Even more brilliant ideas!

Between moving Mini-HORNET up to Richmond - no small endeavor let me tell you - and the growing list of projects around the Dockyard, this weekend was one of the most productive in some time.  Volunteers showed up around our operational area to help in a number of departments and I'm very proud to say our OpTempo is increasing.  Special thanks are well-deserved by the crew that set up Mini-HORNET in Richmond at the Virginia War Memorial on Saturday - an evolution that took just under six hours.

Now, we have even more projects started with notes and ideas flying back and forth with several construction projects moving right along.

Work to get Mini-HORNET to Richmond began on Friday night, when volunteers came out to begin setting up the rented trailer to transport our huge but intensely fragile 1:12 scale mock up.  The whole hull is made of high density foam and plaster, and we always knew it would be fragile.  But having to rent a huge enclosed trailer and tow it with a large vehicle - not for the weight but the size - means spending a good deal in gas to drag a light trailer around fishtailing like crazy.  And that was the start of our next project - production of a purpose built light trailer to accommodate the model.  One of our volunteers, Steve Rodgers, has started working up plans and sketches to use commercially available parts including the trailer frame in conjunction with a custom made enclosed unit so that the ultra light trailer can be towed, even by his SmartCar - resulting in a huge cost savings from fuel alone, not to mention asprin for the erstwhile headaches.  We'll  be working on that this Wednesday at our regular working session.  With a little luck, we can be ready for the return trip in two weeks.

We also recieved a new shipment of tools, including the high-volume planer to begin work on getting out the framing stock for Monomoy No. 3.  That means we'll be experimenting with steaming some sample frames and making a renewed effort to pick up the reefing in preparation for final installation.  We'll see how long the tedious work continues this time... who knows, before too long we might be ready to rebuild the keelsons and centerboard trunk.

On my worklist, the half-hull model prototypes and coming along.  I've almost got the frame sections for the "framed" version all cut out and ready for assembly, and I'll be plugging away at that for the rest of this week.

BT

Our latest edition of The Pennant is out with more updates on the USS HORNET Project.  Welcome to the new NHS Members!

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