The son of Scottish speed pioneer Malcolm Campbell, who became famous between the world wars and was one of the few record holders to die a natural death in 1948, originally wanted to serve in the Royal Air Force, but was not accepted due to health problems. He started working in a small car factory and directed his courage and determination towards fast cars and racing boats.
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He first broke his father’s record in the same boat. He even reached a speed of 273 km / h compared to his father’s 228.5 km / h. But this special called Bluebird K4 was already at the peak of its possibilities, so Campbell junior designed the Bluebird K7.
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He gradually increased the value of the record to 444.7 km / h, which he reached in December 1964. During 1955 and 1964, Campbell set seven junior speed records. Since then, this bar has risen by only 69 km / h.
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He became the fastest man on earth on the planet in the summer of 1964, driving 648.7 kilometers per hour with the turbine special Bluebird CN7, which Campbell originally estimated at up to 500 miles per hour, or 805 km / h. This was preceded by a number of unsuccessful attempts.
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He returned to the water. In January 1967, he was again on breaking his own record on Lake Coniston Water. In the first run he reached a speed of 478 km / h. However, in order to recognize the record, according to the rules, he had to confirm this speed in the opposite direction. Apparently he didn’t wait for the surface to calm down after his previous ride, and at speeds of over 500 km / h his blue-painted, jet-powered Bluebird K7 suddenly lost its stability, flew into the air, and spun around.
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Subsequently, its front part completely shattered on impact with the water surface. Rescuers managed to find only parts of their clothing on the spot, including a helmet, boots, life jacket or a teddy bear called Mr. Whoppit.
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Bluebird K7
Photo: Profimedia.cz
From the footage of Donald Campbell’s last race, it is clear that the boat managed to turn brilliantly, but on the way back, according to experts, the obsolete machine could not cope with the still turbulent surface of the lake and soared into the air.
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The body of the famous rider, still dressed in a blue jumpsuit, was not found in the cold waters until the spring of 2001. His remains were buried in the local cemetery in Coniston.
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