Lancashire-based aerospace engineering company Airframe Designs has partnered with the Longbow jet hydroplane project, a collaboration between more than 60 organisations under the banner Jet Hydroplane UK that hopes to break the world water speed record of 317.58mph (511.1km/h) – set by Australian Ken Warby in the Spirit of Australia in 1978 – ina new nine-metre hydroplane.
The connection began when the company’s CEO, Jerrod Hartley BEng CEng FRAeS, came across a feature in Powerboat & Rib magazine authored by David Aldred, detailing the Longbow project. Recognising Aldred from previous collaborations and mutual connections, Hartley arranged a visit to the Longbow workshop, accompanied by design manager Chris Fleet and design engineer James Hodgkiss. What started as a catch-up quickly evolved into a technical deep dive into the build, culminating in Airframe Designs joining the project as an engineering partner.
Advertisement
Aldred was involved in restoring Donald Campbell’s Bluebird K7 hydroplane craft after it was raised from Coniston Water in 2001. Among the partners in the venture is Midlands-based Accles & Pollock, which also manufactured the frame of the Bluebird K7 in 1954.
Airframe Designs is now leading the conversion of Longbow’s 2D cockpit designs into advanced 3D CAD models, a critical step in enabling precision manufacturing by another of Longbow’s sponsors. These models will guide CNC laser cutting and tube bending for the jet hydroplane’s complex steel frame joints.
Advertisement
‘The current world water speed record has stood for almost 50 years. To be invited to be part of this attempt, which is being led here in Lancashire and involves so many innovative and industry-leading companies, is a real testament to our engineering expertise,’ Hartley told the Lancashire Post. ‘The partnership with Paul [design engineer Paul Martin, a former McLaren F1 engineer, who has also worked on previous world speed record attempts] will combine our knowledge of precision aerospace engineering with Paul’s understanding of building record-breaking vehicles to ensure that Longbow’s structure meets rigorous engineering standards, reinforcing the project’s credibility and safety.’