Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader
Crusader

Crusader

John Cobb's ill-fated quest for speed on water

$40.00
/
Author Steve Holter
ISBN: 9781910505618
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The tale of Crusader, the jet-powered boat of 1952, appears to be a simple one about the ambition of John Cobb and Reid Railton, two unassuming but deeply gifted men, to break the water speed record on Loch Ness only for their efforts to end in tragedy. In fact the story behind that fateful outcome — Cobb’s death on his first high-speed run — is a complex web of clever design and inspirational endeavour mixed with personality clashes and errors of judgement. After many years of research, including access to a wealth of original documentation, Steve Holter unravels the entire saga of the ill-fated Crusader and presents a compelling detective story.

• John Cobb: the modest businessman with such a thirst for speed that he wanted to become the fastest man on water as well as on wheels after setting his land speed record of 394.196mph in 1947.

• Reid Railton: inspired designer and long-time friend behind Cobb’s greatest speed accomplishments, notably with the Napier-Railton (holder of the lap record at Brooklands) and the Railton Mobil Special (land speed record car).

• In-depth study of Railton’s innovative ‘three-point’ hull design for Crusader, with two rear sponsons and a single ‘planing shoe’ at the front — plus a De Havilland Ghost jet engine delivering 5,000lb of thrust.

• Evolution of the design in parallel with testing of scale models, including a miniature jet-powered version evaluated near Portsmouth Harbour.

• Assessment and description of boat-builder Vosper’s wooden construction, under Peter Du Cane’s direction.

• An exhaustive account of proceedings at Loch Ness, where Cobb finally attempted a high-speed run on 29 September 1952 and achieved 206.89mph, faster than anyone had previously gone on water.

• Analysis of the structural failure that destroyed Crusader and killed Cobb.

Format: 234x156mm
Hardback
Page extent: 352
Illustration: 200 photographs and documents

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“Steve Holter has exceeded all standards of excellence in his exhaustively researched new book” hotrodenginetech.com

“The storytelling is much like Cobb, quiet and understated, with no hint of sensationalism, creating a gripping, but poignant, detective story.” David Tremayne, GrandPrix+

“A masterpiece, well-illustrated, painstakingly researched and carefully constructed... my book of the year.” retro-speed.co.uk

“Despite some parties at the time calling for a public enquiry into the crash, none was undertaken... in effect, this is the public enquiry into the disaster on Loch Ness.” The Automobile

“This book details the saga in true detective-story style... As a long-overdue crash investigation, it takes some beating.” Magneto

“Remember that which we learn from Shakespeare: tragic characters have fatal flaws which lead them inexorably to their deaths; it is all here. Highly recommended.”
VSCC Bulletin

Customer Reviews

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J
Jonathan Blackwell
Insight Into A Forgotten Record Attempt

It was about time a book was written about the ill-fated Crusader jet boat of Land Speed Record holder John Cobb. Although much has been written about the craft's untimely demise on Loch Ness in September 1952, much less has been said of its initial build and early tests. Cobb had a fine crew to support him, including the boat's creator Reid Railton, who had also built the Land Speed cars, and another old LSR holder, Captain George Eyston, who acted as team manager. This boat was years ahead of its time, and perhaps not surprisingly, less was known about the potential dangers that could be encountered. There were some design flaws to the boat, but the plan continued nonetheless, with the record attempt being set up on Loch Ness throughout September 52. The author has done some excellent work in tracking down many interesting snippets of the boat's early construction. There is, of course, a detailed look at what caused the fatal crash and if it could have been averted. A safety harness had been provided, but the giant Cobb preferred not to use it - had he done so, he may have survived the accident. This is a great book about a record breaker for whom I've always had the greatest respect - a respect which Cobb himself held for the Scottish people when he refused to run the boat on Sundays. This thoughtfulness was repaid by a monument built by them as a tribute to this gentle giant. Any fan of the record breakers should read this. Highly recommended!

R
Robert HIRST

Lovely book

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