CAMPBELL NAPIER LION RAILTON BLUE BIRD LSR CAR

CAMPBELL NAPIER RAILTON - BLUE BIRD

Designer of the fastest Blue Bird racing cars in the 1930s and Mobil Special in the 1950s

Malcolm Campbell (second left looking worried) inspects progress with his latest Blue Bird design to feature the Napier Lion aircraft engine.

The Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird was a land speed record car commissioned by Malcolm Campbell after Segrave's Golden Arrow proved it's mettle and outperformed previous Blue Birds.

Clearly Captain Campbell needed a more powerful engine to make his next Blue Bird competitive, with a chassis and transmission to handle it. A supercharged Napier Lion VIID was used, with over three times the power of the previous Blue Bird and a large premium over the Golden Arrow's unsupercharged 900 hp (670 kW) Lion VIIA. This was the first use of supercharging for Land Speed Record cars. Golden Arrow's innovative vertical aerodynamic stabilising fin was also used almost unchanged in shape, another first for Campbell, and who could resist such a telltale sign of speed - even if just for the showmanship.

Unfortunately for LSR breaking Segrave was killed in an attempt on the water speed record whilst Campbell was away scouting for new record courses in South Africa. On his return he set off for Daytona with the new Blue Bird, concerned at American challenges to the record. Segrave had, after all, at least been British. On 5 February 1931 he pushed the record to 246 mph (396 km/h), to great popular acclaim. On his return he learned he was to be knighted as Sir Malcolm Campbell. A year later he returned and pushed through to 251 mph (404 km/h). This record stood for another year, until he himself broke it with his next car, the next Rolls-Royce-engined 1933 Blue Bird.

Watercolour on paper 45 x 70 cm - Shevchukart

At first glance you might be forgiven for thinking that the car above is the Napier Lion engined Blue Bird. Look carefully and you'll notice that there is a Napier Lion engine under the bonnet, but there are twin tails (seeking to advantage of wheel spat drag and do away with the central after-cockpit fin) and the bonnet is scalloped to fit around the engine, which is not the case in the Blue Bird. The wheel spats are similar in design, but the wedge front end onto which a radiator module has been added, is Golden Arrow. Blue Bird used a virtually identical mechanical layout.

A Napier Lion W12 aero engine

Country of Manufacture	Great Britain
Engine
Manufacturer	Napier sprint Lion VII Schneider Cup aircraft engine
Cylinders	12 - 3 banks of 4
Bore	139.7mm
Stroke	130.17mm
Cubic Capacity	23,942cc
Compression ratio
Valves
Carburettor	Claudel-Hobson 3 no.
Max. Power	1,350 - 1,450 bhp at 3,600 rpm Centrifugal supercharger
Engine Mounting	sub-frame
Transmission
Clutch	multiplate Ferodo lined
Gearbox	KLG 3 speed constant mesh
Ratios	4.01, 2.27, 1.58
Back axle	offset 7in to enable lower driving seat
Type of drive	bevel gear final drive 1.58 to 1
Chassis	Vickers - steel underslung under the rear axle
Suspension	Woodhead - 1/2 elliptic springs front 3ft 1in rear 4ft 2 1/2in
Shock Absorbers	Hartford shock absorbers - 4 to each axle
Steering Gear	Marles - dual. Ackerman action
Brakes	Alford and Alder18in dia steel disc with Clayton-Dewandre vacuum servo
Wheels	Dunlop steel
Tyres	Dunlop 35 x 6in front, 37 x 6in rear
Dimensions
Wheelbase	12ft 2in
Track front	5ft 4in.
Track rear	4ft 2in.
Length	25ft
Weight	71cwt
Fuel Tank Capacity	23 gallons
Radiator	Serck honeycomb
Bodywork
Manufacturer	Gurney Nutting and Co. Ltd
Material	aluminium

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The exquisite lines of the Blueplanet LSR were inspired by Reid Railton and his classic designs for the Napier Lion and Rolls Royce engined Blue Bird LSR cars in the 1930s, the Blueplanet BE3 features instant battery recharging using the patent Bluebird™ cartridge exchange system under license from BMS. This LSR car is also solar assisted. She is designed for speeds in excess of 350mph using clean electricity and could be run at Daytona Beach, Pendine Sands and other historic venues, including Bonneville. To hire the BE3 for your event, please contact BMS and ask for Leslie or Terry. The project team need at least 3 months notice of venues.