Posted by John Nichols on January 29, 2003 at 22:55:20 from 165.91.199.202 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: leaving red lead, was: Rockhopping. posted by Jonathan Labaree on January 29, 2003 at 19:45:16:
This is my first post. I was sitting with my original copy of Pigeon Post the other night watching CNN. It is so tattered and loved, and has been around the world about 3 times.
I then went and looked at Swallows and Amazons, which I have in the new American Form (a friend bought it for me) rather than the old Australian (UK- light blue cover) form (late 60's) for PP. I have always dreamed of building a copy of the Swallow and I am finally at a place that has a wood shop where I can do it.
Has anyone ever seen plans for the Swallow. I have spent three days hunting the net, and finally found, and joined this site. I have seen a few pictures of the real Amazon, and in comparing them to the book she looks smaller than the drawn pictures in the book.
I reckon I have enough data in the books and can use 3D Autocad to draw the final plans and then use PHOTOSHOP to superimpose the images, but if someone had already done that it would save me several days work.
The only thing I am sure of is that the Swallow was 14 feet long as she has in my counting of the picture 15 equivalent ribs. I am assuming that the ribs are at a neat spacing like a foot. From some initial measurements it looks like AR drew to scale well, and also had a good set of dimensions in his mind that stay constant with time, or he did all the pictures together.
I can still remember the news the night he died. I only remember 3 deaths from the 60's JKF, AR, and then my grandfather.
So any help would be appreciated. I also found out about Coots in the North and ordered my copy from Amazon UK. I wonder why he never finished that story.
John Nichols