Water Speed Record

[AndyTBoater]

Morning all

Couldn't find anything on the forum about this so thought I would put some info up. Its very exciting. Its been 30 odd years since Ken broke the WWSR which just goes to show how hard it is to do. 

Ken Warby & The World Water Speed Record
On the 8th of October 1978, Ken Warby broke his second and current world water speed record at a speed of 317.60MPH. Becoming the first man in history to break the 300MPH & 500KMH barriers. Ken Warby is the first and only Australian to hold an unlimited speed record, the first man in history to design-build & drive a boat to an unlimited speed record, records which he still holds to this day.
Ken Warby & son Dave currently have the new Spirit of Australia II completed, tested, and will again return to Blowering Dam N.S.W. Australia to challenge the Unlimited World Water Speed Record.

I have been following their progress here and here

Its been a slow process but they are/were getting closer to breaking the record. Speeds have been gradually increasing and all was looking well until the weekend when they had a bird strike at 260mph, destroying the engine. 260 is a huge speed and if you Google or Youtube you can see how well it rides at that sort of speed. Its quite astonishing really. 

The UK are also mounting a challenge with this.

Longbow is at a slightly less developed stage so I am sure Dave Warby will break the record first but it makes me proud to be British to see people knocking up a boat in their shed - just like it used to be done. The build pics are great. Its just a few bits of ply and some dead trees cobbled together with a huge jet engine dropped in. 

Anyway. If I hear more I will let you know but feel free to comment on anything WWSR related

Andy T Boater

[grendel]

you have to  feel kind of sorry for the bird, one minute flying along thinking, at a few feet off the ground theres nothing I cant see coming and get out of the way of - then Whoooosssshhh thump. and the bird thinking wha...........

[Smoggy]

1 hour ago, AndyTBoater said:

Ken Warby broke his second and current world water speed record at a speed of 317.60MPH.

That's going to get a serious paddle shaking through Reedham!

[ChrisB]

It is generally accepted the Bluebird K7 was doing in excess of 300mph when she became airbourne.

[AndyTBoater]

Incredible to think that this was over 50 years ago. Tech and materials and pretty much everything else has improved so much yet the advances in speed have taken so long.

I love The Guardians reporting of this though. Apart from the spelling mistakes (standard for The Gourdion)

"Almost certainly the accident happened because Bluebird had been travelling too fast"

Its a shame Leo Villa and Donald hadn't thought of this earlier. Seems so obvious with hindsight :)

[Aboattime]

Theres a well known Broads boat yard owner who is building his own boat to have a go at the record.Last time i saw it, was taking shape, he had sourced his jet engines,He was confident of getting the speed,but his main concern was stopping!

[dom]

4 hours ago, Aboattime said:

Theres a well known Broads boat yard owner who is building his own boat to have a go at the record.Last time i saw it, was taking shape, he had sourced his jet engines,He was confident of getting the speed,but his main concern was stopping!

His construction techniques seem more appropriate for the challenge than Longbow's, but you have to question whether he'll ever manage to take to the water with it. Must be 10+ years now and it seems like progress may have stalled a bit?

[JanetAnne]

4 hours ago, Aboattime said:

Theres a well known Broads boat yard owner who is building his own boat to have a go at the record.Last time i saw it, was taking shape, he had sourced his jet engines,He was confident of getting the speed,but his main concern was stopping!

That's because they couldn't stop the scale model during trials! 

I must pop in to check on progress next time I am up there.

[ChrisB]

The Bluebird Stopping Solution. This was modified for the last fatal series. I remember seeing the "Rod water Brake" on a cut away drawing in "The Eagle" as a very young boy.

 

 

 

 

[ChrisB]

[ChrisB]

I think my memory is playing up. "The Eagle" cutaway does not show a water brake. But I have a much smaller steel rod water brake in my mind from somewhere. I am trying to remember seeing her in the flesh, might have been Earls Court.

But it was long ago! I was 17 when the fatal run was made. I am now 74.

[ChrisB]

[AndyTBoater]

10 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

That's because they couldn't stop the scale model during trials! 

I must pop in to check on progress next time I am up there.

I did hear that the model ran well but, as you say, had velocity reduction issues. Rumour has it that it only stopped after running out of water and mounting the bank which resulted in a "model/ tree interface situation" 

I spoke to him a couple of months ago and he was currently saving up for more carbon fibre for the boat.