Well shout us up when you want the skins putting on your boat - we're good for 0.25mm on a good day.But certainly ... back to a water-speed contenders ... it is better with a new-build boat like Quicksilver if things can be built as true as possible, because aero and hydro forces increase as the square of the speed, so the better-aligned things are, the less will be the drag attributed to rudder inputs.
Quicksilver
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Renegadenemo
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Re: Quicksilver
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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quicksilver-wsr
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Re: Quicksilver
OK, Bill - if we don't use carbonfibre for the main hull skin, I'll do that! 
Re: Quicksilver
Any excuse to use the Dymo machine again Mike....... 
Bangers!
You must have known I was coming!
You must have known I was coming!
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Renegadenemo
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Re: Quicksilver
Carbon is an incredible material but suppose Lorne gets it into his head that your boat suddently needs to be a foot longer... Then you'll be snookered!
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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quicksilver-wsr
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Re: Quicksilver
One of the things that's not been shown on our website yet is Quicksilver's dashboard.
Sadly, though, there aren't many opportunities for you to let loose with your Dymo labeller, Mike, as none of the instruments need any identification and the only words stuck on the dash are "ON" and OFF", next to some switches on the bottom right-hand corner.
The dash is now pretty much fully-functional, in that the engine can be both controlled and monitored from it, plus the manual throttle at the side of it. The RPM, JPT (jet-pipe temperature) and other gauges are linked to the engine and do their thing. There are still some instruments to add, but they are for things we don't need yet.
Design and build of the dashboard was the work of Robert Atkinson, a veteran of the ThrustSSC team, who - contrary to occasional rumours that suggest otherwise - is still an active member of the Quicksilver team. Another team member, John Challans, has added various switches and lights recently, while the gauges were recalibrated a couple of years back by Marilake Instruments Ltd. in Bournemouth - Robert's employer back in the ThrustSSC days, and a staunch long-time sponsor of the Quicksilver project.
We have a seat in our "cockpit" in the starboard sponson pattern. It's of a type I'm used to - from a racing go-kart! - and it serves the purpose for now. The throttle system is Bowden-cable operated. It works. It will, however, be superseded by the electronic throttle when we get that working.
Sadly, though, there aren't many opportunities for you to let loose with your Dymo labeller, Mike, as none of the instruments need any identification and the only words stuck on the dash are "ON" and OFF", next to some switches on the bottom right-hand corner.
The dash is now pretty much fully-functional, in that the engine can be both controlled and monitored from it, plus the manual throttle at the side of it. The RPM, JPT (jet-pipe temperature) and other gauges are linked to the engine and do their thing. There are still some instruments to add, but they are for things we don't need yet.
Design and build of the dashboard was the work of Robert Atkinson, a veteran of the ThrustSSC team, who - contrary to occasional rumours that suggest otherwise - is still an active member of the Quicksilver team. Another team member, John Challans, has added various switches and lights recently, while the gauges were recalibrated a couple of years back by Marilake Instruments Ltd. in Bournemouth - Robert's employer back in the ThrustSSC days, and a staunch long-time sponsor of the Quicksilver project.
We have a seat in our "cockpit" in the starboard sponson pattern. It's of a type I'm used to - from a racing go-kart! - and it serves the purpose for now. The throttle system is Bowden-cable operated. It works. It will, however, be superseded by the electronic throttle when we get that working.
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Renegadenemo
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Re: Quicksilver
Well show us a pic then...One of the things that's not been shown on our website yet is Quicksilver's dashboard.
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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quicksilver-wsr
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Re: Quicksilver
There'll be a picture of Quicksilver's dashboard on the website shortly, Bill. There's a new page being put together about the cockpit now. The dashboard isn't mega-spectacular to look at. It has some gauges, some switches and some lights, plus the control panel for the on-board fire detection/suppression system. It's our Dash 1 dash! But it works!
When we go for the record, the boat will have been upgraded to its definitive (Dash 2) spec and will have a "glass dash" - like BloodhoundSSC and most new aircraft have. At the moment, though, we have an analogue display because it's easier to work with conventional Buccaneer-type instruments at this stage and we don't need a lot of complex functionality.
There is a new section on our website, if you want to see fresh pictures. It is a page on the fuel system and can be found in the section entitled "The Craft". For some reason the pictures are about 10-percent undersized, but no doubt that will be remedied soon.
When we go for the record, the boat will have been upgraded to its definitive (Dash 2) spec and will have a "glass dash" - like BloodhoundSSC and most new aircraft have. At the moment, though, we have an analogue display because it's easier to work with conventional Buccaneer-type instruments at this stage and we don't need a lot of complex functionality.
There is a new section on our website, if you want to see fresh pictures. It is a page on the fuel system and can be found in the section entitled "The Craft". For some reason the pictures are about 10-percent undersized, but no doubt that will be remedied soon.
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JackTheGeordieLad
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Re: Quicksilver
Once we've finished K7 we should install Quicksilver into a certain unit and take over the project. 
Shy Bairnes Get Nowt!
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Renegadenemo
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Re: Quicksilver
I assume by that you mean wheel QS into the BB shop and help Nigel finish his build? It's an option if Nigel wants a hand.Once we've finished K7 we should install Quicksilver into a certain unit and take over the project
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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quicksilver-wsr
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Re: Quicksilver
Thanks for your positive comments, Mike. Those fuel-system pictures were taken in November and December. For various reasons they didn't go on our website until recently. We get there in the end!
There's more stuff, and it will go on-line going forward, but then we'll hit the outer limits of what we've actually got, physically, hardware-wise. Beyond that, we'll have to show the CAD - the design work we've done on lots of major assemblies we've put a lot of work in on, but aren't yet built because there is a huge amount of design effort still to put in before they are ready for manufacture.
And that brings me to Bill's offer to help us finish the build. It's very big-hearted of you, Bill, to offer to help when K7 is off the stocks, and we should keep an eye on that option - both you and us - to see how things are panning out with both projects by this time next year.
The key issue that a lot of people don't realise - and I'd say it is the vast majority of people - is that what has restrained the Quicksilver project this past two years or more is not so much a lack of build capability, but a shortage of design capacity. The parts have to be designed before they can be built and that's a huge job for a few guys working just a few hours a week each on the project. Our design-team guys all, virtually without exception, have heavy-duty commitments to the big firms who pay their wages.
Structural engineers and design engineers of the calibre we need to work on Quicksilver - who are willing to work without pay, or even expenses - are few and far between. But we have attracted three more very talented people into that team this past 12 months, to assist the three guys who were already engaged in that work, so you could say we've doubled the size of our structural design team. But that's not enough.
The systems side of things, however, is far better resourced. The systems guys are really on a roll and have been for some time. What I need to do is get our structures team better resourced and then we'll see more of the boat and less (proportionately) of the things that go in it.
Hope this explains the position - and thanks, again, Bill.
There's more stuff, and it will go on-line going forward, but then we'll hit the outer limits of what we've actually got, physically, hardware-wise. Beyond that, we'll have to show the CAD - the design work we've done on lots of major assemblies we've put a lot of work in on, but aren't yet built because there is a huge amount of design effort still to put in before they are ready for manufacture.
And that brings me to Bill's offer to help us finish the build. It's very big-hearted of you, Bill, to offer to help when K7 is off the stocks, and we should keep an eye on that option - both you and us - to see how things are panning out with both projects by this time next year.
The key issue that a lot of people don't realise - and I'd say it is the vast majority of people - is that what has restrained the Quicksilver project this past two years or more is not so much a lack of build capability, but a shortage of design capacity. The parts have to be designed before they can be built and that's a huge job for a few guys working just a few hours a week each on the project. Our design-team guys all, virtually without exception, have heavy-duty commitments to the big firms who pay their wages.
Structural engineers and design engineers of the calibre we need to work on Quicksilver - who are willing to work without pay, or even expenses - are few and far between. But we have attracted three more very talented people into that team this past 12 months, to assist the three guys who were already engaged in that work, so you could say we've doubled the size of our structural design team. But that's not enough.
The systems side of things, however, is far better resourced. The systems guys are really on a roll and have been for some time. What I need to do is get our structures team better resourced and then we'll see more of the boat and less (proportionately) of the things that go in it.
Hope this explains the position - and thanks, again, Bill.