Member postings for Colin Bishop

I always enjoy looking at model railway layouts in any scale, particularly when they incorprate rolling stock I used to be familiar with.

I also like travelling on the various heritage railways around the UK, steam or otherwise. Over the years we have been on the Bluebell Line, Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, Dartmouth Steam Railway, various North Wales Railways, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and the Swanage Railway.The latter has locomotives that I used to trainspot back in the 1960s passing through Surbiton hauling classic trains, such as the Atlantic Coast Express, the Cunarder and the Ocean Liner Express. Great memories.

Abroad we have travelled on quite a few trains of which the Greek Diakopto–Kalavryta railway in th Peloponnese was one of the most spectacular along with the Norwegian Flam Railway.

There was also an interesting railway high up in the Pyrenees with spectacular views.

As an aside there are quite a few subterranean railways which take you into cave systems in various parts of Europe. You usually need to keep you head well down though!

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 25/07/2021 19:15:58

I think it only fair to point out that when it comes to realism, there has been a non flying walrus in the Scilly Isles for the last couple of weeks...

Colin

I think traditionally it was to enable sufficient clearance between the inside of the keel and the motor shaft. axis.

No reason why you can't mount the motor as far aft as possible really.

Colin

I don't think a bit of extra weight in the stern of the model will do any real harm but it did lift the bow a lot more at full speed. However, the full speed on the model was well in excess of any scale speed so if you throtttle back a bit then it should look fine. After all, this is a near scale boat not an out and out racer. A sort of marine hot hatchback rather than F1!

Dave recommended a 3S Lipo but I found that the boat was almost uncontrollable at full speed and went over on its side in a turn. It now has a 2S pack and performs well enough for me.

the 3S pack found its way into the Swordsman which is heavier, beamier and generally more stable.

Colin

I think you could be right Richard, the mechanism does look a bit 'agricultural' and not part of a more complex setup.

Colin

If you Google Model Yacht Vane Gear you will see various explanations plus useful diagrams of how it all looks and works. You can then work out what is missing from your boat.

Colin

I thought some of you might be intersted in the power setup in the new ferries for Brittany Ferries which are being ordered. The hybrid LNG/electric arrangement offers a lot of versatility to ships which experience constantly differing power demands on relatively short routes. The diagram in the article shows the options and what they can be used for plus the ships can make use of shore power when berthed.

**LINK**

Colin

As already mentioned, I think there is a tendency to remove too much material from the bow blocks and make the section a bit over concave. It is quite easy to overdo the balsa butchery....

Mine looks fine when it starts moving, it only droops when it stops!

Photos of the full size Huntsman show that it sits level at rest.

Colin

The following statement has just been posted on the Mayhem site.

Colin

It is with deep regret that due to the ongoing uncertainties of Covid-19 pandemic; we have to announce the cancellation of the 2021 International Model Boat Show which was due to be held at the Warwickshire Event Centre on the 6th & 7th November.

This difficult decision is taken despite a real determination by the Meridienne Exhibitions team, trade, clubs and other supporters, all striving to continue to deliver the usual high quality and successful event during this very difficult time.

Over the past few weeks, we have been in the excruciating position of considering every possible scenario to see how we might be able to proceed, but sadly the risks of holding the event now far outweigh the reasons for going ahead.

The core decision is based on the escalating cases of COVID-19, and the risks that widespread illness and self-isolation could have on everyone involved. We have navigated our way over the past 16 months through obstacles, but now feel that the odds are stacked against us and we are no longer in a position to be able to proceed safely with the unknown government Covid-19 requirement for Autumn/Winter ahead.

We look forward to seeing you all again in the future and thank you for your support.

Here is my Huntsman at Bushey in 2018.

Colin

The Perkasa prototype and supporting information was sent to SLEC late last year so hopefully it will still appear as a kit and tribute to Dave.

Colin

Dave and I compared notes at the Mayhem meeting in 2019 and there seemed to be no obvious reason for the discrepancy. He was as puzzled as I was.

Colin

Nothing to be done about it really, you just hav to accept it. No problem with the beamier Swordsman.

Colin

My boat uses Dave's specifications to the letter.

Colin

Yes, Dave's prototype sat level at rest but others have reported the bow down attitude of their kits. I suspect it is due to the quite subtle bow section where there is a tendency to carve off too much material from the balsa bow blocks to achieve the Fairey double curve.

I tried putting a bit of ballast in the stern of mine and although it didn't affect the performance noticeably it did make the bow come up rather too much at speed so I removed it.

Colin

Good selection on Component Shop too and a lot cheaper!

**LINK**

Colin

Looks great Ray.

Colin

A Jpeg file is the same in Apple or Windows. Most files straight off cameras are too big for this relatively old system and need to be reduced to something like desktop resolution or around 500kb.

If you have an Apple Mac then you can use the preview function:

**LINK**

Something like 1024 × 768 pixels should be OK.

Colin

Kev is correct that Superphatic will stick wood and styrene sheet together although I'm not sure if I would rely on it for a stressed joint. There seems to be something 'sticky' in Superphatic in addition to the white resin glue which enable it to bond dissimilar materials provided that one side is porous. It sometimes shows up as brownish tint when dry.

Colin

The Cover and contents of the August 2021 issue can now be seen on the website front page.

In the August 2021 issue of Model Boats magazine, don’t miss:

• Your chance to WIN:
  * A Mtroniks DigiSOUND5M Sound Module

* Revell’s latest and newly-tooled 1:72 scale US Navy Swift Boat kit

*A copy of the just launched Crowood Press title, Modelling Naval Ships in Small Scale

• A fascinating interview with the Component Shop’s Iain Lewis about the changes and improvements he’s made since taking over as organiser of the Blackpool Boat Model Show, what visitors can look forward to at this October’s event and his plans for expansion going forward

• Wired for sound: a then and now look at adding audio to R/C model boats

• Flying Saucer on the Water!: a great fun scratch built UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) that’s proved a real pondside crowd-pleaser

• HMS Hambledon: tricks from this clever 1:72 scale semi-scratch built Type 1 Hunt Class destroyer shared

• Paddle Wheels and performance: this little documented topic tackled

• Waterjet propulsion: a modeller’s introduction to the principles behind, and the installation and operation of, waterjet drive
• Hail Mary: a rookie modeller confesses all…
• Boiler Room: some very valuable boiler buying advice shared
• Memory Lane: this month’s trip takes us back to the ‘beginning’ by reflecting on ‘The Golden Box’
• Flotsam & Jetsam: yet more classic model boat titles from the collectors’ bookshelf dusted off and re-evaluated

PLUS

• A round up of the latest hobby-related news
• Your Letters: views aired and useful info flagged up
• Your Models: seven whole pages of brilliant builds showcased