Beyond The Sprues

Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Sea => Topic started by: Artoor_K on January 25, 2021, 04:08:32 AM

Title: Flettner rotorship "Buckau" 1/? based on old SMER kit
Post by: Artoor_K on January 25, 2021, 04:08:32 AM

Rotorships are mostly forgotten part of sailing (in last few years rotors were brought back to be kind of additional , not main propulsion).
As it is said on "Scientific American" page - In 1926 a cargo ship called the Buckau crossed the Atlantic sporting what looked like two tall smokestacks. But these towering cylinders were actually drawing power from the wind. Called Flettner rotors, they were a surprising new invention by German engineer Anton Flettner. When the wind was perpendicular to the ship's course, a motor spun the cylinders so their forward-facing sides turned in the same direction as the wind; this movement made air move faster across the front surface and slower behind, creating a pressure difference and pulling the ship forward. The rotating sails provided a net energy gain—but before they could be widely adopted the Great Depression struck, followed by World War II. Like the electric car, the Flettner rotor would be abandoned for almost a century in favor of burning fossil fuel.

There was three rotorships then. Twin-rotor "Buckau" renamed later to "Baden-Baden", "Barbara" with three rotors and small yacht with one rotor owned by Flettner.

Because I simply love these strange ships then I just have to had one.
I bought old Cutty Sark from SMER/Mistercraft and I'll try to put "Buckau" soul in it :)

Here is photo of real "Buckau":
(https://i.imgur.com/SDH8pQ9.jpg)

And here is donor kit:
(https://i.imgur.com/rSPtGJ0.jpg)

I have to make some measurements , then I;ll be able to calculate scale.

Title: Re: Flettner rotorship "Buckau" 1/? based on old SMER kit
Post by: Jeffry Fontaine on January 25, 2021, 04:28:17 AM

I recall reading about that many years ago and often wondered why the technology was not pursued further.  Definitely looking forward to seeing your interpretation of this with the Cutty Sark.

Title: Re: Flettner rotorship "Buckau" 1/? based on old SMER kit
Post by: Buzzbomb on January 25, 2021, 07:32:59 AM

Very interested to see where this goes

Title: Re: Flettner rotorship "Buckau" 1/? based on old SMER kit
Post by: GTX_Admin on January 26, 2021, 02:00:09 AM

Watching intently.

Title: Re: Flettner rotorship "Buckau" 1/? based on old SMER kit
Post by: Frank3k on January 26, 2021, 05:43:15 AM

This will be interesting and good choice for the hull!

The Maersk Pelican uses two Fletner rotors:
(https://images.ctfassets.net/g2cz037yuzfg/dOJaIaW82iwOV7CKl7Gus/3d14c5b056bb6baa7a617766ba135455/Maerks_Pelican_Side_View_web.jpg)

Title: Re: Flettner rotorship "Buckau" 1/? based on old SMER kit
Post by: Story on January 26, 2021, 08:53:52 AM

This beats the living daylights out of the Lovecraftian nightmare that is called "ship's rigging".

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rotating-sails-help-to-revive-wind-powered-shipping/#:~:text=In%201926%20a%20cargo%20ship,the%20time%20in%20Scientific%20American (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rotating-sails-help-to-revive-wind-powered-shipping/#:~:text=In%201926%20a%20cargo%20ship,the%20time%20in%20Scientific%20American)).

See p.20-21
http://berlinnhhistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/The_Brown_Bulletin_V8_No8_Feb_1927.pdf (http://berlinnhhistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/The_Brown_Bulletin_V8_No8_Feb_1927.pdf)

http://www.homepages.ed.ac.uk/shs/Climatechange/Flettner%20ship/Popular%20Science%201st%20American.htm (http://www.homepages.ed.ac.uk/shs/Climatechange/Flettner%20ship/Popular%20Science%201st%20American.htm)