Papa

More progress. Much of the deck work finished. Aside from the hatch cross slats, the bell, the barrel, and a few parts of the pump are from kit supplied. Know I've said it before, but the wood in this kit, especially the laser pieces are, frankly, crap. Oh well, sometimes it's fun and accomplishing to make pieces yourself. 
 
I remade the rails for the belaying pins as the laser cut piece broke off on the first piece i was drilling an opening for the deadeyes in. I made new ones slightly thicker to add some strength. Great idea, and worked well, and then I dry fitted a kit supplied belaying pin and found it too short (8mm) . Ended up ordering some 12mm walnut pins from model expo (fast service I might add). 
 
The side rails for the chainplates and deadeyes were typical of the wood. It was quite thin, and after drilling the required openings I felt was got to be weak having much purchase on the planking with only glue. What was really needed was a few pins to go into the hull to add to the glue for purchase. However, the kit supplied laser parts were too thin. I made new ones, adding about 50% to the thickness out of cherry. This allowed me to drill holes and add some pins, which worked well. 
 
When I started on the chain plates and deadeyes, again, I found the kit material not to my liking.The wire to fasten around the deadeyes and attaching to the strops was pretty cheap, and the plates themselves I just didn't like (why am I so picky?). I went toYou Tube and found a vid of a guy using black 24 gauge annealed wired for enclosing the deadeyes, and chain used by jewelry makers. Looked interesting. A quick trip to Michaels Crafts and I had the wire and the chain. I had to make the rail opening a bit bigger, but I kinda like this approach. I've attached some pics and would appreciate any comments on them...good or bad.
 
Finally, after mounting deadeyes on my first rail, it dawned on me that they looked kinda small for this model. It likely doesn't matter much, but I do have larger deadeyes....I've attached a pic of three deadeyes....the smaller is the kit supplied that I mounted. Any thoughts on these?
 
While this build has been frustrating due to wood and parts quality, and mediocre instructions, it's been fun nonetheless. 

Truly amazing. This model is a masterpiece!

Here is a comparison of the Flying Cloud 90 day voyage in 1851 with the Andrew Jackson voyage of 89 days in 1859-1860.
Maximum distance in one day:
Flying Cloud  365 miles
Andrew Jackson  414 miles
Average Speed:
Flying Cloud 7.5 knots
Andrew Jackson  7.2 knots
Total Distance traveled:
Flying Cloud 16183 nm
Andrew Jackson 15399 nm
 
I think the key to Andrew Jackson's better time is that her course was nearly 800 nm shorter.
 
I am suspect of the funny jog down near Chile.  I think the log entry might be in error. I found one clear error near San Francisco (the position was way too far west relative to the previous longitude) that I corrected with interpolation. Also on Dec 26, 28 and 31 Mr Williams, master, did not log any longitude.  I estimated the longitudes by interpolating.
 

Here is a comparison of the Flying Cloud 90 day voyage in 1851 with the Andrew Jackson voyage of 89 days in 1859-1860.
Maximum distance in one day:
Flying Cloud  365 miles
Andrew Jackson  414 miles
Average Speed:
Flying Cloud 7.5 knots
Andrew Jackson  7.2 knots
Total Distance traveled:
Flying Cloud 16183 nm
Andrew Jackson 15399 nm
 
I think the key to Andrew Jackson's better time is that her course was nearly 800 nm shorter.
 
I am suspect of the funny jog down near Chile.  I think the log entry might be in error. I found one clear error near San Francisco (the position was way too far west relative to the previous longitude) that I corrected with interpolation. Also on Dec 26, 28 and 31 Mr Williams, master, did not log any longitude.  I estimated the longitudes by interpolating.
 

I will also do the Andrew Jackson Voyage of 1860, Appendix VI

Thanks for reminding me.  When I was reviewing the log, I thought I remembered that his wife captained the Cloud but I didn't follow up on that thought.
 
I am in the process of inputting all the data in Appendix IV "California Voyages" to do some statistical analysis of the voyages.  Watch this space.

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

Very slowly making progress in attaching all the little bits. Up to part 33 now.  Infinitely many left I think.
The little black squares have a separate round disk on top.

Very slowly making progress in attaching all the little bits. Up to part 33 now.  Infinitely many left I think.
The little black squares have a separate round disk on top.

Very slowly making progress in attaching all the little bits. Up to part 33 now.  Infinitely many left I think.
The little black squares have a separate round disk on top.

While assembling deck house-part 24 I seem to have come across a printing error. There are two different parts 24d, and no part 24c.  I believe that the longer part 24d is actually 24c and that is where I put it.  I also printed out a second copy of 24, cut off the railings and glued them on the inside edge. Thought it would look better than painting.  i think what I am talking about is clear from the pictures.

can't get it to work. This the better picture; I adjusted the lighting

The workers at he Danubius shipyard had a busy week tearing out the funnel braces and replacing then with sturdier material--styrene.  Hope it doesn't melt when they fire up the boilers.  They also completed the 3 ventilation houses between the funnels.

A better picture and have capped the tiny cylinders around the funnels.
 
 

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

Oh, and the total sailing distance was 16184.9 nautical miles

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

Oh, and the total sailing distance was 16184.9 nautical miles

The Ventusky site is fascinating!

Oh, and the total sailing distance was 16184.9 nautical miles

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

Cutler's "Greyhounds of the Sea", appendix V has the log of the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco under master Josiah P. Cressy in 1851.  I transcribed all of the lat/long data into Wolfram's Mathematica and plotted the position of the Flying Cloud for each day of its journey.  The route  is very interesting. For example, he heads eastward until he can go straight south to clear Brazil and then clings to the South American Coast. Rounding the Horn he heads roughly NNW until he is about 950 nautical miles west of San Francisco and the shoots eastward to port.  i am sure that the course is dictated by the prevailing winds.  Some additional trivia:
Maximum distance in a single day: 364.9 nautical miles (about 15.2 knots)
Minimum distance in a single day: 13.8 nautical miles (about 0.6 knots)
Average distance in a single day: 179.8 nautical miles (about 7.5knots)
 

I ordered my acrylic on-line for a reasonable price. There are a number of vendors who will cut and ship custom sizes.  I think i used 1/8th inch.
 
Ron