CMC Meeting, April 08

The next meeting of the Christchurch Meccano Club is the AGM on 2nd May.

The challenge

Last month's challenge was to plan and make a presentation of each members' plans for the upcoming Meccano Exhibition in April 2009.  So no pictures this month, sorry! And not much in the way of discussion – all covered by Official Secrets, you'll understand...

However, there were a few other bits and pieces on display. 

Nicole, our newest club member, showed us her first Meccano model. This is the first of the models in the Mechanical Workshop manual, which isn't the best of the designs by a long way.

A very tricky model to get working, particularly as a first one!  It looks good to me, though.

Brian brought us a concept he's working on for the Exhibition in 2009.  He's found a track and is working on the mechanics of getting it working.  What it's going to turn into is anyone's guess!

Neil showed us that he can collect with the rest of us dark-siders, and brought this New Zealand manufactured post-war box of the uninventively named "Model Engineering". 

This outfit is based on axles connected by couplings (rather than strips connected by nuts and bolts) in the same way as the ill-fated Structator from Germany.  Obviously it hardly set the world alight, as this is the first time any of us had heard of the system.

The CMC Challenge – "Speights powered"

The Challenge

Build a Meccano vehicle, powered only by a bottle of Speights beer, to travel across a fixed distance as quickly as possible.

The propulsion must come entirely from the potential energy stored by a single 330ml stubby of Speights (bottles will be supplied if required).  The vehicle must be self-contained, and the entire model must travel from the start line to the finish.  The vehicle must not be more than two feet long (in the direction of travel), to enable it to fit on the course.

The Competition

At the CMC meeting in May, all models will be timed to travel across the vinyl floor (about 15 feet) from stationary.  The overall winner will win the challenge.

Each model will be entitled to a single 'run' from a standstill at the start line, and will be timed until it reaches the end of the vinyl floor (where it changes to carpet).  The vehicles must be started by letting go of them (not pushing or some other forward motion).  Each entrant will be entitled to ask for an optional second run if they so desire, and in that case the calculated time will be the average of the two runs.

Once all competitors have made a timed run, the best two models will run off in a best-of-three final (not timed) to decide the winner.

Definition of 'Meccano model'

As usual, you can use any Meccano part ever made and sold as Meccano, or any reproduction part that is structurally identical to a Meccano part.  Parts may not be cut or deformed such that they cannot be used for their intended function again.  You can cut a 1 down into a 1a (it becomes a reproduction part), but not down to a 6'' long strip (which has no Meccano equivalent).  Note that these rules will be strictly enforced, particularly where they contribute to the performance of the model.

Cord, driving bands, and springs may be of any type.  Non-Meccano washers may be used in your model solely to protect the paintwork.  Motors may not be used, and driving bands or springs may not form part of the propulsion mechanism.

The May meeting

The next meeting is Friday 2nd May, 2008, at St Johns Church, Ferry Road, Woolston.  Bring a friend!