Frequently Asked Questions
These are a few of the questions that come up again and again – hopefully they’ll be of interest.
When will Bluebird be finished?
How long is a piece of string? The build still faces some unknowns however the aim has always to have K7 back on the water sometime in 2011 and this is still achievable.
She’s being built to the highest possible standard using as much original material as possible so she’ll be done when she’s done. There is no hurry nor is there a deadline. Keep checking the diary for updates.
Will she run under her own power?
Yes, Bluebird K7 is being rebuilt to full running condition and will undergo a series of proving trials during which she’ll be worked back up to planing speeds so that what the public see in the museum is not a hollowed out husk of the once great craft as are so many museum objects. This will be a fully functional and proven machine
Who will drive her?
Our UK-based pilot is yet to be chosen and announced but K7’s new pilot will be an experienced and skilled hydroplane pilot with a deep respect and understanding of the magnitude of the task. Current WWSR holder Ken Warby has already accepted the offer to handle K7 for some of the runs but whether he chooses to do so remains at his discretion.
How fast will she go?
Only as fast as she needs to go in order to plane and look as she should for display purposes. Available data suggests that she planes at around 65mph but there is no reliable, surviving information on her performance envelope so her optimal display speed is an unknown at present. Her engine is being de-rated so she will not be capable of record breaking speeds.
Can I visit the workshop?
Generally speaking, no. We don’t have the time or the facilities on most days. The place is a PC and H&S free zone where the crew can get on with their work unfettered by bureaucratic constraints so we don’t usually invite strangers to trip over things and fall on the sharp edges whilst breathing the residue of 1950s chemicals. On the other hand, if you message us to say that you’d really like to see what your sizeable donation is being spent on we’ll see what we can do.
Where will she run?
At present (early 2010) an application is with the Lake District National Park Authority for permission to exceed the speed limit on Coniston Water but any straight stretch of freshwater with a mile or two of uninterrupted surface will suffice for the proving trials. If permission for Coniston is denied or substantially delayed an alternate venue will be announced.
Are there plans to run K7 after the proving trials?
Nothing planned at the moment but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. K7 ought to be fully functional and capable of running again and we’d obviously hope that she does but she may also be forced into retirement by her trials depending on how well she stands up to the battering. At the very least we’d expect that her engine will have to be run periodically to keep her systems tip-top.
Will she be available as a promotional tool at other events?
This is not an option for the foreseeable future with K7 not scheduled to return to Coniston until 2011 at the earliest.
How is the project funded?
The museum building and display and K7 rebuild are separate endeavours and are funded independently. The rebuild programme relies on sponsorship from industry either in the form of materials or services but not funding. Cash donations from enthusiasts and the sale of merchandise provide the modest cashflow necessary to keep the project going. The project has no paid employees and all monies raised go directly into the rebuild.
What is the likely environmental impact of running Bluebird?
Twelve and a quarter… see diary archive 25th November 2008
How is the rebuild progressing?
See that button top-left that says ‘Diary’? It’s all there to read about from late 2000 right up to the present.
Frequently Asked Questions (Archive)
These are a few of the questions that come up again and again – hopefully they’ll be of interest.
Click on the question in the list below to skip down to the answer.
Q1. How did the project start?
Q2. How was the decision to recover Bluebird taken?
Q3. Was the body of Donald Campbell with the boat and how come the Navy missed him in 67?
Q4. What colour is Bluebird-blue? Possibly THE most frequently asked question.
Q5. Why not leave the boat as-recovered?
Q6. Why not build a replica?
Q7. If the project and the HLF are so opposed, why not go it alone?
Q1. How did the project start?
It was born from the frustration of a group of wreck-diving enthusiasts who’d evolved their wreck location techniques but due to working predominantly in the North Sea found themselves with only four months every year (in a good season) when they could indulge their passion.
What was needed was a winter project and the Bluebird wreck site met all the criteria. Interesting, undisturbed and technically challenging, yet it wasn’t considered until the words of a song sparked the interest.
‘Three hundred miles an hour on water’
‘In your purpose built machine’
From a track by Marillion (www.Marillion.com) called ‘Out Of This World’ from the album ‘Afraid Of Sunlight’.
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Q2. How was the decision to recover Bluebird taken?
This decision was taken by members of the Campbell Family Heritage Trust shortly after the wreck was located. Bluebird’s discovery demonstrated that the required technology had made it into the hands of amateur divers, and this, combined with her excellent state of preservation meant that she would inevitably come under threat from souvenir hunters.
Another factor was the dwindling number of people directly related to Donald Campbell who were in a position to make appropriate decisions regarding the future of K7.
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Q3. Was the body of Donald Campbell with the boat and how come the Navy missed him in 67?
No, he was located over sixty metres to the south-west having been ejected from the cockpit in the initial impact. The Royal Navy divers missed him because, according to their diving report at the time, they seemingly never discovered the impact site as it lies remote from the main wreckage trail.
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Q4. What colour is Bluebird-blue? Possibly THE most frequently asked question.
The answer is anything that looks about right will do as the boat had dozens of shades applied over the years. You can’t go wrong!
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Q5. Why not leave the boat as-recovered?
A. Again, a decision taken by family members based on the fact that as well as ending his life in spectacular fashion, Donald Campbell also enjoyed probably the most successful record breaking career in history. An achievement that sadly seems to be overshadowed by his one spectacular failure. This is not how they wish to see him remembered so the decision was taken to rebuild Bluebird to how she was pre-crash on the morning of 4th January 1967 using as much original material as possible.
Another factor is that displaying the shattered cockpit where a man died is generally considered to be ghoulish and in bad taste.
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Q6. Why not build a replica?
Two replicas exist already, one’s at Holker Hall and the other is… somewhere else. So to build another fibreglass mock-up would be pointless.
This leaves the option of building a working replica using the same materials and processes but this approach doesn’t solve the problem of what to do with the original as detailed above. It would be incredibly expensive too compared to giving the original boat a new front as we already have the greater part of it in excellent condition and would otherwise have to recreate what we already have. The HLF would never fund such a venture, which leads to another FAQ.
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Q7. If the project and the HLF are so opposed, why not go it alone?
We get this question rather a lot too.
It’s important to point out that the problem is nothing like as bad as it seems. There were holes in the application process on both sides, holes that hopefully are now patched up so we wait with fingers crossed.
But, ultimately we may have to go it alone as the basic mission objectives are none-negotiable. The reason we really want to work with the HLF is that although the support is freely available to rebuild Bluebird, it’s going to be a whole lot harder to build the museum wing and make the boat part of a professional-looking display. That is VERY expensive.
Going the museum route will ensure Bluebird’s future too. She’ll not have to earn her keep on the road or spend time away from her moral home.
We’re hoping the HLF will sort this for us, which is why we’re being persistent.
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