Posted by on Apr 11, 2016 in Boat Propellers, Boating | 0 comments

After Malcomb Campbell set the record of 141.74 MPH. in 1939 the world was thrown into World War Two until mid 1945 when the war finally ended. After the war Malcomb Campbell experimented with a jet engine that he installed in his old Blue Bird K4 boat that was propelled by the air thrust of the jet engine instead of the use of underwater like the best boat propellers up to now, but was unable to break his 1939 speed record with it. He died in 1948.

On June 26th. 1950 a piston engine powered hydroplane style wood boat using a boat propeller called the Slo-Mo-Shun IV set a new water speed record of 160MPH on Lake Washington close to Seattle. This boat was owned and driven by Stanley Sayres who brought the record back to the America. In 1952 Sayres smashed his own record by going 178.49 MPH.

Malcomb Campbell’s son Donald  became interested in bringing the speed record back to England. Driving his fathers old K4 boat the best he could do was 170 MPH. His boat incurred structural damage at the speed so he gave up on breaking the record with this boat.  

About this time another British land speed driver John Cobb decided to have a run at the water speed record. His new jet powered boat called the Crusader was a strange looking hydroplane reverse designed craft that had the two floats at the rear of the boat instead of the front and the single hull and cockpit placed forward. In 1952 he attempted to break the record on Loch Ness, Scotland. Traveling at over 200MPH. his boat suddenly did a nose dive into the water and was instantly destroyed. Cobb was killed.

After Cobbs death Donald Campbell came out with a new jet powered boat called the K7 that had a traditional hydroplane style design and was made out of metal. In July 1955 he set a new record with a speed of 202.32 MPH. For the next nine years Campbell and his K7 boat broke his own records six times. His last and fastest speed record was 276.33 set in 1964.

Here at Dan’s Discount Propellers all the boat props we sell will make your boat go at least 276 MPH! No, not really but we can save you a bunch of money on the best boat propellers made.