The Bluebird Project

It's all a bit of a shame if you ask me. They could've finished it twice in the time they've had and with the money that's passed through their hands. What's going wrong in there? Maybe we ought to finish it for them when the blue one is done - wouldn't take long.

Yeah-could always get that McCartney fella to sing "Bluebird" with a polystyrene cup in front of him!

hi bill i met you at the ken warby dinner at torver on oct 20th 2007. spent the night before in the black bull with novie, paul and john from the srg. after sitting there over a pint of bluebird bitter for about ten minutes, trying to explain to the better half why i had just become a dribbling idiot i was kindly introduced to ken by john from the srg. (must have been the BBP polo shirt that did it!) mr warby then went on to say that "mr mcknight was making a career of going after the WWSR but would never do it" (probably not an exact quote so call off the lawers!) not a dickie bird has been posted on the site since last summer when they cut ken norris's frame in half! enough said me thinks

I'd like to have seen ken's original four-point design take to the water. Back in 66 both he and Lew had advised against Donald going after 300 in the old K7. He had an offer to do a lecture tour of Australia so the Norris boys told him to go and while he was away they'd design him a new boat based on what they'd learned from K7. But he didn't...
The original QS design is, so far as I understand, the boat they were going to design for Donald and what a triumph that would be - a Norris design taking another record posthumously.

does make you wonder why it was modified given the designers pedigree! seen lot of different artists impressions of the finished craft, but it looked like in the last version shown on the website that the pilot was going to be sat in one of the sponsons! if the little blue "canopy shape windows" are what they look like. could take occilation enduced vision loss to new extremes. or perhaps it was just a way of prelonging the project! howabout "bluebird quicksilver" as the next project?

hi mike these were just the words he said in the bull. i think the words "off the record" were in his mind at the time. hopefully no one will sue! we are among friends

Renegadenemo wrote:I'd like to have seen ken's original four-point design take to the water. Back in 66 both he and Lew had advised against Donald going after 300 in the old K7. He had an offer to do a lecture tour of Australia so the Norris boys told him to go and while he was away they'd design him a new boat based on what they'd learned from K7. But he didn't...
The original QS design is, so far as I understand, the boat they were going to design for Donald and what a triumph that would be - a Norris design taking another record posthumously.

The original Quicksilver design was referred to as a 4 pointer but I challenged Nigel about this; The front planing area was effectively one piece with a channel through the centre thus breaking it into two sperate areas in contact with the water but that in my view did not make it a four point hydroplane. It was still one point forward and two aft. He did not disagree! Thats aside from the air cushion suspension point but we best not go there!

jonwrightk7 wrote:hi bill i met you at the ken warby dinner at torver on oct 20th 2007. spent the night before in the black bull with novie, paul and john from the srg. after sitting there over a pint of bluebird bitter for about ten minutes, trying to explain to the better half why i had just become a dribbling idiot i was kindly introduced to ken by john from the srg. (must have been the BBP polo shirt that did it!) mr warby then went on to say that "mr mcknight was making a career of going after the WWSR but would never do it" (probably not an exact quote so call off the lawers!) not a * bird has been posted on the site since last summer when they cut ken norris's frame in half! enough said me thinks

Nigel rang me about 15 months ago and went to great lengths to tell me how much the project had cost him personally and we had a good long chat. I was impressed with his sincere desire to see the project through and I dont doubt his honest intention to do his very best to see that happen. That said its clear the way the project has gone does not instill in Mr Average a firm belief that it will ever see the water and those who really understand these things lost interest some time ago. Hopefull it will happen but I also believe K7 is likely to see water long before any Quicksilver does.

hi ernie, dont get me wrong, i really wish nigel all the best. it just seems to me that he has put toomuch effort into fundraising dinners and looking after his sponsors. a bit more of a "lets spend the money where its needed" approach might have been better. mind what do i know of his troubles! i still wish him the best of luck though. ps GTK7 looks great!!!!!!!!!

No problem jon I think we are of the same mind. I have declined three invitations to be the personal guest ,at no cost to me, of a well known individual at Nigels dinners. I have nothing against a free meal and good crack its just I felt the money could be better spent getting the boat sorted out and thus they served no purpose in furthering the project. Just me and my silly principles costing me a good meal. Elaine keeps reminding me that principles dont put food on the table or pay the bills and not having any gets you a well paid job as an MP!

Thanks for the comment re the GT- Its causing me some concern about how to get it to the big show in South Shields. My son who is now the owner has work commitments on Saturday and Sundays is his day to spend quality time with his 2 yr old son. I cannot get that model plus a big S lo Mo, Big Budweiser, Big Miss England 11, big Spirit of Australia ,Crusader and others into one of Fords 'focused' creations. Its eaither the big GT on its own or all the rest and no K7.

Not sure what the public would want to see the most.