ROUGH GOING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 5 March 1935, Page 5

ROUGH GOING

ATTEMPT ON SPEED RECORD CAMPBELL’S BLUEBIRD AT DAYTONA BEACH l United Press Association—By Electno Telegraph—Copyright) DAYTONA BEACH, 3rd March. A rough beach forced Sir Malcolm Campbell in his Bluebird to postpone his record attempt on Sunday after the trial run in which be hit 270.473 miles, an hour through the measured mile. Half the time he was riding almost out of liis car, as the course was so rough. He hit a bump just before he came - into the measured mile and his goggles.., slid down over his nose and nioutli, almost shutting off his breath,, while the car bounced so much that his head most of the time was above the windshield. He said the terrific pressure felt as though it might take the top off his skull. He did not attempt to come north on the second run, and stated later: “It is simply impossible to run for a new record with the beach ns rough as it is. I was driving blind m the middle of the mile, the wind almost ; tearing my head off, and the goggles choking me. The sand was so rough I '. could feel the tread tearing off the tyres.”

(By Gerald Ely, London, for “the Mail”). Sir Malcolm Campbell has gone to America to attempt to beat his own world’s record of 272 m.p.h. This time he hopes to reach a speed of about 300 m.p.h. His cai-, “Blue Bird” has been redisigned, and in outward appearance differs considerably from the “Blue Birds” of the past; for example, it is fitted with twin rear wheels, in order to obtain increased wheel adhesion, and the body has been widened to enclose the wheels. The car, when I-saw it at a reception held before its shipment to Daytona, seemed the very embodiment of power and speed. A feature which I found most inter-, esting was the big slot right across the front of the car designed to admit air to the engine. This slot, however, is reckoned to deduct nearly 15 m.p.h. off tlie speed of the car, so an arrangement lias been devised whereby the driver can close the slot by operating a lever inside the car. But this will necessitate taking one hand off the wheel; and driving with one hand, even for a moment, at nearly 300 m.p.h. is a hazardous undertaking even for Sir Malcolm. Thorough preparations have, of course, been made for the attempt, and even sealed drums of petrol have been shipped to America in readiness. Five windscreens and twelve pairs of goggles are also included in tlie equipment. They are all tinted different shades of blue and smoked, and are designed to cut out dazzle under all conditions. Sir Mai--colm will have two pairs of each type of goggle, so that if on© pair gets wet lie can immediately change it. It is an interesting point that the preparation of these various anti-dazzle windscreens represented months of work in the Triplex Companies’ laboratories.

MAGNIFICENT “GAMBLE”

Sir Malcolm Campbell has himself ad. mitted that, to a great extent, his new essay partakes of the form of a gamble. There are so many factors whicli can influence the situation at the actual moments during which the attempt is in progress, such as, for instance, the surface and consistency of the sand,- the pressure of the wind, as well as unknown factors which may only develop when the uncharted domains of speeds in the neighbourhood of l 300 miles per hour are invaded.

No one pretends that this new attempt on the world’s land speed record lias anything but a sporting character, for the achieving of such high speeds can have little immediate practical effect on the ordinary motor car such as we all buy. Nevertheless, the fact that Sir Malcolm Campbell is merely engaged in a sporting adventure does not . minimise it in our eyes. If people did only strictly useful things in this world, it would be a less pleasant place to live in. This attempt to beat the land, speed record is as worthy of our admiration as an attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Botli are a challenge on the part of humanity to the unknown.

Whether the attempt will succeed remains to be seen, but the opinion of technical experts is that a speed of even more than 300 miles per hour is quite within the bounds of possibility. It is all a matter of design and favourable COriditions on the spot.