Pic of the Day

[rob565uk]

Tyler - my history is not 100% on this, but I believe the LP boost pump was added during the 1966 conversion to the Orpheus. The gauge is driven by fuel pressure through a capillary tapped off the fuel system, making it a challenge to mount remotely in the cockpit instrument panel. My assumption is that it was not deemed important enough to present the reading in the cockpit and so was mounted in the engine bay for use during start-up and test.

But someone out there may know different

[Stuart Baker]

Well I for one would want to know that the HP pump was being fed with fuel, especially given that Bluebird needed engine thrust to keep the nose down.

Hindsight is of course a wonderful thing and the challenge with an engineering project like this would always be to decide where to spend your limited time and money. I also imagine that at 300mph on water one wouldn't be spending an awful lot of time staring at the dashboard...

[Renegadenemo]

It's always amazed me that they stuck the LP boost gauge where Donald couldn't see it, especially as early documentation for the Orph' conversion mentions fuel tank pressurisation as used on the Gnat and yet it was never employed on the boat, so they must have known they were stepping away from what was tried and tested. Knowing what we know now about how fuel was delivered to the HP pump it seems likely that putting the gauge in the cockpit would have been of great value and all it would have taken was another three feet of capillary tube and an extra hour's work. What were they thinking!

My best theory is this. They did put a LP warning light on the instrument panel and perhaps they deemed this enough to warn Donald. After all, the rebuild manual states that, 'contacts close on a falling pressure at 25psi, +/-2psi', so that ought to have flagged up any serious problem.
But we tested the switch late last year and found that it closed at only 3.5psi. Now this may have been due to years of neglect but nothing about the switch, mechanically, suggested that this was the case... Do we have another hole in the Swiss cheese?

[Tyler]

Thanks for the replys guys, its good to hear it straight from the team

[Terminator]

Had a really excellent day working on that particular piece of the boat in pic of the day. Ritchie on the block and your's truly on the rivet gun. I think we worked together fairly well given its our first time you know The Project Leader also seemed happy enough with our workmanship? A bit tentative at first but as we got used to each others lucid tone's(Set,tap, hit and when finished Y I YA bugger ) and the banter died down we where firing them in come the end of the day. Really enjoyed a change of scenery from prepping panels and its been a while since than riveting course we went on at Newcastle College. Fair play to Bill the usual test piece was required before being let loose on our real deal as no ham fisted ones allowed anywhere near the holy grail It really makes all than prepping worth while to seeing the rivets going back in and what pride you feel.

Novie

[Renegadenemo]

Must be said that Rich and Novie did a cracking job on that riveted seam (after they'd completed their test piece to the quality assurance manager's satisfaction - 'perfect, but it'll have to do' )
In point of fact, the original workmanship along that seam wasn't the best we saw on the boat so I reckon the new work is actually better than when it left Samlesbury. So far so good...

[Richie]

It was a hoot.... Novie you think its bad trying to hear me shout "Set it....Tap It...Hit it... Done Whey Aye man" try it when you have Bill and John firing them in at the same time.... at one point we had "Set it....touch it....LED bedside lamp" just so we wouldnt get mixed up with who was asking for what......lots of fun

by the end of the day we were well in the swing of it, i kinda didnt want to stop... "just one more bay"..."just a couple more"...

[Terminator]

Thank you for your kind comments guys. I think it must be the real passion flowing through my veins that emspired me to " give me the tools and I'll finished the job" on the real deal As I say a truly fantastic day and If I could afford to take a year out I would be riveting all day and night Mind you the old V.W.F feelings in my hands came back the day after but they didn't last long. At the end of the day my legs were done in from being stood constantly and banging away ,will have to adopt my usual position when banging away next time
Good old Youth in between doing his own job Kept the tea coming .Top Man

Cheers
Novie

[Mike Bull]

We've not forgotten 'pic of the day' but there's a limit to how many pictures you can put of people riveting the tail cover together! So bear with us while that progresses (and it really is flying along).

[DamienB]

...only to discover that the boat we planned to bolt it all to was almost half an inch different side for side.

Ahhhh so it was you guys that were subcontacted to upgrade Nimrods...