RMS Connaught , 1860 (was: taking pictures at the London Science Museum)

[waldenmodels]

She sure is long and skinny!

A bit confusing is the fact that the plans show a vessel with a square stern, while the 1:48 model of the Connaught has a round stern. The plans don't say which of the four sisters they show (they are helpfully labelled "Holyhead Irish Mail") Available photos show Ulster having a square stern, and one other ships with a round stern. The 1:48 model came from Laird Bros., who built the Connaught and IMHO ought to know what she looked like. Adding all this up, I felt justified in departing from the plans and slapping a round stern on my model. It's not very pretty yet as I have to draw the stern sections out of thin air, but it'll come out all right in the end.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Eddy Matthews]

Just as a matter of interest Oliver, what was the length and beam of the Connaught?

Regards
Eddy

[waldenmodels]

Eddy, Sources differ, as they usually do. Consensus seems to be the following:

Length: 338' (variously given as 348'. I believe the shorter measure to be "between perpendiculars")
Beam: 35'
Depth: 20' 3"
Tonnage: 2039

Cheers,


Oliver 
 

[waldenmodels]

Incidentally, research is somewhat complicated by the fact that there was another RMS "Connaught" launched in 1860 - also a paddle wheeler, but for the Atlantic service. This one came to a terrible end, though, whereas our Connaught lived through 37 years of almost constant service.

Cheers,


Oliver

[waldenmodels]

Things are coming together. I'm happy with the hull now. I put some funnels on for show.

Cheers,

Oliver

[waldenmodels]

I've taken a first stab at the paddleboxes and bridge deck.

[Eddy Matthews]

It looks gorgeous Oliver!

The only sad part is that the real ship was so large, it would be too big for me to build as a working model

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

That's Spooky!

I've been sitting here most of the day working on the drawings for the Connaught. At quarter inch to the foot you get a max beam of about 8 3/4 inches and an overall length of approx 88 inches. Given her length to beam ratio I can't see how you could build her much smaller for a PRACTICAL working model.

After a long chat with my beautiful assistant - a space in the house has been allocated!

This will probably be my last major build but she really is too beautiful to resist (the Connaught that is!)

So tomorrow I start enlarging the plans to 1/48th scale and dusting off the drawing board to fill in the missing details.

Stuart

[waldenmodels]

I've never built a working model, so this may be a naive question - but why couldn't one build this at a small scale, say 1/96 or so? They certainly make motors and servos small enough, don't they?

[mjt60a]

I suppose you could, the PBM 'edwardian' paddlesteamer is only about 4 inches wide (and almost 3 feet long) but is not very stable - or mine isn't anyway. you might need to increase the hull depth or add a weighted keel, like I've seen done on model thames barges...
At 1/48th it should be the same size as the museums model and would (should) allow for enough lead in the bottom... 

[Stuart Badger]

Hi Oliver

For various reasons model paddle steamers are inherently unstable. These stability issues are briefly;

Fluid effects on the paddle wheels and paddle boxes. (cavitation, unequal drag, paddle box innundation).

Dynamic effects (Tourqe effects of a spinning shaft transverse to the hull, gyroscopic pressession of the paddle shaft).

Low righting forces (as most of the weight on a paddler is outboard of the hull, roll recovery is minimal).

Most of these stability issues are made worse the higher the length to beam ratio of the model is. ie. a tug is much more stable than a pleasure steamer.

Many of these effects can be minimised (but never completely solved) by making the model of a size big enough to allow a low hull centre of gravity and more volume.

It's one of the fun challanges of building model paddle steamer - stopping them falling over!

Stuart

[waldenmodels]

Ah - thank you, Stuart! What I took away from reading up on paddle tugs was that they were very stable, and I assumed the same was true for these packets. In my mind the paddle boxes added to the beam, kind of like outriggers. Your explanation makes it clear that the opposite is true - I can see how a narrow hull become unstable, especially in a heavy sea, when one wheel may be digging deep into the water while the other almost spins freely. I also just realized that my 1/250 model will be about 42cm long with only 4.1cm beam    I have to think up something special for the formers so the hull won't warp.


Cheers,


Oliver

[Stuart Badger]

When I have built long thin display models in the past I often used a full depth, full length centre former - 'cross halved' onto the bulkheads to give ridgidity. It also had the advantage of supporting the centre of the deck.

For the model of Connaught I shall probably use two nearly full length deck beams about 1.5 inches in from each side slotted to the bulkheads to prevent twisting.

Stuart

[waldenmodels]

That sounds good. I'll probably do something similar. In the meantime, we have sprouted masts and proper funnels and steam pipes...

[greateastern]

I had occasion to go to UCLA the other day and looked again at the Connaught. I failed to give you guys the first time the page numbers with the data and I can supply that if you didn't get it. I took my camera along. pp638-641. ALso, plate 124 is the plate with the decks. I hope you got that plate as well.
 THe figures are 328 BP, 327 lwl, 66'6" over the paddles, 35 breath, 21 depth, 13  draft, place scale 1:96.