UKDRN

Anything Nostalgia Related.

Moderators: timetravel, ukdrn

 #29705  by ukdrn
 
Hi Mike,

It's really nice to hear from you again.
I can't wait to read your essay and I'm sure our visitors will find your information very interesting as we have plenty of LSR fans on here and it all goes towards logging our history.

I will contact Brian Sparrow at some point and see if he can tell me where the pictures of BB2 came from and to see if we can find anymore, I know I would like to see some.

Mike I'd like to ask about Johnlich's post on this thread about the car on the Laporte site, do you know anything about this?
 #29714  by ukdrn
 
crazyhorses wrote:Anyone know how to get hold of Barry or have I missed something.
No you haven't missed anything Brian, maybe somebody has contact.
 #29716  by MikeH
 
Hi All, I can't really offer any info on Johnlich's question. The last I saw of the car, or remember seeing, is at Bruntingthorpe when it was packed into the trailer and taken back to LaPorte's at Luton. I think I may have seen Barry a few times after, definitely once because we spoke about the upright castings not being heatreated, but once the project had finished I lost contact. From memory the last time I was in the workshop I would say the Stentor (big rocket motor for LSR car) was there along with the David Gosling's Blue Steel mock up we inherited after his death, I guess the BB2; I can't even say the BB1 chassis was there, I can't remember. I can say I don't recall a chassis with the Heridge name plate on it, maybe the workshop was used as a storage area afterwards. I can state the chassis would/should not have been BB 2, as Denis Priddle's workshop built this for us and a damn good job they did too I recall. The work shop was in two discrete areas, one the main storage area and the second were the car was built and prep'd for running. It would be good to jog Brian Sparrow's memory about the project, but I don't think his direct involvement went much past the launch of the car at the '76 Firework meet, but maybe someone else or Brian can confirm that. As I wrote yesterday, I have complied a history, from my view point, but it is not ready for publishing yet; until that time if I see specific questions, I will answer them to the best of my knowledge. Over the next few days, I will send my collection of pictures to Jon for inclusion in the site. All date from around '77/'78 and just after and are of the BB 1 car. Until last Monday, the only image I had of BB 2 was an old newspaper article, that's gone brown, of the car with Jenny and Barry in the foreground. Now I'm a happy man, I have two pictures more of BB 2. One last point, after the accident at Bruntingthorpe for me the car had fairly superficial dammage, whilst a scary moment, the car remained upright and triked along the runway on its front wheels and rear underbody until it came to rest with the aid of a catch fence. Obviously the two uprights were scrap, the under body panels also. Maybe the tail fin, as this acted like an arrester hook with the catch fence. I guess maybe a couple of thousand might have re-built it, but the funds had all but gone.
 #29723  by ukdrn
 
Just had a very enjoyable chat with Brian and as always his knowledge and memory never ceases to amaze me, he has plenty of information on the BB cars including unseen pictures of BB2, more on that to follow :)

Mike has Kindly sent me some pictures of BB1 which I can share.
The first picture is from Pendine Sands circa 1977 and shows the car on the beach. The two spare wheels at the front were to protect the air speed indicator, or pitot, tube protruding from the nose fairing. Also for interest Mike is third from the right in the red overalls and white clogs.
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Pendine Sands, spring ’78. Some names in this shot, from right to left Mel Bettinson, with the ‘tash, and facing the camera; the “rear” view, mmm not sure but could be John Latchwod; me (Mike Huggins) steering the car; John Whitney acting as the “brake”; guy on the fin can’t remember who he is.
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More to come
 #29741  by ukdrn
 
Some more from Mike

Mikes caption was that you can only guess the speed that BB1 would run.
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No words needed
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Right to left, John Latchwood, Mike Huggins, Barry Bowles and Bruce White, with his back to the camera. Also a bit of technical interest in this shot. Immediately before the pedal bulkhead, you can see the gas pressurisation bottle, filled with Nitrogen, which was used to place a low pressure charge on the HTP in the main tank. The main HTP tank is just visible behind the cockpit and the Turbo Pump start tank, the spherical vessel, is visible just under the rear fin mounting. The speedo can be seen mounted centrally on the dash and the two tubes from the pitot on the nose cone running forwards. The two gauges either side of the dash are pressure readings for the reaction (combustion) chamber and Nitrogen vessel.
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The car being “fuelled” with the fire brigade standing in attendance in case of a spill. Barry can be seen walking from right to left, Mike is standing with the fire men in the middle, and it would probably have been Mel Bettison and John Whitney by the back of the car, filling the HTP tank.
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 #29757  by MikeH
 
Good day All, As promised last week, I'll answer questions briefly in the forum, until the history article is finished; this will cover most topics in much greater detail. Ok, back to the answers, the post about the tyres, early pages I think, was correct for BB 1 prior to the Pendine crash. What has never been reported, to my knowledge, it was the front tyres that Goodyear were questioning, from memory they were Formula Super 'V' tyres. Barry sensibly bought other tyres for the Pendine runs. The rear tyres were still Goodyear products, and again from memory they were CanAm tyres, so had a much higher speed/load rating that the original fronts did. The tyres used during the Pendine attempts were in fact M&H dragrace fronts, these had a higher speed rating than the Goodyear front tyres. Alas, things like this are over looked when the proverbial hits the fan. I can't recall now, how much damage it may have caused the BB project, only Barry could give this insight. Just a foot note to Brian, glad to have made contact through Jon after all these years and to see your picture on another site.
 #29772  by Old Boy Racer
 
Mike,
the information about the tyres is interesting and just shows that what you read in newspapers (DJT stuff excepted if he's reading this :wink: ) should never be taken as completely accurate. The "Goodyear says don't run these tyres" story seems to have been passed down through the years from the original news reports so good to hear the real story from somebody directly involved. Look forward to reading your full account when it's done.
Cheers
Robin
 #29799  by ukdrn
 
I went round to see Brian Sparrow last night and had a wonderful evening, thank you very much Brian :)

Brian was kind enough to lend me his folder on the BB cars so I could scan and share his pictures.

If you didn't have any photo's of a year and a half's work on the BB2 project Mike you do now :)
More to follow when I have time

Click for bigger versions.
BB2 at the Milton Keynes shopping mall, 01/11/1979
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Barry and Mel
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At La Porte
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 #29808  by MikeH
 
Hi Jon, Well what can I say to both you and Brian, other thank you very much, it means a great deal to me to see good pictures of this car years after. I really don't remember the event in MK. The guy with Barry in the pics is Mel Bettison, one of the original members of the team. It also dispels one myth I had for Richard Noble's success in getting money, "that we always wore jeans and T shirts and he was a "Suit" man with collar and tie". The evidence is there for all to see, Barry and Mel looking quite dapper. I see some one elso also thought the original art work, done by the CC editor of the time, did not follow the cars lines too well, even going so far as to put on the Union Jack on the fin, well done. It will spur me on to add the Minilites to my version now. The nose fairing is also much better than the original art work version. I think the images of the car at a "factory" were probaly taken at the LaPorte works in Luton. It's too long ago to recognise the place, but it certainly reminds me of the old works. Thanks again and I look forwards to seeing the other images. A postscript to one of the factory pictures. I have just remembered what the small rectangular hole on the left hand side of the car, towards the front, was for; that's where we "re-fueled" the car. A small quick disconnect coupling was in there, small details. The tyres also look like "transport tyres" to me as well.
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