Merlin Rocket 1185 1961 99p

[aviateam]

Posted on eBay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Merlin-Rocket ... 4ae380fae4

[ent228]

Interesting rudder, anyone seen a side hung one like this before?

[Ed]

I don't think that rudder......or for that matter the dagger-board are from this Merlin-Rocket.

God knows what they are from, but not an M-R.

I think this boat is very pretty, but there are so many boats around from this era in good condition, that I would have to have a good reason to choose this particular one; like a good known racing history etc.

cheers

eib

[PeterV]

Or is the rudder someone's idea of how it's supposed to be assembled, more likely I'd think?

[cweed]

Didn't the Vikings use side mounted rudders??????????????

[JimC]

Or is the rudder someone's idea of how it's supposed to be assembled, more likely I'd think?

Or perhaps a blade that doesn't fit in the stock!

[chris]

I think the stock was originally part of the original fixed rudder, probably a swept back one. Someone has converted it to a lifting rudder, by cutting off the original blade. The remaining stock wound not have a gap to receive a pivoted blade and would be too slender to cut a gap, therefore the only solution is to bolt the new blade on the side. A naff but practical solution to avoid making a brand new stock, tiller and blade.

[ent228]

Mike Burrows, bike designer said that the way bike wheels are suspended is old fashioned and inefficient use of mass.

Check out this link. http://bikefix.co.uk/standing-one-leg

No other modern type of road transport has forks; except most bikes, wheel barrows and many motor bikes, wheels are mostly cantilevered and they are reliable.

Having a rotating rudder blade in between two rudder cheeks is the same as a bike wheel rotating inside a pair of forks.

So maybe the next weight saving innovation in boat design maybe the cantilevered rudder blade attachment.

Discuss.

[jpa_wfsc]

Mike Burrows, bike designer said that the way bike wheels are suspended is old fashioned and inefficient use of mass.

Check out this link. http://bikefix.co.uk/standing-one-leg

No other modern type of road transport has forks; except most bikes, wheel barrows and many motor bikes, wheels are mostly cantilevered and they are reliable.

Having a rotating rudder blade in between two rudder cheeks is the same as a bike wheel rotating inside a pair of forks.

So maybe the next weight saving innovation in boat design maybe the cantilevered rudder blade attachment.

Discuss.

Almost all road vehicles have the contact point directly below the load centre of the bearings as the hub is inside the wheel, which is dished. There are loads of good reasons for this!

[Rupert]

The Puffin has a single sided stock, as did the Snark. For anything with more sideways load, I can see all sorts of problems.