How many record breakers are in running order?

[sheppane]

I can't think of one under heading 3 at all!!

Maybe Seagrave's 1926 Sunbeam. I think everything is original in that apart from the blower casing.
In fact Its as fast now as it was in 26. It sounds wonderful as well.

N

[mtskull]

There can't be a lot needed to be done to the '35 Blue Bird, but the best you could do is run it with a Type 65 Griffon, so why bother.

Isn't that a bit like asking: "why bother running K7 because the best you could do is run it with an 800 series Orpheus" ?

[f1steveuk]

Well in all fairness K7 will have a Orpheus, but a Griffin isn't really close to an R, it would be a bit like like getting Jenson's McLaren and replacing the Mercedes engine with a Rover V8, it would go, but it's a distance away from what it really should be. Having said that I'd much rather see the things move than rot away! That's why in my tenure at Filching, we decided that as we had a Meteor we'd put the thing in. The installation Ken Pope did had a wooden sub assembly that can be removed, so once running, we'd get sponsorship and that would finance a tool kit and rebuild for R37.

To put a Griffin in the '35 car would meaning making changes to the actual car, and my point was, why mess with original material, a point I made badly (been a long day!)

Is that Segrave's Tiger? I thought that had had a major restoration in the 60s?

The trouble with these types of machine is the "grandmother's broom" scenario, because by their nature, thy are constantly changed anyway.

[sheppane]

Is that Segrave's Tiger? I thought that had had a major restoration in the 60s?

The trouble with these types of machine is the "grandmother's broom" scenario, because by their nature, thy are constantly changed anyway.

You're probably correct Steve, I think it was much modified post Segrave's 1926 outing at Southport. It makes a lovely noise though.

Neil

[Stuart Baker]

Hey Neil,

Just spotted the reflection in the vertical stabiliser on your profile picture. Is that who I think it is?

S

[sheppane]

Hey Neil,

Just spotted the reflection in the vertical stabiliser on your profile picture. Is that who I think it is?

S

It is indeed DC. A section of Carl Rogerson's excellent image from the 11th December 66

[mtskull]

we decided that as we had a Meteor we'd put the thing in. The installation Ken Pope did had a wooden sub assembly that can be removed, so once running, we'd get sponsorship and that would finance a tool kit and rebuild for R37.
To put a Griffin in the '35 car would meaning making changes to the actual car, and my point was, why mess with original material

Makes sense. If a Griffon would drop straight in or only require easily reversible mods then I couldn't see the harm but I quite agree that you wouldn't want to go b*ggering about with original material only to finish up with something even less authentic.
Here's hoping that R37 can be rebuilt and/or replicated....

[f1steveuk]

Most people will tell you, "don't get Holter started on the R Type"!!!!

So few units built (22 or 24), one, unique tool kit (now missing), many many, hand made, one off parts, and R37 was badly shot blasted at least twice. It deserves a rebuild, but as to running it, it could be a bugger to get it to run for an hour sometimes. I know the very first prototype Griffin was actually R41 (the last unit built from memory), but I suspect by the time it went into production, it had little in common with the R, although maybe Mike from his aero' interests knows better?

I can cope with Babs for example, although why another aero' liberty wasn't found escapes me (cost?), as it looks original, has as much of the original in it as possible, and is, original spec', but if for example a Manitou was put in the 350HP, then it seems like doing it for the sake of it. I suspect that's what scuppered the Golden Apple project, to rebuild the Golden Arrow to running condition. Why bung any old Napier Lion into it, and why add to it's 18 or so, only, miles on the clock?

I suppose with LSR/WSR vehicles it's a mute point, why run them at 50 to 100, when they were designed for 400 to 500, and a matter of personal opinion.

I have a list somewhere of all record breakers still known to exist, I'd guess it wouldn't ake long to work out how many are original, and how many run.

[mtskull]

Most people will tell you, "don't get Holter started on the R Type"!!!!
I know the very first prototype Griffin was actually R41 (the last unit built from memory), but I suspect by the time it went into production, it had little in common with the R, although maybe Mike from his aero' interests knows better?

According to Wikipedia (that unimpeachable source of all knowledge ), it was R11 that was de-rated and named "Griffon". It seems, however, that this was not developed further and that the later Griffon was an entirely separate design, so there would be even less claim to authenticity in the hypothetical event of one being fitted to "Bluebird"
That said, given the resources and expertise that have gone into re-manufacturing, for example, 1930's Auto-Union V16 Grand Prix engines, then surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man to re-create a reasonably authentic R Type?

[Renegadenemo]

Take a look at what these boys can do. These engines are superb to say the least.

http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/topic/projects/engines