Pendine Sands and his wish was always that Babs be buried there. Of course many years late some individual decided it was his right to dig that up to.
Why not leave it as a great memory of Donald with the best of British?
What really would it prove by running it again?
A restored wreck would be a bugger's muddle - no longer original, but not as robust as a replica.
Stick the old one in a museum and put a working replica next to it.
If they had left it at the bottom of the lake, anyone could have claimed the salvage and it would have ended up as scrap or being broken for parts on Ebay.
I say a lottery grant should be allocated to perform the restoration and maintain the heritage of what was a great period of British history.
Wasn't Thrust SSC broken for parts to pay the bills of the record attempt? - a very sad day indeed when we can't keep these machines for future generations.
I also believe my mother's godfather was involved in the exhumation of Babs, which I mentioned in my earlier post. I have since seen Babs on a number of ocassions and she brings a great deal of pleasure to a great many people, although see the unguarded chain which decapitated poor Parry Thomas still sends a shover down my spine.
Despite my personal relationship with the family albeit a few years ago) and long-held fascination for Donald and Sir Malcolm, I feel leaving the mighty boat in peace would have been in better taste. I would rather go and pay tribute, in my own way, at the lake as I have done. It would not be my preference to go and see the old thing looking like Trigger's broom, consisting almost entirely of new bits.
To answer a question posed earlier, I believe Thrust SSC is alive and well in the USA somewhere, although I am prepared to be corrected. I don't think Richard Noble would ever all it to be broken down for parts.
I've never heard anyone suggest that Parry Thomas had expressed a wish that the car should be burried at Pendine in the event of a crash. What is your source for this information?
If your not dead yet then just lie down and die like a good Englishman should do these days!
SORRY but I think that he would have rebuilt Bluebird if he had survived AND run it again to grab that record!
I have huge sympathy for his family, as I do for all our lost heros.
But I was 10 when we watched that on TV, both my parents had lived throught the WW2 and my father had lost his father in WW1.
You NO-people have NO idea what he meant to the moral of Britain at the time.
My parents were truly emotionally affected by his death.
I say bring back a HERO and the best way to do that, is to do what he would have done had he had the chance.
What would HE have done ANSWER THAT?
Shall we forget him or live in his sprit?
Especially when we are again faced with hard times ahead.
PS- Some of you should hand in your pistons and move to MSN chat rooms!
Next week on the front page of the local paper it read "Historic barn saved by Gardener"
I open up the paper and find pictures of various Bluebird cars and boats. It seems they were built in my neighbours barn. Was apparently well known at the time but almost forgotten now.
Ex77
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