There's a novel idea... You got any new pics you can share, Nigel?Annnyway, on with Quicksilver...
Quicksilver
- 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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Re: Quicksilver
Generally speaking, the things we are willing to put out there are already on our website. There are a few other things that aren't on there yet, but that's because they aren't ready, or in some cases because we don't want to give information to our competitors.
One of the big differences between your project and ours is that we're in a competitive situation. There are people who want to knock our block off and we're not about to help them.
I must confess that cameras - and photographing things - leave me cold. I haven't owned or used a camera for nigh-on 40 years. But one of our guys keeps a photographic record and it's about time Quicksilver posted some pictures on the BBP forum, so I'll ask our man Richard Ainge to do that when he gets a minute.
One of the big differences between your project and ours is that we're in a competitive situation. There are people who want to knock our block off and we're not about to help them.
I must confess that cameras - and photographing things - leave me cold. I haven't owned or used a camera for nigh-on 40 years. But one of our guys keeps a photographic record and it's about time Quicksilver posted some pictures on the BBP forum, so I'll ask our man Richard Ainge to do that when he gets a minute.
- Renegadenemo
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Re: Quicksilver
Nigel, I wasn't thinking of anything of commercial or competitive sensitivity. Just a team shot on the tea break would be fun or a bag of bolts - anything at all.
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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Re: Quicksilver
Yes, Bill - I'm sure we can oblige. And I wouldn't want you, or anyone, to think that we are unnecessarily secretive. We have welcomed literally thousands of visitors into our premises over the years.
To explain ... we have a bunch of guys who work on the boat, hands-on, and it's almost exclusively systems work that they do. They get together once a week, usually on a Friday. And there's another group who work on the structural side, and their work is only "hands-on" if you consider working on a computer to be hands-on, because their work is exclusively design work - not build. When "build" happens, it's others that build (sponsors).
That second group - the structural group - only get together at our workshop every six weeks or so, as most contact is by phone, e-mail, our secure website, and conference calls.
Almost all of the guys have day-jobs in the aerospace, high-end automotive and military sectors. They are all volunteers - most with limited time, alas, to give. Perhaps surprisingly, many of our guys probably wouldn't be working on a speed-record project unless it was this one.
They are regular guys. Decent guys - all of them. We have managed to lose the dross over the years. That's one of the very few benefits of the project dragging on. You end up with the guys who really want to do it.
To explain ... we have a bunch of guys who work on the boat, hands-on, and it's almost exclusively systems work that they do. They get together once a week, usually on a Friday. And there's another group who work on the structural side, and their work is only "hands-on" if you consider working on a computer to be hands-on, because their work is exclusively design work - not build. When "build" happens, it's others that build (sponsors).
That second group - the structural group - only get together at our workshop every six weeks or so, as most contact is by phone, e-mail, our secure website, and conference calls.
Almost all of the guys have day-jobs in the aerospace, high-end automotive and military sectors. They are all volunteers - most with limited time, alas, to give. Perhaps surprisingly, many of our guys probably wouldn't be working on a speed-record project unless it was this one.
They are regular guys. Decent guys - all of them. We have managed to lose the dross over the years. That's one of the very few benefits of the project dragging on. You end up with the guys who really want to do it.
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Re: Quicksilver
I had the idea, writing that last post, that maybe we should arrange an exchange visit later in the year, with a group of Bluebird-types coming down to see us Quicksilver-types, and then we'll come to see what you're up to on a reciprocal visit - or vice versa. Then you can see that we are "for real" and we can finally have an excuse to see K7!
I want to add to what I wrote earlier that my guys were not responsible for the long delay the Quicksilver project has seen. Frankly, they inherited a pig's-ear of a project from me in early 2005, and it doesn't matter now what the history is - it only matters that we have a dedicated and talented group of guys who have picked up the pieces worth saving and put them back together again.
I want to add to what I wrote earlier that my guys were not responsible for the long delay the Quicksilver project has seen. Frankly, they inherited a pig's-ear of a project from me in early 2005, and it doesn't matter now what the history is - it only matters that we have a dedicated and talented group of guys who have picked up the pieces worth saving and put them back together again.
- Renegadenemo
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Re: Quicksilver
I'm up for that. We know you're for real down there - we just want to see what you're doing. We're nosey like that...
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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- Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:29 pm
Re: Quicksilver
Well I hail from the posh area next to Geordieland - Corbridge - and my Dad, from Biker, is no longer with us to act as interpreter for the visits, so there's obviously the language barrier to overcome.
But most of our guys are northerners, so there may be some similarities in dialect - and we can resort to sign-language and charades if necessary.
I've got to scoot now - much to do, so no more posts from me today.
But most of our guys are northerners, so there may be some similarities in dialect - and we can resort to sign-language and charades if necessary.
I've got to scoot now - much to do, so no more posts from me today.
- bluebirdsback
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Re: Quicksilver
Aye Mike but thats anly cos a talk proper cos i am from the posh end like. Mind you whilst serving my country in the armed forces i was stationed in Shoeburyness near Sarf End as the southeners would say, and i was mistaken for one of your fellow Welshmen because of my accent. Thier second guess was Scottish, Strangely enough the third guy guessed at French.It was at this point i decide i would rather be Welsh, even if i dont sound a bit like you.
The moment you make something idiot proof a new breed of idiots will come along and prove you wrong
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Re: Quicksilver
I get you, Mike ... a sort of Donald Campbell meets Andy Capp, type of thing.Mike Bull wrote:I love the Geordie accent and phrases, though I tend to keep any use of them by myself deliberately daft. With my best plummy British Donald Campbell voice -
"I say old boy, would you mind awfully hoying that tool over here please? Thanks awfully, and divn't drop it like."
Clearly, a touch of English eccentricity does not go amiss when dealing with speed-record boats ...
Anyone who hangs around our workshop will not have long to wait before they hear me on with exactly the same "Old boy," "Old chap," and "Old lad" lingo. Although, ironically, when I do this it is with only a passing nod in the direction of Donald Campbell. I've been doing it for years - since long before the Quicksilver project started - but in my case it is in honour of another of my personal heroes, Dorothy L. Sayers' aristocratic sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey.
Eccentric, indeed, to talk like this in the modern age. But, in my view, still preferrable to the contemporary predilection for "Dude," "Bro" and "Ma Meyn."
Re: Quicksilver
Best us Scots can do in our lovely accent is either "Haw Jimmy" or Hey Pal"!-in Glasgow parlance "Old Boy" would probably start a 5 alarm riot!
"I hate two faced people-don't know which face to punch first!"