RECORD BROKEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 57, 8 March 1935, Page 7

RECORD BROKEN.

MOTOR CAR SPEED.

Sir M. Campbell Reaches 281 Miles an Hour.

AVERAGE DASH 276.816

(United P.A.-Electrlc Te.'egraph-Copyright)

(Received 1 p.m.)

DAYTONA BEACH, March 7.

Sir Malcolm Campbell, the famous British motor speed driver, broke his own world record on Daytona Beach to-day. His former time was 272.108 miles an hour, established here 'in 1933. The new record is 276.816 miles an hour.

On the southbound run the car registered a speed of 272.727 iniles an hour, but on the return, driving with the wind, the ear readied a speed of 281.030 miles.

British engineering genius is typified in the Bluebird used by Sir Malcolm Campbell, in which he hopes to reach a land speed record by travelling at 300 miles an hour. The car is larger and heavier than the earlier one, but despite this fact its wind resistance is lower, the shape of the body haying been determined after exhaustive wind-tunnel tests. Although the 2500 h.p., 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce aero engine has now to propel a vehicle weighing more than five tons, according to estimates it should bo capable of obtaining a velocity in excess of 300 milee an hour, providing the beach at Daytona is in a suitable condition. For the first time air brakes have been fitted, in the form of two large flaps on either aide of the driver. They operate simultaneously with the ordinary braking system. At 300 m.p.h. the air resistance is approximately 13001b, and to reach this velocity the car will have to travel at more than 146 yds per second. Tests have shown that if the radiator shutter can be closed when the car is travelling at maximum velocity an additional speed of 15 m.p.h. can be attained, and in consequence a special lever has been fitted near the steering wheel to operate this shutter. "It will mean that I shall have to take my hand off the steering wheel when the car is travelling at something in the neighbourhood of 300 m.p.h.," Sir Malcolm said. "I do not know whether I shall be able to let go the wheel to use the lever, but I shall try." Another important feature is the adoption of twin rear wheels to avoid wheel-spin and slip. The overall length of the new Bluebird is 28ft 3in, and its width 6ft llin. The wheelbase is 13ft Bin, and the ground clearance only 4%in. The fuel capacity is 40 gallons, and the engine consumes 2.9 gallons per minute.