“Blue Bird V” World Land Speed Record Car
Built by Frank Paine in September 2021
Driven by Malcolm Campbell, this car broke the record for Britain at 301.13 mph on Bonneville Salt Flats, USA, in September 1935.
The model is based on one in the 1930s № 6 outfit manual and was built to complement the Golden Arrow, on the assumption that it would be a much easier to construct. The ambiguity of the instructions did rather contradict this! Many more nuts and bolts were used compared with the original design (which was rather sparing in this respect), together with several additional hidden strips, in order to stiffen the body structure. The flexible plates used were as those shown on the original 1930s design, having the sharp corners, and thankfully these were later produced rounded off. The only real visually obvious departure from the original model design are twin rear road wheels, as fitted on the original car to counteract wheelspin from the mighty Rolls Royce engine.
(Incidentally, Malcom Campbell always named his cars ‘Blue Bird’, whereas his son Donald named his ‘Bluebird’.)