Crusader – John Cobb's Loch Ness Monster



The story of Crusader, the jet hydroplane designed by legendary engineer Reid Railton in which John Cobb attempted to break the World Water Speed Record on Loch Ness in 1952.

Richard Noble’s ThrustWSH Project referenced towards the end of the video is also on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ThrustWSH

FURTHER READING
I buy a lot of books! Here are a selection of books that have inspired me or have been useful in my research.
Disclaimer: I get a commission every time you purchase a product through my affiliate links below.

These two books have been a fantastic resource in researching this video, and both are forensic in their detail. If you want to know more detail about Crusader than I can fit into a 15 minute video, these are highly recommended::

Crusader: John Cobb’s ill-fated quest for speed on water by Steve Holter
https://amzn.to/3XoRpcn

Railton: Man Of Speed by Karl Ludvigsen
https://amzn.to/3pjmZfg

ALSO ON MY BOOKSHELF::

Thrust: The Remarkable Story of One Man’s Quest for Speed by Richard Noble
https://amzn.to/46mgJUI

Goldenrod: The Resurrection of America’s Speed King by John Baechtel
https://amzn.to/3D2KCMt

Speed Duel by Samuel Hawley
https://amzn.to/3r4AgIT

The History Of Speed by Martin Roach
https://amzn.to/3NIl9Nh

Donald Campbell: The Man Behind The Mask by David Tremayne
https://amzn.to/43YqkQ2

Bluebird and the Dead Lake: The Classic Account of how Donald Campbell broke the World Land Speed Record by John Pearson
https://amzn.to/3qY8v4P

Leap into Legend: Donald Campbell and the Complete Story of the World Speed Records by Steve Holter
https://amzn.to/42VsDBS

Bluebird CN7: The Inside Story of Donald Campbell’s Last Land Speed Record Car by Donald Stevens
https://amzn.to/43SPW0H

Parry Thomas: The First Driver to be Killed in Pursuit of the Land Speed Record by Hugh Tours
https://amzn.to/3PASr34

Quest For Speed: The Epic Saga of Record-Breaking On Land by Barry John
https://amzn.to/44f8isp

The Fast Set: Three Extraordinary Men and Their Race for the Land Speed Record by Charles Jennings
https://amzn.to/43QjV9k

Man Against the Salt by Harvey Shapiro
https://amzn.to/3NMzgSV

Ultimate Speed: The Fast Life and Extreme Cars of Racing Legend Craig Breedlove by Samuel Hawley
https://amzn.to/46lpkXv

Infinity Over Zero: Meditations on Maximum Velocity by Cole Coonce
https://amzn.to/3qYlWSp

Speedquest: Inside the Blue Flame by Richard Keller
https://amzn.to/42WKuIN

Archive: Archive: Pathe, Shutterstock, AP, Julie Newton, ThrustWSH Project, Getty, Alamy, Brooklands Museum, US Patent Office, Motor Boating, Yachting World, BAE Systems, BBC News, Kongsberg Maritime & Unknown Sources.

All unlicensed archive used under Fair Use / Fair Deal. Copyright acknowledged in all material.

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24 thoughts on “Crusader – John Cobb's Loch Ness Monster”

  1. Another great video and beautifully presented with a voice that you can understand every word spoken, rare nowadays, a really nice respectful touch was the silence a while before the crash, your clear easy to listen voice makes it a pleasure to watch,.

    Reply
  2. I think that the front planing step collapsed, I've spent some time around a Vampire jet from this era and, while very well designed, the materials were just sh*t. Good video

    Reply
  3. Great vid , this was going on before I was even thought of , an its Awesome ..but for My view the Craft was to short , you have to much coming out the back end causing it to start Porpoising as the Jet is so powerfull its going Up an down with the Waves like a Firehose going up an down , it has no Stability as its carrier has no Length to hold it down and Power it in a straight backward Thrust . ..Thats my 50 pence worth anyway..Hope your doing a follow on Vid.

    Reply
  4. As a Youtube film maker myself l can only echo the comments made already about your excellent narration and the quality of the videos you produce. It's a balancing act presenting a video, l tend to go on the light entertainment side of things at times, depending on the subject matter, but always keeping it respectful. Very well done on this particular video, l'm a Donald Campbell man myself. Gary

    Reply
  5. Speed has been my dream for my entire life. This year (unfortunately) I had to skip Bonneville. My car is almost complete. I told my new boss that next year, missing Bonneville wasn’t an option! I really hope I can accomplish something that would be worth mentioning on your channel. Keep up the good work!!!!!

    Reply

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