Rubber power

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The magazine was 2/6d in those far off days and the Editor was D. J. Laidlaw-Dickson
 

I was thinking that some bright spark might fancy building a high speed straight running speedboat?

 

It would need a fence or overhead wire or even RC control!……………….but it would go like a rocket!………………for about 200 feet about

 

The cars used to run 90 feet with plenty of wheelspin………….so 200 feet is a possibility?

 

Food for thought?

 

Bob

 

PS………….Just spotted the artists signature……L.B……………….the famous Laurie Bagley!

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Front cover

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Bob

 

I remember my grandfather telling me about rubber band power…..he said his grandfather used it before clockwork was invented……

 

I have been thinking of a rubber powered straight running model.

 

In fact this would make a great contest at your lake Bob.

 

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

 

That could be a nice idea!……………………..We`ve just come back from Etherow btw

 

I think I`ll suggest it at the next club meeting……………..Whadayer think Duckie?

 

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I think  its a good idea, especially with an overhead wire (like I remember suggesting on a previous non r/c paddle boat contest). Cheap and potentially very watchable. I think 200 feet is well do-able, my boat did over 150 yards at a reasonable pace, so I dont suppose 200 feet at a lick is unobtainable. The problem may be the propeller. Gearing may not be needed on a dragster, but you need to provide a stiff resistance to instant rubber motor unwind, and that means a very large area blade prop, and if of large diameter, then an outrigger will be required (trust me on this). A rear paddle wheel would look spectacular, and even a bit car-dragsterish.  I tell you what WOULD make an easy rubber dragster, an airboat,,,,or at least a long thin hull and air-prop, even a hydrofoil arrangement..!  using an under-water wire in this case. I have a 1930`s boys book with an article on how to make the fastest thing on the lake… a twin hull and indeed twin rubber motor/air-prop job, all and cheaply (for the boy who can solder) out of tin plate!  (tin cans cut up and flattened was suggested) theres a challenge for you, how many of them were ever built do you think.. Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ashley

 

Way back in the early fifties I built a tin plate submarine!

 

Three tins soldered together with a point at each end of course. It had a simple keel to keep it upright…………..here`s the clever bit……it had a hole at the top of the hull with a rubber flap on the inside to form a non return valve. Inside the sub was a block of Calcium Carbide suspended high in the hull and when the CC got wet, it gave off a gas…….Which closed the flap and ejected the water out the back through a jet pipe, causing the sub to move forwards!

 

When the water level sank below the CC, the gas stopped being created and water was allowed to enter the sub again via a second non return valve……………..and the process continued………..?

 

Unfortuneately, we couldn`t get it to work…………….too young to realise how the process worked!………………What a great idea though?

 

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. Its a simple fact that the easiest theoretical ideas are the hardest to execute. I am sure that all those designs for trains boats and planes in boys annuals of years ago were never actually built by their designers and were only printed to frustrate!  I can remember designs for several helicopters in one annual I had…they looked so easy, but in hindsight I can never imagine any of them working, especially having been made by a young whippersnapper.  Ashley

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

Hello Bob

 

I like Pauls idea of a rubber band powered contest at your home water it would be a great deal of fun and far flung members i.e. David in NZ or Pierre in South Africa could post their entries to the club for inclusion in the contest.

 

1st prize???? the pride of being the best.

 

What do you think/

 

John

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello John

 

It`s a very good idea!……………The only problem is the wildlife!…………………The lakes are full of wild fowl and the park is full of people feeding them!

 

…………..and you know what happened recently at the Bury waters………….Wild life being persecuted etc

 

We will need to discuss the idea at club level…………..I`m not a committee member, so it`s not my shout!

 

I like the idea of a straight high speed run though!………….Hmmmmmmmmm?

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The Managing Director has suggested running a competition with something like a free subscription as a prize. This would be an interesting idea but would probably be too local if confined to one pond unless it was somewhere in the middle of the UK.

 

Still, all ideas gratefully considered!

 

Colin

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

Hello Bob / Colin

 

If properly organised with marshals and perhaps members of the RSPBA in attendance coupled with the correct risk and method assessments in place (ask Paul about these when he is better as he used to produce them on a daily basis) the club could actually make an event out of the contest by providing refreshments and maybe charging admission.

If the club agreed to handle and operate the far flung members entries then the location of the event is not a problem.

 

All that is required is a pro-actve club with an active membership.

It could be a great day out. 

John

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

It certainly has potential if the practical issues can be overcome. I will let you run with it for the moment. If you think it is a starter then we will see if we can get a prize organised.

 

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello chaps

 

The rubber powered boat idea seems to be gathering pace.

 

My initial thoughts are that we need a pond with all round access and plenty of car parking space?

 

One pond which instantly comes to mind is…………..New Brighton!………..perfect !

 

What does the New Brighton think of this suggestion?

 

The rules are very vague at the moment.

 

To start with…..

 

1 ………………………….Max length 1 metre

 

2…………………………..Max weight………???

 

3…………………………..Number of props……………optional………………two contra would be nice

 

4…………………………..Straight running……..no extra guidance would be required

 

5…………………………..Any amount of rubber, but keep within max weight

 

6…………………………..How do we wind the rubber motor……….Battery drill would do, but how do we count the revs?

 

 

7………………………….Models set off in pairs or more……for spectator interest

 

8………………………….What else????

 

Bob

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Me again…

 

9…………………………….What decides the winner?

 

Could be the fastest of course, with a stopwatch………………or if going in pairs…………..a knockout competition?

 

How would we let them start?……………………I suggest a starting gate of about 6 feet in length to act as a guide

 

10…………………..What else????

 

11……………………When…………….In Summer?

 

Bob

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

Hello Bob

 

New Brighton is a great idea for the venue so I hope to hear from the guys at New Brighton club.

Meanwhile we shall work on the fine details, Paul is back at home today and is very keen to see this through so we will be working at his pace whislt he recovers from his latest heart attack.

 

I would like to hear from other members to see if they like the idea.

 

John

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

New Brighton is a superb venue for such an event.

 

How do you feel about having 3 different classes of entry from a basic (see photo) through a standard upto an Ashley type super runner.

 

 

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Welcome home Paul and good evening to John

Just got back from a nice day at Barmouth…………..was like a summers day today

Glad we all like the suggested venue………………..we now await NewBrighton`s club`s comments for the time being………….we could also discuss it at the Ellesmere show?

I`m a bit surprised at the lack of interest being shown at the moment……(Well I`m not surprised really)

I like the idea of a knockout comp…………..sailing in pairs……………with names out of a hat etc………………..the funnies can take their chances

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

Bob you have hit the nail on the head by saying lack of interest because the one thing that will kill off both this idea and the site itself is the apathy of the membership, it is very obvious that the majority of the postings and involvement in the site are done by the minority of members.

It is a shameful situation where a man fresh out of hospital after a serious heart attack is trying his best to help promote this site when hundreds of viewing members just sit back and let him do all the work.

I hope those of you who read this posting examine their own consciences and decide just how much you enjoy using this site and how much you are depending on a sick mans dedication to help keep the site going.

 

John

    

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

It never ceases to amaze me, whenever a “lifeboat”or “steam” post appears, it instantly gets 1000 views. I am going to be sneaky next time, and label my next post with a steam of lifeboat heading and watch the views roll in, and then change the subject!!!  some poeple are of course interested in one thing to the exclusion of anything else. And why not, whatever is your fancy. Ashley (not known for sticking to one particular subject)

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

The whole point of a web site like this one is that the fair and democratic exchange of views, within acceptable limits, by its members can take place without fear of persecution or prosecution.

 

It is not my wish to browbeat members into neither participating in an event that they have neither interest in nor any desire to be involved as some might think that rubber bands are childish and beneath their modeling ability…..that is fine however it would be very much appreciated if the quiet majority would take the time to acknowledge what is being done on their behalf and for the eventual benefit of all.

 

Paul

 

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

To set the bar for this rubber contest, let me post this snippet….

ABYA RubberBand boat race

A boat fielded by Jerry Lindquist and
Gene Mutter, representing Huron Point Yacht Club, won the ABYA
RubberBand boat race. It set a new course record of 1.42 seconds from a
standing start over the course length of thirty feet, eclipsing the old
record of ~1.8 seconds.

Powered by 8 motors (each with 12
strands of 1/4″ rubber), the boat swings two synchronized,
counter-rotating bronze 2.56 x 4.096 octura props through a 2:1
step-up. the shafts are mounted through the lower edge of the transom
giving about 45% submersion for the fixed surface-piercing props.

the boat jumped the stop-net during
practise, and shortened its nose against the far end of the pool, thus
guaranteeing that it met the 24″ overall length requirement. The
carbon-fiber hull was otherwise undamaged

 
HOW FAST !!!!!!!!!!     Ashley

 

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

I don’t know about the UK, but over here there would be a problem with the Rubber bands

“Powered by 8 motors (each with 12 strands of 1/4″ rubber), the boat swings two synchronized, counter-rotating bronze 2.56 x 4.096 octura props through a 2:1 step-up. the shafts are mounted through the lower edge of the transom giving about 45% submersion for the fixed surface-piercing props. “

What length are these? The only rubber powered boats I ever built were powered by the elastic bands the postie dropped or salvaged from cheap rubber powered planes. The last one was actually a sub.

Regards,

Gerald

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Gerald. I believe just further down it says 24 inches !  The rubber used is flight elastic, for model aircraft. This comes in a big skein so you can have very long continuous lengths, The wording “rubber band” is misleading really, as only kids toys or those cheap balsa aircraft would use actual rubber bands per se. So saying, if you do a bit of surfing its surprising just how long and thick a rubber band you can buy!!    Ashley

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

Hi Ashley,

I thought the 24 inches was referring to the length of the boat. I did a search on the web and was amazed at the variety available. All the local hobby shops have is the cheap balsa aircraft.

Regards,

Gerald

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Gerald, I am assuming from the cut`n`paste that the boat was in fact 24″, although it doesnt ACTUALLY say so. Yes, there are millions of rubber band planes around. In fact, one of these in seaplane form could form the basis of a sprinter!!!!  (rules allowing), or….hhmmm a rubber powered Ekranoplan….hmmm,  yes,  Ashley

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