Topic: What's happened to......... (Read 8683 times)

funtimefrankie · « **on:** July 20, 2007, 08:55:24 pm »

I've been thumbing through some old "Model Boats" from the 1980s early 1990s. I supprised how few advertisers in there seem to exist these days.
e.g. Big colour ad for Web model fittings...look nice.

Also does anyone do straight running these days or tethered hydroplanes (if that's the right name)

Frank

omra85 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:01:22 pm »

Straight running is still done in London and at Welwyn, I believe, and tethered hydro also in London (Blackheath?) and Kingsbury in the Midlands - speeds over 120mph (all you see is the roostertail) :-\
Danny

John W E · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:03:48 pm »

Hi there,

yes straight running is still going and its fairly strong in some Clubs. I know in South Shields Model Yacht club there are a good number of straight running modellers (and models

) there, they are very competitive.

They used to do 'tethered hydro' running there, with flash-steam hydro planes and also I.C.powered, but, it was stopped, due to the high speeds that were starting to be gained - excess of 100 mph. I think the Council had something to do with that.

I do know that in some other areas they still do 'tethered hydro' running because one of the South Shields members still attends a lot of hydro plane meetings - or he did last time I was talking to him (Bob Kirtley) you may have heard of him. He does hold a few records, I believe

.

Aye
John E
Bluebird

Tug-Kenny RIP · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:08:19 pm »

I also would be interested in the straight running competitions that they write about.

Although they show the pictures and give pages of competition results, there are no details of the wherewithal and rules. I mean, do they set the engine speed and tie down the rudder and point the boat and let go. Is there radio gear on board with the rudder unplugged. How far do they let the boat run between obstacles.

It can't be easy, as letting go the rudder on an R/C boat, it will drift off a straight line, as we all know.
What if the wind blows. All interesting stuff

Cheers...Ken

John W E · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:16:27 pm »

hi there Kenny

No radios are allowed (as far as I know) in the straight line models. There are several classes in the straight running.

I believe there is the 'wedge-shaped class' - the boats (as they suggest) are shaped a bit like a wedge.

There is an 'off-scale' section as well - where a boat can represent a warship, cabin-cruiser etc.

Im not sure about the propulsion side of it, because I have seen a petrol engine in the same competition as a steam-powered vessel.

I know the scoring is fairly simple, its basically like a dartboard, only with a set of goal posts. The goal posts are set narrowly in the middle say 10 feet apart, next set of poles on the outside of those poles say another 10 feet away from them and soforth and you get points for getting into the middle of them - say if you got between the two middle ones that's the bulls eye and you get top marks - if you hit the next set of posts out, the points decrease etc., and so it goes.

Dont think there is a time limit on it.

The Rudder is fixed with microscopic adjustment of only 1/8 inch (for arguments say) movement either side of the centre.

This adjustment is just to allow for windage, and tork of the propellers.

aye
john e
bluebird

hope this sheds a bit of light on it for you

Kenny, no points if your tug sinks in the middle of the course

HS93 (RIP) · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:20:14 pm »

They also had nomination , Where you had to state the time your boat would take on the first run.

Peter

Tug-Kenny RIP · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:31:30 pm »

Sounds like a darts competition, but with one arrow

All very gentlemanly and sedate !!

Ken (under the surface Admiral now)

John W E · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:34:52 pm »

When I talk to the straight-running Captain on Sunday I will ask if submarines or semi-submersible tugs are allowed

I dont know about 'gentlemanly' mind you, Ive heard a lot of 'words that arent allowed' during competitions, especially when a boat has run wild, missed the gates altogether and careered off down the lake with nobody to catch it

only when retrieved to find a plastic bread-bag wrapped around the prop and rudder.

aye
john e
bluebird

HS93 (RIP) · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2007, 09:39:24 pm »

Er not if you where a junior in the 60s and you had a pair of adult waders on and you had to catch the boats at the end and they where firing sea Queens at you that had o&r 21cc or Ganets in them.

Peter

omra85 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2007, 10:10:15 pm »

So the "junior wearing adult waders" has NOT mentally scarred you for life then

Danny

Bee · « **Reply #10 on:** July 20, 2007, 10:16:04 pm »

Both straight running and hydros are run by the MPBA on the August bank holiday at Verulanium Park in St Albans. Possibly not every day.

HS93 (RIP) · « **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2007, 10:19:47 pm »

They where very good , They would wrap a rope around your chest waders so if you fell over you would not drown you. Prob so it would not stop the event.

Peter

SteamboatPhil · « **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2007, 11:19:07 pm »

Straight running is alive in the south with meetings at Blackheath, Victoria Great Park (Hackney) and St Albans. We did run a small demo at the mayhem weekend running my steam powered scale cabin cruiser, which did amuse those present. I have sugested a small competion at the next mayhem meet, go on you know you want to try. Should any one want details of regattas and venues they can contact me and I will let them have all the details. Meanwhile if you are passing by the Prince of Wales Pond, Blackheath, on the following dates drop by for a chat.Sept 2nd and 30th
My details are on the website www.mpba.org.uk
Steamboatphil
Aka Phil Abbott

RickF · « **Reply #13 on:** July 21, 2007, 12:06:03 am »

Is my imagination (or senility???) but didn't they one have a class for rubber-powered straight runners?

Ah ,the heady days of black market knicker elastic .......

Rick

HS93 (RIP) · « **Reply #14 on:** July 21, 2007, 12:15:33 am »

Quote from: RickF on July 21, 2007, 12:06:03 am

Is my imagination (or senility???) but didn't they one have a class for rubber-powered straight runners?

Ah ,the heady days of black market knicker elastic .......

Rick

Maybe in your dreams.....................

Peter

Reade Models · « **Reply #15 on:** July 21, 2007, 12:46:50 am »

funtimefrankie (first post on this thread)

Funny you should mention that...

I recently had telephone conversations and traded correspondence with the owner of Web Model Fittings. He sent me a catalogue - a huge range of beautiful fittings, all hand made and I imagine very expensive in todays terms?

Regards, Malc

Youngat65 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 21, 2007, 08:30:25 am »

They run tethered hydro's in Hull on a fairly regular basis
Cheers
BobB

kendalboatsman · « **Reply #17 on:** July 21, 2007, 09:20:12 am »

Last time I went to Kingsbury for a picnic they had a tethered hydro meet. I have a feeling that Bournville club might run straight runners, they certainly still have vane sailing races.

Clive :)

BarryM · « **Reply #18 on:** July 21, 2007, 11:28:22 am »

Quote from: HS93 on July 20, 2007, 10:19:47 pm

They where very good , They would wrap a rope around your chest waders so if you fell over you would not drown you. Prob so it would not stop the event.

Peter

...or perhaps they did not want to lose the waders?

BarryM

aestus57 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 21, 2007, 11:32:40 am »

Straight running was very popular in the 70's. I was a member of Crosby Model Club near Liverpool in those days, and we used to hold about 4 regattas a year.

Anything and everything was allowed to compete, but the favoured engine at that time was a petrol engine which was called a "Cycle Master" This came from an old bicycle and powered the back wheel via a friction drive. The guys used to cut them down and water cool them. I remember that they were quite old engines and very hard to obtain.

Hulls tended to be between 5 and 6ft long with a very deep bow section and two deep fins either side of the prop.

I know that the Crosby club has recently started to become active again and they were trying to resurrect a straight running section this year but I don't know if it got off the ground.

I was a junior member then and remember being a very frightened catcher behind the goal posts in my waders, hoping not to let someones pride and joy get past me and crash into the concrete behind! Some of them went at a great rate of Knots!!

Peter

FullLeatherJacket · « **Reply #20 on:** July 21, 2007, 11:51:58 am »

I'm sure I watched a couple of folks (a chap and a chapess) with what looked suspiciously like a straight runner at the Mayhem Weekend at Wicksteed. The guy seemed to be trying to get the steam engine running reliably and had the boat repeatedly in and out of the water ; I don't recall them actually letting the thing go, though.
Whatever floats your boat, eh?
FLJ

HS93 (RIP) · « **Reply #21 on:** July 21, 2007, 12:05:33 pm »

I won my first cup at Crosby at about that time , for nomination it was a sea scout with a Fuji 2.5 outboard I was a member of the liverpool club , there was a chap from the Crosby club who had a very nice steam boat all scratch built he built the cylinders from lipstick tubes his name I think was frank and it may have been Wright ?.

Peter

aestus57 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 21, 2007, 12:14:03 pm »

Hello Peter,

Yes, that would be Frank Wright, and the boat was called "Bitza", .... made out of "bits a this and bits a that".

The boat is now in America with Franks' Son.

Peter

HS93 (RIP) · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2007, 12:23:30 pm »

Aestus57

Yep that was it, Coronation Park . . I was was with the liverpool club Walton Hall park . by time they got to the other end they where flying ,But it was not only the speed, as you say with a "Cycle Master" and about a 4" or 5" prop you had to get the front pushed down quick to get the prop out of the water or it would pull you along.

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2007, 01:00:08 pm »

Quote

I'm sure I watched a couple of folks (a chap and a chapess) with what looked suspiciously like a straight runner at the Mayhem Weekend at Wicksteed.

Yes, FLJ, they were from the Blackheath club and made a number of successful runs.

News:

Author Topic: What's happened to......... (Read 8683 times)

omra85

omra85

Bee

Reade Models

kendalboatsman

FullLeatherJacket