A granddad of three has built what he hopes will be the world’s fastest boat in his garage.
David Aldred wants to smash the current record which is 317.59mph.
The 63-year-old says his hydroplane called Longbow should be ready to be tested within a year.
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The married, building surveyor – who has four grown-up children and three grandkids – is no stranger to water speed records.
He helped restore the historic Bluebird which was destroyed on Coniston Water in the Lake District in 1967 killing pilot Donald Campbell instantly.
But he is now hoping to make history himself.
He has designed and built Longbow to try and break the current record, set in Australia in 1978.
And he’s done it in his garage in Thornton Cleveleys, near Blackpool, Lancs.
The boat has two Rolls Royce jet engines and will be piloted by RAF ace Flight Lieutenant David-John Gibbs in a future record-breaking attempt.
“The record is 317mph,” David told What’s The Jam.
“So that’s what we’re focusing on at the moment.
“Unlike a land speed record where it’s done in the desert, this will be done in the Lake District where you can come and see it skimming across the water with a guy putting his life on the line to get the record for Britain.”
David added: “Attempting the record has killed the last two people who had a go – Lee Taylor and Craig Arfons – so it has been a very cautious approach.
“When problems occur we have to go away and resolve them before pressing on because the jet engines will take you to record speed but if the boat is not stable it will kill you.
“It’s not at all like the land speed record where a car has suspension and you can walk the course to remove any obstacle.
“With water, you have no suspension.
“You have the lake surface conditions and any obstacles submerged in the lake or waterfowl bird strikes to contend with.
“You find a problem and go away and sort it out.
“There’s always another day.”
He and his small team are hoping to bring the world water speed record back to Britain
David said Longbow is likely to undergo trials in Scottish lochs and at Lake Coniston in the next 12 months.
A date for the Longbow World water speed record attempt is yet to be set.
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