Donald Campbell

The new turbo-jet hydroplane Bluebird, in which Mr. Donald Campbell is hoping to attack the world water speed record, was launched for the first time into Ullswater, Cumberland, on February 8. The launching had to be postponed for a day when it was found that the water at the end of the slipway was too shallow to take Bluebird safely. Mr. Campbell made his first trial run in Bluebird on February 11, but, at the time of writing, the actual date of his attempt on the record has not been announced. Mr. Donald Campbell, who is the son of the late Sir Malcolm Campbell, made some attempts on the world water speed record in Bluebird II. after his father's death, but on October 25, 1951, when travelling at speed on Coniston Water, that speedboat hit a submerged obstacle and was severely damaged. The present world water speed record of 178.497 statute miles per hour was established by Stanley Sayres, of the United States, on Lake Washington on July 7, 1952.

(Reprinted from the Illustrated London News February 19, 1955)

The world's water speed record is once more in Britain's hands. Mr. Donald Campbell achieved an average speed of 202.32 m.p.h. in his turbo-jet hydroplane Bluebird on Ullswater on July 23 (awaiting confirmation). He made two runs over the measured kilometer, at 215.08 m.p.h. on the first and 189.57 m.p.h. on the second. This triumph followed a week of disappointment, during which Bluebird failed twice when flying spray put out the engine's flame, and months of exhaustive preparation by Mr. Campbell and his team of wholehearted experts, to whom he paid tribute after his attempt. In August 1939, Sir Malcolm Campbell, father of the present holder, broke his own speed record on Coniston Lake with a speed of 141.74 m.p.h. in a craft as different in appearance and power from the 1955 Bluebird as a Gladiator fighter aircraft is to a modern javelin. In view of Mr. Campbell's remarks on the " water barrier," it is interesting to speculate upon how much faster it is possible to travel over the surface of even the smoothest lake.

(Reprinted from The Illustrated London News July 30, 1955)