Napier Blue Bird
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Ražotājs : |
Napier |
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Modelis: |
Blue Bird |
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Gads: |
1921 |
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Tips: |
Roadster |
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.
Created by its owner, Lorne Jacobs, this amazing car must be one of the most powerful Vintage racers ever offered for public sale. Constructed on a 1921 Napier chassis, it is powered by a 24-litre 12-cylinder Napier Lion aero engine, a power unit with the unique distinction of having held the air, land, and water speed records. The Lion engine had been bought directly from Napier by Jacobs' grandfather and a friend who worked in the company's drawing office. It is a 'marinised' version of the Lion engine and had been despatched to Vosper & Company in Portsmouth in 1930. The two friends had intended to install the Lion in a car but the project never bore fruit.
Eschewing the established inline and rotary/radial engine layouts, Rowledge opted for a so-called 'broad arrow' or 'W12' design, arranging the 12 cylinders in three banks of four on a common crankcase. Boasting twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, this state-of-the-art power unit produced 450bhp initially, making the Lion the most powerful aero engine of its day.
The first person to recognise the Lion's potential as the power unit for a land-speed record-breaker was Malcolm Campbell, who installed one in his 'Blue Bird' in 1927. Campbell was followed by Henry Segrave, who also used one to break the water speed record, and John Cobb. In 1947, Cobb took the world record in his twin-Lion-engined Railton Mobil Special at 394.19mph, becoming the first person to exceed 400mph on land in the process.
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.
His first task was to un-seize the engine, which was then fully rebuilt with new lighter pistons (commissioned from the USA), new specially made con-rods, and new bearings throughout. With re-profiled camshafts and an increased compression ratio (from the original 5.8:1) the engine now achieves 3,200rpm, some 1,000 revs more than standard, and is estimated to produce getting on for 700 horsepower. Maximum torque is estimated at circa 1,800lb/ft (for comparison: the Bugatti Chiron has a mere 1,180lb/ft at its disposal). This proved too much for the first gearbox employed - from an Austin 20hp - so a Bentley D-type 'box is used now, suitably up-rated with a modern gear set. The rest of the running gear is Vintage-period, comprising a Delage front axle, Minerva front brakes, and a Bentley 6 1/2-litre rear axle and brakes. The brakes are hydraulically operated and the car rolls on 19" wheels. There are two alternative exhaust systems: stub exhausts for racing and a 'Brooklands' system for the road.
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.
The length of the Napier chassis dictated the size of the body, which is considerably shorter than that of Campbell's 'Blue Bird'. Using original 'Blue Bird' plans and contemporary photographs for guidance, Lorne hand-formed the seven-piece aluminium body using an English Wheel to achieve the compound curves. Contrasting with the Spartan cockpit of the original 'Blue Bird', the Jacobs car has a full complement of instruments and is a two-seater rather than a monoposto like the record-breaker. The Napier chassis frame has Invicta spring hangers to enable external mounted leaf springs.
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 was lower, at 174.883 mph (281.45 km/h).
