Other Speed Record Breakers Are Available!

[turbocox]

Thank you Mr Warby for your insite. Very interesting, with a clear explanaition.

Thank you for your reply Mr Mitchell, Humble as we all are of the achivements of the record holders.

[sheppane]

Brit Pursuit 8 s.jpg

Brit Pursuit 6 s.jpg

Brit Pursuit 5 s.jpg

As promised, a few more pics of British Pursuit from the pics i took during it's Coniston attempt. Note later on, paneling was fitted between the cockpit unit and the engine to try and spare the viper from the bow wave...

Note how Tony Fahey sat more on than in the boat... and got drenched every time he took the boat out for a run courtesy of the hole in the cockpit lid, and the poor sealing...

These pics should get the debate on this craft going...

[sheppane]

Brit Pursuit 7 s.jpg

Brit Pursuit 3 s.jpg

Brit Pursuit02 s.jpg

Three more BP pics with the panel modifications...

[sheppane]

Brit Pursuit 4 s.jpg

Brit Pursuit copy s.jpg

The final two pics. To my knowledge, K8 entered the water again only once more after these pics were taken...

[Mike Bull]

Daft looking thing really, wasn't it?!

Intrigued to see the name 'Bowaters' on it though, as my grandfather and father worked for Bowaters packaging in Croydon, Surrey.

[Jordangbr]

Bowaters owned a large paper mill in Barrow which is the biggest in Europe and became Bowater-Scott and now Kimberly Clark.

[klingon]

By the looks of British pursuit the pilot would need all the bogroll Bowaters could produce!-Hells Bells what was that front screen all about?-all the aerodynamics of a garage door!-(or a Landrover)-musta been for the "sit up and beg" pilots seat-if the seating position was just a bit higher the craft could have been entered as a motorbike!

[polo]

please read my full comments in '1980's boat on this forum. part quote:
"People are apt to criticise boats and question design, you only have to look at the comments on Quicksilver to see that. Well in defence of all those who do and not just talk about, do you think they didn't think about all these things BEFORE you did? Do you think they didn't test as well?
The designer of K8 just happened to design such little known projects as - Concord, the space shuttle and a few canard jet planes that broke a few ASR's, so what would he know? He co-operated with that little known boat/ car designer Ken Norris, yes Ken had designed a reverse 3 pointer as well. Oh! I have forgotten that other person in the early team, he had no knowledge of fast boats..oh! what was his name?? OH! it was Leo Villa. Sorry to be cutting, but thats life.
Please people, don't criticise 'doers' , ask questions by all means, they WILL give you answers, you will rarely catch them out.We're all brilliant designers after success or we knew better after failure."
If I remember correctly that Donald Campbell made a famous comment re opinions and design and stated that records are seldom broke..come on Steve..what was the full quote?..I think you do need to do a book to clear a lot of things up!

I attach 2 photos showing the so called 'sit up and beg' position according to klingon..well Tony was lay down on his back with his knees bent[because there was a breathing air bottle under his knees]you will note he just fits in the the available area. For the observant, you will see no steering wheel! why, because there was so little space,

tony in cockpit side on cut.jpg

tony in cockpit front on cut.jpg

steering was by foot pedals!!and throttle was a lever on the right hand side.
Try riding your road bike in this position[I am aware of a pedal cycle where the 'rider lies down' and steers via bars under them]
BP was a beautiful boat with smooth lines, she was 'wrecked' [my opinion for the legals] by stuffing in 1000kg of unwanted and un-needed steel and the failure[my opinion] to consult with the hydrodynamic tests[that cost £1000's to produce]
This boat was VERY slim hulled and was not very tall in the hull.Why..aerodynamics my people,low frontal area. less drag, less for the air to lift, no back flips! Tested, tested, it WAS tested, all it needed was a bit of faith to let her do the job without[my opinion] someone sticking their beliefs in over the test results.

[f1steveuk]

Had K8 got on to the plane, and traveled at the design speeds, Tony would have had one hell of a ride, and been BEYOND brave. The cockpit reminds me a tad of Thunderchild, coincedence Polo!!!

Great pictures Neil, cheers

[Renegadenemo]

What was inside those very thin spars at the rear? Couldn't imagine them taking much punishment without flexing.