Rubbish RR-07

We are back to indoor regatta models. Having built the seventh gutter class sailboat in "In the Workshop", this time we will take a virtual trip to the Celestial Empire to learn about the fascinating achievements of His Majesty's old technicians!

1. Zheng He (read: Cheng He), or Admiral of the Western Seas (1377-1433) - commander of the seven great expeditions of the largest Chinese fleet.

Today, many compatriots, wanting to show contempt for some mediocre instrument or device, say “Chinese” ...

First: it is not worth judging in chambula.

Second: Western buyers usually force extreme savings.

Thirdly: Today, China produces a huge amount of branded products for the world's largest companies (including those famous for the latest technologies).

Fourthly: Similarly, Americans talked decades ago about Japanese goods, but that has long since changed. And China is also changing.

Fifth: former Chinese inventors more often than we usually think were ahead of our ancestors in technology by centuries, and even much more!

Prachin's inventions

The fact that the creations of the imperial creators are ashes, silk, porcelain or, probably, most of us have already touched our ears somewhere, but this is only the tip of the iceberg of discoveries and inventions that we owe to the ancient inventors of the Middle Kingdom. Let's take a few from the shore:

3000 BC - umbrella,

2737 – tea

2500 - sundial,

2200 – turnstile,

2200 - parachute prototype,

2000 - fork,

2000 - ice cream,

2000 – macaroni,

1600 - fan,

1000 - crude oil, light source in lamps,

200 - wheelbarrow (here seven hundred years later),

XNUMXth century BC – multi-row seeder,

300 AD - business cards

600 - paper money,

724 - mechanical watch,

868 - printed books (woodcut),

940 - lenses,

1041 - movable fonts,

1240 - points,

XNUMXth century - toilet paper,

XV century - toothbrush.

2. The baochuan (large naval treasury) model gives an idea of ​​their size as such (note the deck gardens).

Imperial Navy of Admiral Zheng He

Also in the field of shipbuilding and travel, the Chinese are far ahead of the Old Continent. Already in 486 BC. they used shipping channels. In the 100st century AD, they mastered the ability to swim against the wind. In 750 they used the first compass. In 984, stern rudders were used on ships. In XNUMX, they overcame the elevation changes thanks to canals-chamber locks.

3. If the Columbus were placed in the foreground instead of the Chinese boat, the proportions would be the same - it would be about five times shorter than Admiral Zheng's flagship.

However, this is nothing compared to the expeditions of the great Chinese fleet, which began in 1405, consisting of more than 250 ships and almost 28 thousand vessels. people (of which 1 thousand on the largest treasury ship).

4. In this part of the world, seven expeditions of the great Chinese fleet are documented, although the possibilities and unconfirmed conjectures even speak of its journey to America - before Columbus ...

The emperor sent her to the waters of the Indian Ocean, to the Arabian Strait and to East Africa. Yunle (the third ruler of the Ming Dynasty) - to show the power and splendor of the Celestial Empire (4).

5. Six hundred years after the first great expedition, the Chinese honored their (albeit Mongol by origin) admiral with a container ship named after him - maybe he just delivers Christmas cargo ordered on the other side of the world ...?

The largest of the emperor's ships (2) - nine masts baochuan (treasury ships) - were twenty times larger than the first ocean caravels built at that time in Europe, with a displacement of 100 tons and five times longer than the flagship of Christopher Columbus "Santa Maria" (3). The largest of them numbered more than 3 thousand people. tons of displacement (which corresponds to a modern combat frigate) and watertight bulkheads / compartments that appeared in Europe only in the XNUMXth century.

6. Despite the fact that a large fleet was buried, the original design solutions have survived to this day. In this photo, the segmentation of the sails is clearly visible - they were once made of woven bamboo mats!

The emperor entrusted the command of the great fleet to his devoted servant (1) - smart, great (over two meters) and charismatic Zhengovi He (read: Cheng He). The main task of this armada, however, was not a battle (although it was well prepared for it), but rather a clear conviction of the rulers of other lands that it makes no sense to enter into conflict with China and should obey them - for example, to develop trade.

7. Ease of use and special properties make 2 thousand. years after the invention of Chinese sails, they are used on quite modern yachts.

Unfortunately, the Admiral's seven great expeditions did not establish China's power in the eastern seas. Conflicts with the Mongols on the northern frontier and the redirection of all funds for the construction of the Great Wall led to the fact that after the death of Zheng He in 1433, the great fleet fell into disrepair. In fact, successive rulers even banned the construction of ships with more than one mast, and China isolated itself from the rest of the world for many centuries.

8. Chinese shipbuilding solutions also inspire designers of state-of-the-art ships (Malta Falcon pictured).

Junks - winged ships

Fortunately, the vast maritime knowledge, unfortunately abandoned on the banks of the Yellow River, was not completely lost. This happened thanks to Chinese shipbuilders, who, after the closure of their native shipyards, emigrated to neighboring countries to continue their profession there. To this day, ships with characteristic sails sail throughout the Far East (6, 7). Classic junks - because we are talking about them now - have unique features that clearly distinguish them from other sailboats in the world:

• blunt-beaked, usually curved hulls without a keel (keel), but with a perforated hingeless rudder (10) and "eyes" at the forward end of the sides;
• swivel matt bamboo sails (purple in a large fleet), stretched between bamboo ribs (ribs), raised from below (from special “pi”-shaped frames on the deck) for convenient change in their surface (grooving).

9. For those who want to equip the RR-07 model with mock-up accessories, we recommend this illustration - it clearly shows the winches pulling the sails and the frames on which the folded sails were placed.

10. Chinese designers applied

perforated feed rudders. You can

I think because the axis

the turn was at the forefront,

holes reduced the required force

keep the steering wheel turning

they can also break the flow

laminar, efficiency-enhancing

fins with smaller

speed (similar

turbulators on model wings

gliders).

These types of solutions are still used not only in the Far East (although they prevail there). They are also a source of inspiration for innovative designs such as the Maltese Falkon (8). 

Model RR-07: Jonka

As you can see from the issue itself, the structure we are about to create is the seventh in this glorious class for sea guys. At the moment, the following models of this class are published in our department:

• classic sailboat ("MT" 5/2011);
• galleon (MT 6/2012);
• (MT 5/2013);
• treatment (Kon-Tiki- «MT» 8/2008);
• (MT 5/2014);
• Polynesian proa (“MT” 4/2019).

Schematics of these models can be found in the archived issues of our monthly magazine (part of it is on the website of young technicians) and on MODELmaniak. PL and Facebook profile "Regaty Rynnowe".

The PP-07 is for its intended purpose a very simplified version of the original - it also has an additional ballast stabilizer, which you will not find in real junk.

The main materials for building a mini-yacht will be (12):

• XPS foam or similar (this model can also be made from bark or balsa);
• bamboo rods with a diameter of 3 mm;
• plastic film for sails (for example, from folder covers);
• steel sheet 1,5-2 mm for the ballast keel;
• 0,3mm plate (like from a soda can) or 0,5mm plastic (like from an old credit card) for the steering wheel. We also need:
• polymer glue (for foam);
• waterproof acrylic paint;
• optionally other accessories for layouts (for example, a stand);
• wallpaper knife, sandpaper block, pencil, ruler, etc.

11. An interesting fact is also often non-parallelism, divergent axes of masts on junks.

Also worth reading:

http://bit.ly/34BTvcJ — wynalazki z Chin

http://bit.ly/2OZ1om0 — statki chińskie (4 strony)

http://bit.ly/2sAMZoH — Zheng He

Phased construction

The most convenient way to print (copy) drawings of model elements at a target scale - given here will be useful рисунок or print a PDF file. On its basis, the main part of the hull (2) is cut out of a styrodur plate 13 cm thick, and then the bow and stern locks are cut out of a 1 cm plate.

12. Basic materials and tools for the manufacture of our model.

13. All you need to cut out the body parts is a wallpaper knife and some medium grit abrasive. Attention! Foam is very susceptible to dents - even with your finger!

Some elements will have to be sanded - an abrasive bar (or sponge) with a gradation of about 200 is best suited for this. With more models, you can try cutting with resistive wire - for one model, however, this is rather unprofitable. After gluing the foam elements (14), cut out the rudder and ballast plumage from the sheet. In order to place them in the fuselage, cut the corresponding grooves in its bottom (along the longitudinal axis) with a knife.

14. The glued and sanded body is almost ready for painting - in fact, now it would be more convenient to glue the fins.

15. For painting, it is good to use a piece of sponge (brush only in the corners) and waterproof (albeit water-based) acrylic paint.

After these parts are glued together, the body can be painted (15). A 1:1 scale drawing will also help cut out the sails. You can cut them out with a knife or scissors - it is important not to move the template (16). After cutting on the foil, you should bend the lines symbolizing the bamboo rake (17). Thanks to them, the sails also stick out - you need to make sure that they stick out in the right direction.

16. Cut sails easily with templates.

17. Wrinkling the foil (where the original bamboo rods were) will bring the sails closer to the layout.

The holes for the masts can be cut with a 3 mm hole punch or with a knife “x” stamps (this was recently done in similar boats in America).

Bamboo skewers need to be cut to the desired length, glued on with sails (they cannot rotate - they would interfere with the races) and glued in appropriate places on the decks (18).

18. Chinese bamboo masts should be well cut around the perimeter and broken. After polishing, they are glued to the deck along with the sails glued to them.

19. Finished model. The sails are set in the so-called butterfly - this configuration is often used (including in junks) on a full course (storm wind).

At the moment, the model is almost ready (19). So you can think of useful accessories (9): a stand, a pennant on the mainmast (which is additionally a protective element between the eye and the top of the mast), and decorations (for example, "eyes" on the front of the mast). hull, “pi” frames, capstans, anchors, etc.).

20. The upcoming GOCC final was probably inspired by the theme of our little sailboats - maybe we should use it for the benefit of everyone ...?

Two inches of water (about 5 cm) in two parallel chute strips (described in "MT" 6/2011) is sufficient for racing, although this type of model is more for recreational swimming and falls into the semi-jacket category.