Bluebird K7

Common card · No. 385204

Bluebird K7 is a jet engined hydroplane in which Britain's Donald Campbell set seven world water speed records between 1955 and 1967. K7 was the first successful jet-powered hydroplane, and was considered revolutionary when launched in January 1955. Campbell and K7 were responsible for adding almost 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) to the water speed record, taking it from existing mark of 178 miles per hour (286 km/h) to just over 276 miles per hour (444 km/h). Donald Campbell was killed in an accident with a much modified K7, on 4 January 1967, whilst making a bid for his eighth water speed record, with his aim to raise the record to over 300 miles per hour (480 km/h) on Coniston Water. In 1996, a diving team using sonar equipment started an underwater survey, locating anew the K7 wreckage. Subsequently, it was recovered between 2000 and 2007, while Campbell's body was recovered in 2001.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Neil Sheppard, CC BY-SA 3.0