MOTOR SPEED TESTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 21

MOTOR SPEED TESTS.

CAPTAIN CAMPBELL'S PLANS. AN AUSTRALIAN RIVAL. (tbom otra owk coßaaspoxDEirr.) LONDON, October 17. Captain Malcolm Campbell, at a private luncheon at the Royal Air Force Club (according to the "News-Chron-icle" Motoring Correspondent) mentioned that he has a car almost completed with winch he is to make an attempt on the land record. He said that he intends to take the car to Davtona, leaving England in the first week in January, and that he will also have a number of British light cars, which he will run over the beach at top speed, to show the Americans what the British trade Is manufacturing. Captain Campbell mentioned that there are are three or four American rivals for the record, but my advices (says the correspondent) are that the only American car more substantial than talk is the Miller 48-cylinder ear now being built at Los Angeles. This will be at Davtona at the same time as Campbell's and will be driven in turn by Harlan l r engler and Peter de Paolo in attempts on the record It will have two engines each of 120(1 h.p., and will have a theoretical maxi mum speed of over 300 miles an hour. The same correspondent refers to the news that Mr Norman Smith, the Aust lian motorist, has had a car designed and built in Australia with a view to the record, and he is to have the car on the Ninety Mile Beach. North Auckland, New Zealand, before Christmas. It is predicted that Smith's car will average 275 miles an hour over the measured mile, and it is said that he is determined to make the attempt before Campbell or any American can possibly run on Davtona Beach. Raindrop Shape. The oar has an engine similar to that in Campbell's new car —one of the latest Napier-Gloster Schneider Air Cup engine*. This hM been BpemaUr

lent by the British Air Ministry to the C oniinonwL'alth Government, who have passed it on to Mr Smith. The machine has been designed by Mr Don Harness, a well-known Australian engineer. From ip to tail it is stated to be 30 feet in length and to have an abnormally wide track. From the ground to the top of the driver's head is not more than 42 inches. Wind tunnel tests with model* are said to hare proved that a body shaped like a raindrop, whioh is rather like an inverted pear, gives best results. Further, horizontal fins at the tail (ire remarkable stability.