Donald Campbells Bluebird to run again
Discussion
4th February 2009
An appeal to all you lovers of speed.
The team currently returning Donald Campbell’s iconic jet-hydroplane, Bluebird K7 to full working condition are asking the Lake District National Park for permission to operate Bluebird above the 10mph speed limit during her proving trials.
Bluebird is the most successful record breaker ever built, holding the absolute world water speed record no less than seven times. She is due to reach completion in 2010 and in a perfect world we’d prefer to operate her on Coniston Water, Bluebird’s spiritual home.
But to achieve this we need a modification to the local bylaw as the current law precludes us doing what we need to do. There’s an exception if you’re going for a record but we’re not. Running during Record’s Week has been suggested too as this takes place annually on Coniston and maybe the rules could be relaxed but it’s a big risk. The chances of getting a good enough forecast in November for us to even mobilise is slim indeed and it wouldn’t be fair on the records people either to have us keep interrupting an event they’d planned all year. We’d likely have to leave K7 in her workshop until spring and have a go somewhere else.
We want to run this event sensitively and professionally with ever an eye to the environment and amenity of the local folks but we’d like to make it exciting and informative too so here’s what we need. Follow the link below and complete the form. We’d like to run sometime when the weather is likely to be kind and spend perhaps a week gradually working K7 back to fighting trim before she goes on display. And as she’s such a powerful inspirational and educational tool we’d also like to keep open the option to run her again sometime in the future. Thanks in advance.
www.lake-district.gov.uk/bluebirdconsultation
Bill Smith.
(Bluebird Project Director)
www.bluebirdproject.com
An appeal to all you lovers of speed.
The team currently returning Donald Campbell’s iconic jet-hydroplane, Bluebird K7 to full working condition are asking the Lake District National Park for permission to operate Bluebird above the 10mph speed limit during her proving trials.
Bluebird is the most successful record breaker ever built, holding the absolute world water speed record no less than seven times. She is due to reach completion in 2010 and in a perfect world we’d prefer to operate her on Coniston Water, Bluebird’s spiritual home.
But to achieve this we need a modification to the local bylaw as the current law precludes us doing what we need to do. There’s an exception if you’re going for a record but we’re not. Running during Record’s Week has been suggested too as this takes place annually on Coniston and maybe the rules could be relaxed but it’s a big risk. The chances of getting a good enough forecast in November for us to even mobilise is slim indeed and it wouldn’t be fair on the records people either to have us keep interrupting an event they’d planned all year. We’d likely have to leave K7 in her workshop until spring and have a go somewhere else.
We want to run this event sensitively and professionally with ever an eye to the environment and amenity of the local folks but we’d like to make it exciting and informative too so here’s what we need. Follow the link below and complete the form. We’d like to run sometime when the weather is likely to be kind and spend perhaps a week gradually working K7 back to fighting trim before she goes on display. And as she’s such a powerful inspirational and educational tool we’d also like to keep open the option to run her again sometime in the future. Thanks in advance.
www.lake-district.gov.uk/bluebirdconsultation
Bill Smith.
(Bluebird Project Director)
www.bluebirdproject.com
Nic Jones said:
I still think the original should have either been left on the bottom or once recovered left in her post crash state with a replica built (which to all intents and purposes this is) and run.
Still, good luck to you
Have to disagree.Still, good luck to you
You obviously haven't followed the link to the project page and looked at the huge amount of indepth material there which illustrates just how much of the original boat is being used.
This a huge can of worms which gets into the world of car restoration as well, as long as other bits and pieces don't turn up in another 'original' Bluebird K7 (which they won't) then this is a repaired original. Whats wrong with that? You sound just like the people on the HLR who wouldn't fund the extension to the Coniston museum because Bluebird wasn't being left as a miserable forlorn wreck.
On a more positive note I posted the link to the consulation body on the TVRCC site and at this moment 12 people have posted that they've submitted the form to back the running of Bluebird on Coniston and with well over 150 views I imagine a good number have submitted a form without having posted they've done so.
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