Starchaser Rover Moves to a New Workshop

A few weeks ago the machine was shifted to an exhaust shop, where the exhaust line and muffler have been put in. This company is now working on the brake and clutch plumbing, but it's not finished. They have been hit by - you guessed it - the skills shortage: the manager Lou told me that the employee he had scheduled to work on the brake plumbing has just resigned, and there will be a delay getting a new worker. In the meantime, Lou is doing the work himself, but it has delayed the finish date for a few weeks. I've asked him to try to get it complete before the end of October. Around that time, I expect to transport the rover to J. Lovick's factory at Maddington, where Stan will be ready to recommence work on the seats, airlock door, and side windows, which are the next priority for him. I also hope to try restarting the engine with help from engineer Tony de Groot soon.

In another development, we are ready to go ahead with manufacturing the forward control linkage, a complex mechanical contrivance needed to convert conventional engines like ours to a forward control configuration like the rover. Thanks to David Willson we now have detailed engineering plans for this, and thanks to Tony de Groot of Immersive Technologies, we have the manufacturing capability. But because of the delay in getting this to Immersive, staff turnover there means that I will have to go out and obtain permission to build it again from the new managers. Well, that's the price I'll have to pay for moving in slow motion on this.

The rover being prepared to leave Byfields.

The Marsupial is rolled onto the transport.