Another History Lesson: Miss Britain III w/video

Source: National Maritime Museum

Quick, name the first boat to pass the 100mph mark on salt water?  If you said the Miss Britain III, you are either a boat history buff or an observant guesser based on the title of this post.  The Miss Britain III was designed, built, and piloted by Hubert Scott-Paine. Mr Paine’s boat was a stepped hydroplane hull that was constructed using aluminium sheeting over an aluminium and wooden frame.  Paine then shoehorned a 12 cylinder aircraft engine into the death machine hydroplane to produce an impressive 110.1mph speed record in 1934.  It didn’t hurt that the engine Paine used, the Napier Lion series VII B, was also the air speed record holder.  If you ever make it across the pond (or if you already live there), you can check out this historic watercraft at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England.

Click past the jump for a quick film on the Paine and the Miss Britain and some more photos of his record setting hydroplane.

Source: Greenwich National Maritime Museum and Vimeo