The Bluebird Project

Mike Bull wrote: ↑Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:37 am

mickday wrote: ↑Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:56 am before she spends her days in a museum.

...and that particular door isn't closing until we're sure that it can be opened again. She's not going to be some dead thing sat gathering dust.

This is good to hear!!

One day they'll work out that if we get her out regularly and keep her live and in the forefront of the public's minds this will only benefit the museum and the local community in general while we do all the work. It's a no-brainer. That people are so blind to the bigger picture is an endless source of frustration to me!

Malcolm Ops wrote: ↑Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:22 am

Renegadenemo wrote: ↑Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:29 am How about a change of scenery?
Loch Eck, anyone?

How close is Las Vegas when it rains?

Out of interest what is the maximum depth you would consider? I have an old bathymetrical survey map of the loch from between 1897-1909 showing a max depth of 138 ft at about half a mile N of the Whistlefield Inn (also the widest point). Couple of other spots are approx. 80ft depth...

Renegadenemo wrote: ↑Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:06 am One day they'll work (it) out ….... we do all the work. It's a no-brainer.

Not wishing to open another can of worms, it may help if the Museum world took note of the story of the speed record car BABS and how her 'life' is shared at least three ways during each year.

BABS has static display time shared between the Pendine Museum of Speed (the only car I have ever seen in the current facility) and the Brooklands sheds. During the warmer months BABS is put under power at various events and not all are for veteran cars alone - events such as Bromyard Cavalcade; Goodwood Festival of Speed; Silverstone VSCC; etc .....

There have been imaginative static displays of speed vehicles that have no operable life in them, but these have now all disappeared from Coventry, Birmingham Science, Brooklands (mostly) and so on. Whenever I needed a speed uplift I would go to the Thrust 2 theatre in the Transport Museum in Coventry and often sit (alone) to watch the film of T2 and the reveal of the car, once the projection screen was lifted. Yes, I may be a sad old g*t of pensionable age, but whoever did this display made full use of the drama of the setting of a 633mph record on the Black Rock desert.

Renegadenemo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:33 pm Some nice ideas but if Cumbria drops the ball we're looking at Loch Eck. Made the preliminary enquiries and it's all very positive...

Happy to assist if you are going down the Loch Eck route. Can make the short trip across within the next week or two, to scout potential launch locations and report back on findings with pics etc as required. Give me some info on your requirements and I'll get on it.

I can also offer the use of my trusty old searider 5.4 as a safety/support rib should you come back up in my direction again. And if I can get the hovercraft going before then, a nice stable camera platform to 'keep up' to around 80ish mph (would be an interesting sight, but rather impractical!)

Speaking of which... whose new hovercraft project have I just seen a picture of on twitter? Attached a pic of mine from a few months ago, in the CSI-esque tent (within a partially roof-less ex cow shed) we have built most of it in. It's moving into it's new home this Sunday before another cold Scottish winter... thank god for proper workshops!

Ollie

Just noticed in other posts actually that "scots pine" has good links to Loch Eck so he would be the man to ask for info. Nonetheless, quite willing to gather intel as mentioned or help in any other aspects where possible.

All good - the more people on board the better! My folks still live there in a prime viewing spot We know quite a few of the locals on the lochside & various landowners etc...but it's really up to the team & what the next move is. Sure the next time I'm over I'll be looking around and conversing with a slightly different slant but that's all. More than happy to assist tho.