Campbell died on 4 January 1967 when Bluebird K7 somersaulted during a water speed record attempt. He was trying to exceed 300 mph on the return leg of a run that had reached 297 mph, according to support crew member Anthony Robinson. The exact cause of the crash remains uncertain.
Campbell was 45 years old. The wreck sank and lay on the lake bed until 2001, when it was recovered by Bill Smith and the Bluebird Project. Campbell's remains were later buried in a local cemetery.
I was blown away. I had a tear in my eye when the boat touched the water.
The restoration, led by North Shields engineer Bill Smith, culminated in Bluebird K7 running at Loch Fad on the Isle of Bute in 2018, its first time on water since the crash. A legal ownership dispute between Smith and the Ruskin Museum was settled in 2024. Smith paid £25,000 towards the museum's legal costs and relinquished any claim to the craft, which was handed over to the museum and has been on public display since.
The Bluebird Project's social media account has called for the museum to enlist its volunteers for maintenance and future running. The restored Bluebird K7 was lowered into Coniston Water on the first day of the Bluebird K7 Festival, which runs from 11 to 17 May. The engine was fired for the first time on the lake since the crash, but no taxiing or planing occurred on the first day.
A magnificent day in history.
Higher-speed demonstration runs of up to around 150 mph are planned for the rest of the week, conditions permitting. Australian Dave Warby, son of late water speed world record holder Ken Warby, is the pilot, with RAF Flt Lt David-John Gibbs as reserve. Campbell's 'Mr Whoppit' teddy bear mascot was placed back in the cockpit.
According to the Daily Mirror, Campbell's daughter Gina Campbell expressed being blown away and having a tear in her eye when the boat touched the water. She called the launch 'a magnificent day in history' and praised the museum and pilot. news.
Utterly magnificent.
Jeff Carroll, Chair of Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum, told the same outlet that they hope to inspire a new generation of engineers. 33 mph at Lake Dumbleyung. His first record on Coniston Water was in 1956.
Two Orpheus jet engines are to be refurbished as part of plans to get Bluebird running again. The specific year of the festival and return to Coniston Water has been reported inconsistently, with some sources indicating 2025 and others 2026. Future maintenance and display arrangements remain unclear, as does the status of the engine refurbishment and whether Bluebird Project volunteers will be involved.