'Twas the day before Christmas

Should it have been barnyard then ? ttfn Roland

In message , Roland and Celia Craven writes

Roland - methinks you stir with a big spoon - good job most of us recognise your mischievous side :-)

Barnard?????????????

Inquiringly Tom

Castle? I think you're very charitable! :-)

Tom

I'm not disputing the existence of such a place, I have even been there. What I'm refering to is Roland saying there is a "castle" there, when in fact, there is only the most meagre remains of one..

My original post was actually quetioning the existence of your "Barnard" engine.

Tom

Possibly, as the spelling was certainly fowled up. :-)

Tom

Roland, I am at that stage of being a Father when the house is left to just me and the wife it is heaven, once she is married and left I might feel like you but at the moment its lovely :-))

Martin P

Cluck, cluck ...

S'OK, I did get the first time round, just thought I'd play dumb - not hard! ;o))

The Bernard S.I.M.A.L. (anyone know what it stands for?) W10 is back on its stump in the garden, looking forlorn. Serve it right. I was going to See To It, but have decided that driving a mass driver with a Coventry-Victor MA2 is a much more fun project.

More news as it happens!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

The Pope's chauffeur ??

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

In message , Tim Leech writes

No-one's told us yet, Tim :-(

I think it is a sort of linear electric motor for throwing rocks with appreciable iron content or suitable cladding, cf. "The Moon is a harsh mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein.

"We throw rocks. Big ones."

TTFN

Pete

A girt big 'ammer ? A bloke with a lorry-load of WMD? ttfn Roland

"What's a mass driver?"

Alright, alright, calm down - it's like walking out of a classroom, counting ten and walking back in again. If I'd have waited any longer you'd all be dangling poor old Martin out of the window by his left big toe!

A mass driver is a gurt air pump, usually a modified gas turbine with an oversized - or extra - compressor section so as to provide very large quantities of air for starting bigger engines, wind tunnel use or leaf blowing ;o))

I stole the term to describe the interesting Rotax starter that I bought off E-bay some weeks ago. It being in west Wales, Arthur collected it for me and dropped it off at the Wessex crank up on Monday. I've not got it entirely figured out yet, but it appears to be a small mass driver, an engine-driven compressor with sun and planet gearing to multiply the single stage compressor wheel's speed by ( I'm guessing) a factor of ten. I'll be assembling it and taking photos tomorrow & will be back with same later.

Play nicely now .............

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Does this mean that the turbine spin-up device is no longer needed?

I wondered how long it would be before you revealed what it is Kim!

Wow, you are quick off the mark, Paul! I'd deliberately not contacted you about the stepper motor plan as I have not yet spun up this device to see how much air mass it generates. I'll be having a look at it tomorrow and be straight back to you.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Over the Christmas break I have been doing some decorating but have been looking at the newsgroups on a regular basis (at each tea break actually). If that device creates enough air flow then it seems like you may have your turbine starter sorted out.

"Paul E. Bennett" wrote

Indeed. I have a spare Coventry-Victor MA2 engine just looking for something to drive and this mass driver might be just the thing - make an interesting (and blessedly different) exhibit in its own right.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Yes Kim,

Would be interesting to see what you are elluding to especially after your letter in Stat Eng :-))

Martin P

Arthur Griff> I wondered how long it would be before you revealed what it is Kim! >