Thank you for the kind comment. I believe the one I made was the only working model. One of the most difficult parts was making the top look like it was canvas covered. I can understand why Stuart has not pursued it. One issue would be the running hardware. Its such a prominent part of the boat it needs to be right. The rear rudder is particularly difficult to make as a working version at scale. As there is a very limited market I think a custom set of scale hardware would be very expensive to produce. Much cheaper and more easily produced in resin for a static showcase model. Hardware aside I understand Stuarts reluctance to produce kits.
Stuart at Touchwood has stopped producing the K3 and K4 kits I think because very few were sold. Perhaps its his experience with K3 and K4 that has influenced his decision re ME11. Its about 24 years ago that I was asked by Stuart to convert one of his K4 kits into a working model, I did and an article was published in MMI about the conversion (the first one done of the K4 model). Another difficult scale model to get the performance and stability right. I also did K3 for him and then the K7. I still have the very first Touchwood K7 converted to RC, its actually my grandsons now, hes 12, however I am looking after it, although he keeps asking for it back.(there's a bit of a story about his cat and the top of a wardrobe
!)
Rich Marsh, a friend of myself and my son, was up visiting us yesterday. He's a real model boat enthusiast in particular all things Bluebird. 10 years ago, when he about 14, Rich bought the K4 I converted and still has it.(I recently made another one for my son-exact scale hardware) He's also got an extremely fast Touchwood K7 using uptodate technology. Mike B will be happy to note that Rich has used the exact colour 'bluebird' paint for his models. We compared the colours of his models with my sons 1/6th scale K7 painted with Ford Fyord blue, most folks would not know the difference. Rich is currently building a Speedline 1/8th K7 to be fitted with a gas turbine engine. Impressive detail built into the mouldings. Yesterday I contacted Adrian at Speedline to discus my forthcoming article. He mentioned he's thinking about retiring and selling up. If he does its a big loss to the model trade.
BTW I may try to buy back ME11 I sold. (sold it, and the others, at a particularly bad time in my life)
