Campbell's Bluebird (and Fairey Barracuda, too!

[Jon H]

We assume that the original came from donor Gnat XM691, which I'm told would have varied somewhat internally from later standard Gnats due to it's prototype status. How much harder that makes finding the right kind, heaven knows! But if anyone can help, please drop me a PM. Donation would be lovely, but we're happy to pay too.

I shall now return you to your normal programming, cheers!

You still looking for this guage Lancman? If so then pretty sure I had one in my hand today - didnt have the picture to compare it with hence not being 100% confident. Can confirm and collect it for you next week if needed.

Jon

[Bluebird Mike]

Resurrecting this old thread again to ask for some help from anyone who is interested in Bluebird.

Obviously what we want to do is run the boat back on Coniston water again- not at record speeds, nothing silly, but enough to kick up some spray and give her a good 'wetting' back at her spiritual home. However, Coniston now has a 10mph speed limit!!!
The only way this can currently be exceeded is during the annual records week, and the craft has to be attempting a record in it's class- which we won't be doing!

So, we're applying via the Lake District National Council for an amendment to that by-law, just for Bluebird. We easily got it through to public consultation, which is where we're at now.

Would it be possible for everyone to please fill in this (very quick) online form for us? You don't have to give any personal details or register at all, it's just a very quick questionnaire. If you answer from a 'yes, as often as possible' point of view, that'll do the trick.

Thanks!

http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/inde...nsultation.htm

[*Zwitter*]

Done

Best of luck!

[Bluebird Mike]

Thank you, most kind!

[JetBlast]

Done, the best of British to you all.

[old shape]

Done, hope you win. If not, will you be forced over to Wast watter or is there a limit there too?

[Nashio966]

done and dusted, she should definitely be allowed to run. cultural home of her and as an everlasting tribute to one of the bravest men in the world

[Wyvernfan]

All done.. best of luck guys.

[Flygirl]

Done! Good luck.

[Bluebird Mike]

Official press release- also asking for aid for something many of us here also care about!

4th February 2009

As you know we’re asking the Lake District National Park for
permission to operate Bluebird K7 above the 10mph speed limit during
her proving trials. We’d like to see this event take place next year
and in a perfect world we’d prefer to do it on Coniston Water,
Bluebird’s spiritual home.

But to achieve this we need a modification to the local bylaw as the
current law precludes us doing what we need to do. There’s an
exception if you’re going for a record but we’re not. Running
during Record’s Week has been suggested too as this takes place
annually on Coniston and maybe the rules could be relaxed but it’s a
big risk. The chances of getting a good enough forecast in November
for us to even mobilise is slim indeed and it wouldn’t be fair on
the records people either to have us keep interrupting an event
they’d planned all year. We’d likely have to leave K7 in her
workshop until spring and have a go somewhere else.

We want to run this event sensitively and professionally with ever an
eye to the environment and amenity of the local folks but we’d like
to make it exciting and informative too so here’s what we need.
Follow the link below and complete the form. We’d like to run
sometime when the weather is likely to be kind and spend perhaps a
week gradually working K7 back to fighting trim before she goes on
display. And as she’s such a powerful inspirational and educational
tool we’d also like to keep open the option to run her again
sometime in the future. Thanks in advance.

http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/bluebirdconsultation

Now here’s the other thing you need to do. Go to the following
website - http://www.vulcantothesky.org/default.asp
- where you’ll find the team who worked so hard to return Avro
Vulcan XH558 to full flying condition. The aircraft is ready to go.
She’s fighting fit with a passionate crew just waiting to show her
off but she’s also an expensive beast and unless they have our
support – and let’s face it, the powers that be are too
short-sighted to nurture this national asset – she’ll end up
grounded once more.

What a tragedy that would be! I want to take my kids to see a flying
Vulcan rather then one of those sad and slowly corroding examples to
seen outside of aircraft museums. So go and pledge them a fiver or a
tenner and let’s keep this icon in the air for future generations…

Bill Smith.

(Bluebird Project Director)

[Bluebird Mike]

Just to let you all know, we've also got mention of the Vulcan's plight on The Bluebird Project diary page right now. Good luck!

[Bluebird Mike]

Bumping this old thread as I'd like to pick people's brains again please!

Can anyone give any help please with the type of switch in the top right of this photo? It would appear to be about an inch square in the panel, with a short black lever. The switch controlled the water brake on Bluebird, up for up, down for down, and a central resting position as seen here. It may not even be aeronautical- it could be from a car for all we know- but, anyone?

Also, generally, do individual gauges have their own manuals?

The rebuild of Bluebird is going very, very well indeed by the way!

[Nashio966]

i cant help with you're query mate but what you guys have achieved is astounding keep up the good work

[Bluebird Mike]

Thank you!

As I said, the switch may just as easily be automtovie, especially as it appears to have a shiny round bezel, but it doesn't hurt to ask the good folk here just in case!

Anyone?

[SadOleGit]

This looks like one of the bank of switches you see on the dash board of the older Jaguar and Daimler saloons, like this.

SoG

[dhfan]

It's a very long time since I had my Mk2 Jag so I can't remember now if there were any three position switches in the bank of six. I'm certain they were all down for OFF and up for ON, there wan't a centre OFF position.

[jeepman]

Bumping this old thread as I'd like to pick people's brains again please!

Can anyone give any help please with the type of switch in the top right of this photo? It would appear to be about an inch square in the panel, with a short black lever. The switch controlled the water brake on Bluebird, up for up, down for down, and a central resting position as seen here. It may not even be aeronautical- it could be from a car for all we know- but, anyone?

Also, generally, do individual gauges have their own manuals?

The rebuild of Bluebird is going very, very well indeed by the way!

Could it be a Lucas type 31788 automotive switch?

http://www.thexmod.com/item_detail.asp?id=1402

seems to have the same square front plate and black toggle. Not sure about the up - resting -down sequence but I suspect that the number of terminals means that this is a possibility.

The other possibility seems to be a (?) Lucas (?) type 39330

http://www.thexmod.com/item_detail.asp?id=2591

it looks as if stocks are limited though!

good luck!

[alanl]

If it is don't buy one,till I've spoken to my Dad!
He was an auto eletrician and still works for the firm as a driver now,he might have some in his old stock bin and we could get it for fr..!

Alan

[keithnewsome]

Lancman. Would love to be of help with this ! I think what you are looking for is called a toggle switch, to narrow down the actual one will take a little more research, they are available in various forms, SPDT, DPDT, with or without centre off, but thats for later ??? Below is a photo of two courtesy of RS Components !

Hope this helps ?

Keith.

[Bluebird Mike]

Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it. It's just occurred to me though, if that is an inch square front plate visible there, then how is the switch mounted?!

Hmm!

[dhfan]

Easy - an inch square nut.

[Bluebird Mike]

Ha!

Actually, studying it again, especially on a less distinct but colour shot of the cockpit, it's looking as if the inch square 'plate' might actually just be scribe marks or similar on the panel- you can just, possibly, make out that the shiny bit is hexagonal, so maybe this was just a simple hole mounted Lucas 3 way switch.

[Aerial]

Hmmm. I wonder why someone would go to the bother of drawing a square on an instrument panel with a scriber. Perhaps, maybe, it is a temporary bodge? Could it be that the switch was occupying a previously drilled hole and it's threaded portion is a smaller diameter such that the securing nut would pull itself back through the hole on tightening?

Any good bodger would drill the right sized hole in a bit of sheet metal and cut a square around it. Perhaps then what you see in the photo are the bright edges of what is effectively a square washer?

Regards, Aerial

[keithnewsome]

Gentlemen would you not think the square plate is in fact a legend plate, normal practise with the type of switch I show above would be to sandwich a legend plate petween the panel and the gnurled (or hex) locking nut.
These legend plates can be purchased with stock engraving or blank for self engraving ! As an example the legend plate for those switches above would measure 25mm x 33mm, panel cut out hole 12.7 mm.

Keith.

[Aerial]

Keith, there's a lot in what you say and they used to be very common. For me however, the photograph is not distinct enough to see if there is such a legend. I suspect that the plate is not big enough above and below the toggle, so I stick to my supposition for the time being!

Regards, Aerial

[Fouga23]

Looks like a safeguard to me. Don't know the name in English, but a metal plate with the sides folded to prevent the switch from being toggled on accident?

[jeepman]

Ha!

Actually, studying it again, especially on a less distinct but colour shot of the cockpit, it's looking as if the inch square 'plate' might actually just be scribe marks or similar on the panel- you can just, possibly, make out that the shiny bit is hexagonal, so maybe this was just a simple hole mounted Lucas 3 way switch.

both the switches that I showed and the LH one that keith showed appear to have a square fascia plate that sits to the front of the panel - held on by the knurled nut that screws around the toggle.

[Bluebird Mike]

Hmmm. I wonder why someone would go to the bother of drawing a square on an instrument panel with a scriber. Perhaps, maybe, it is a temporary bodge? Could it be that the switch was occupying a previously drilled hole and it's threaded portion is a smaller diameter such that the securing nut would pull itself back through the hole on tightening?

Any good bodger would drill the right sized hole in a bit of sheet metal and cut a square around it. Perhaps then what you see in the photo are the bright edges of what is effectively a square washer?

Regards, Aerial

Quite possible- there's a fair degree of 'bodge' to be found in Bluebird! Half the time in her rebuilding, we're having to build something 'wrong' for it to be 'right'!

[WV-903.]

Bumping this old thread as I'd like to pick people's brains again please!

Can anyone give any help please with the type of switch in the top right of this photo? It would appear to be about an inch square in the panel, with a short black lever. The switch controlled the water brake on Bluebird, up for up, down for down, and a central resting position as seen here. It may not even be aeronautical- it could be from a car for all we know- but, anyone?

Also, generally, do individual gauges have their own manuals?

The rebuild of Bluebird is going very, very well indeed by the way!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Lancman,
These what you are looking for ?

Yours for free ,if you want them.

Bill T.

[Bluebird Mike]

Huge, huge thanks for the offer, though if it is just a standard Lucas switch we want, we can at least, for once, buy any number we want brand new! What bliss that would be compared to sourcing some of the parts for the old girl!