Napier-Campbell Blue Bird
| Napier-Campbell 'Bluebird II' | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | one-off (1927) |
| Designer | C. Amherst Villiers |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | open-wheel, front-engined racing car. |
| Related | Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 22.3 litre W12-block Napier Lion VIIA, 450 hp @ 2,000 rpm, 502 hp @ 2,200 rpm |
| Transmission | 3-speed epicyclic, ratios of 0.333, 0.666, 1 final drive ratio 1.27:1 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 12 ft 1.5 in (3.696 m), track 5 ft 5.25 in (1.6574 m) front, 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m) rear |
| Length | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Curb weight | approx. 3 tons dry |
| Napier-Campbell 'Blue Bird III' | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | one-off (1928), rebuild of the 1927 car. Other details unchanged |
| Body and chassis | |
| Related | Napier-Campbell 'Blue Bird II' |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 23.948 litre Napier Lion "Sprint", 875 hp (652 kW) at 3,300 rpm |
| Transmission | final drive ratio 1.5:1 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 18ft |
| Curb weight | 52cwt dry |
The Napier-Campbell Blue Bird was a land speed record car driven by Malcolm Campbell. Its designer was C. Amherst Villiers and Campbell's regular mechanic Leo Villa supervised its construction.
This was Campbell's first car to use the Napier Lion aero engine. His intention was to surpass his previous Sunbeam Blue Bird's achievement of the 150 mph barrier and to reach 200 mph.
When first built, the car used a Napier Lion engine of around 500 bhp. It was of conventional form with a front-mounted vertical radiator and the driver behind the engine. The three banks of the W-12 engine were hidden behind bulges in the narrow bonnet, with exhaust stub pipes protruding.
Bluebird's first record attempt was on 4 February 1927 at Pendine Sands. A peak speed of 195 mph (314 km/h) was achieved, tantalisingly close to the magic 200 mph (320 km/h), but the two-way average recorded for the record itself was lower, at 174.883 mph (281.45 km/h).
The 1927 record was short-lived, as Segrave's Sunbeam 1000 hp achieved both the 180 mph and 200 mph targets a month later. This prompted Campbell to rebuild the car as 'Blue Bird III' for 1928. He persuaded the Air Ministry to allow him a Schneider Trophy-tuned "Sprint" engine, as fitted to the Supermarine S.5 seaplane, of 900 hp (670 kW).
Improved aerodynamics were innovatively tested in Vickers' wind-tunnel by R.K. Pierson, their Chief Designer. Blue Bird’s body shape was substantially changed, with the famous coachbuilders Mulliner producing the bodywork. The results were unorthodox. A vertical tail fin was added for stability, a first for Blue Bird and land speed record cars. Open spats behind the wheels also reduced drag. The biggest change was to the radiators, which were moved to the rear of the car and mounted externally. These surface radiators were made by Fairey Aviation and contained 2,400 ft (730 m) of tube. Removing the nose radiator allowed a low, rounded nose with better streamlining. However, one French newspaper compared its looks to a whale.
...
Wikipedia