Miss Martha

Miss Martha
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Miss Martha - 8/9/2006 4:05:40 AM

flyerdave

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From: MOUNT OLIVE, NC, USA
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Does anyone have a Miss Martha kit that they would sell. Have a new os 46 that needs a home. Loved the one that I had for about 3 years. May not be a 3-D like some of the new models, but that was one special plane. Thanks

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RE: Miss Martha - 8/9/2006 4:42:46 AM

rainedave

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From: Greensboro, NC, USA
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Dave I have the cad plans. I actually scaled them down and built an .049 version a few months back. I lengthened the nose for balance with a Cox, but the plans I have are for the original design. I can email them to you.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4198414/anchors_4198414/mpage_1/key_martha/anchor/tm.htm#4198414

(in reply to flyerdave)

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RE: Miss Martha - 8/9/2006 11:33:59 AM

Dr1Driver

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I also have original Martha plans in DWG format. Let me know if you want them and I'll e-Mail them to you.

Dr.1

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RE: Miss Martha - 8/11/2006 4:14:12 PM

Seatonflyer

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From: Whitby, ON, CANADA
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I am building a Miss Martha right now. I was looking for a stick type plane to fly. I didn't want an ARF and found it tough to find a kit. Had a Miss Martha laser cut out as a short kit and am now getting around to building. My fuse is built and the wing is on the jig. Hopefully she will be a "flier". I can also email the plans if anyone needs.

(in reply to Dr1Driver)

Post #: 4

RE: Miss Martha - 8/11/2006 9:22:46 PM

Deadstik

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For those that didn't know, Bob Richards, the original designer of the Miss Martha... still has plan available and is seen from time to time as TOPRUDDER here on RCU..... He may have to authorize a laser cut kit.... whatcha think Bob????

Dan

Carolina Custom Aircraft

(in reply to Seatonflyer)

Post #: 5

RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 2:40:09 PM

toprudder

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From: Raleigh, NC, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Deadstik
For those that didn't know, Bob Richards, the original designer of the Miss Martha... still has plan available and is seen from time to time as TOPRUDDER here on RCU..... He may have to authorize a laser cut kit.... whatcha think Bob????

Dan,

Good to see you at the BARKS swap meet.

There is a guy in Texas that cuts short kits, (ribs etc) for the Martha. I'm not sure if this is the original design with the balsa sides, or the Model Engineering design with the lite ply sides. Anyway, you can contact him at actionhobbieswftx@yahoo.com. Lazer Works

Yes, I still have plans available.

Bob Richards.

(in reply to Deadstik)

Post #: 6

RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 2:57:53 PM

Dr1Driver

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Bob,

Personally, I believe the Miss Martha is arguably the best all around sport plane ever designed, possibly with the exception of the venerable original Sweet Stik.

I'm glad to hear plans are still available. Do you know of anyone planning to re-full kit this design? Most young fliers don't know about the Miss Martha, but should. As the designer, do you think a Miss Martha kit would sell in today's market?

Dr.1

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RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 4:35:49 PM

toprudder

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dr1Driver
I'm glad to hear plans are still available. Do you know of anyone planning to re-full kit this design? Most young fliers don't know about the Miss Martha, but should. As the designer, do you think a Miss Martha kit would sell in today's market?

Thanks for the kind words.

I've thought a lot about the Martha and if it would sell in today's market. It would almost certainly have to be an ARF to compete. There are a lot of Stick derivatives around that seem to be doing fairly well, so I think a Martha could still sell. I have also thought about what changes need to be made to make it more appealing, mainly larger control surfaces for 3D ability. But, that would probably mean it would not do as well at the high-speed stuff it is known for.

I've wanted to build an electric powered version, and I have always wanted a twin fuselage, twin engine version as well. Maybe someday....

Bob R.

(in reply to Dr1Driver)

Post #: 8

RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 5:43:30 PM

Dr1Driver

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That's a dilema, Bob. You increase the size of the control surfaces to give it 3D capability and you kill the high speed capability it was capable of and famous for. I remember the VERY wide speed envelope the Miss Martha had. You can add flaps like the new generation Sticks, but it doesn't really need them. The airfoil allows for landings-at-a-walk.

Maybe a ARC (almost ready to cover) version would work. Laser cut pieces would be almost mandatory as would be "all hardware included".

I remember flying the Miss Martha in fun flys. I also flew the Hots, and Piranha (a Dave Watson design). I also had a Little Stik I put a Como .51 on. <evil grin> My current sport plane is a "fat wing" Piranha with a Webra Speed .32 on it. Awesome!

Dr.1

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RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 7:41:14 PM

toprudder

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dr1Driver
That's a dilema, Bob. You increase the size of the control surfaces to give it 3D capability and you kill the high speed capability it was capable of and famous for. I remember the VERY wide speed envelope the Miss Martha had. You can add flaps like the new generation Sticks, but it doesn't really need them. The airfoil allows for landings-at-a-walk.

Maybe a ARC (almost ready to cover) version would work. Laser cut pieces would be almost mandatory as would be "all hardware included".

I remember flying the Miss Martha in fun flys. I also flew the Hots, and Piranha (a Dave Watson design). I also had a Little Stik I put a Como .51 on. <evil grin> My current sport plane is a "fat wing" Piranha with a Webra Speed .32 on it. Awesome!

David Watson! Haven't heard that name in a long time. He was getting big into fun-fly competition about the time I was getting out. He was a VERY good competitor, and super nice as well.

If I were to build a Martha now, I would lighten it up a little and use an OS .32. You can do so much with laser cutting now (lightening holes, truss structures) that were difficult or time consuming to do 30 years ago.

I suspect, without too many changes, you could get a Martha to do torque rolls. I was hovering them back in 1980. But for rolling harriers, you would need much bigger ailerons.

FWIW, Jerry Smith had an extension of his "Big Boy" design at the RDRC Fly-for-Tots, called "Spoiler". He had an OS 1.60 on it, with really large surfaces, and my son was doing awesome 3D stuff with it.

(in reply to Dr1Driver)

Post #: 10

RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 8:59:30 PM

Dr1Driver

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David Watson! Haven't heard that name in a long time.
Yea, Dave and I were in the same club back then. You're right, he's a super nice guy. I can give you a few other names. Mac Hodges, Harold Parker, Dan Stevens.

If I were to build a Martha now, I would lighten it up a little and use an OS .32.
Chris Plumbley and I did that. I built a Martha and got it down to 3.5 pounds with an OS .32. It was a good competitor. We were all flying full size Stiks, Marthas, Hots, etc. at 4-4.5 pounds with hot .40-.50 engines. Mac Hodges showed up one day at a local competition with a profile fuselage plane that weighed about 3.5 pounds and an OS. 32 on it. While we were doing full circle touch and gos at 10-15 seconds, he whupped our butts with figure 8 touch and goes at about 6 seconds. We learned about "light and tight-low and slow" that day.

I suspect, without too many changes, you could get a Martha to do torque rolls.
Dunno about that, but a MM will do a flat spin like nothing else!

FWIW, Jerry Smith had an extension of his "Big Boy" design at the RDRC Fly-for-Tots, called "Spoiler".
That's cool. I see Jerry and some of the old crowd occasionally. I have the plans for the Big Boy, but haven't had time to build it. Jerry designs some really good planes and I've seen a Big Boy fly. Too bad there never was giant scale fun fly.

Dr.1

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RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 9:57:17 PM

toprudder

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From: Raleigh, NC, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dr1Driver
Yea, Dave and I were in the same club back then. You're right, he's a super nice guy. I can give you a few other names. Mac Hodges, Harold Parker, Dan Stevens.
I know Mac Hodges, I've heard of the others. When I was cutting out Martha kits, Mac sold more than anyone else. I shipped 6 at a time to him, on more than one occasion. Someone that I flew against was James Barr. I have a nice story to tell about that.

Mac Hodges showed up one day at a local competition with a profile fuselage plane that weighed about 3.5 pounds and an OS. 32 on it. While we were doing full circle touch and gos at 10-15 seconds, he whupped our butts with figure 8 touch and goes at about 6 seconds. We learned about "light and tight-low and slow" that day.
Reminds me of when I flew against James Barr. He had a Sweet Stick with a piped Rossi 60. I had a Martha that was probably 3.75lbs with a Como .51, but I never got over about 1/3 throttle, while James was banging the throttle and everything else. I just kept it in a small figure 8, like you said, and averaged less than 6 seconds per.

Dunno about that, but a MM will do a flat spin like nothing else!
It would spin better than anything, period! I've done 96 spins in 1.5 minutes, counting time to install the plug, start, and takeoff. I also did over 190 turns in one drop (flat spin into a thermal!!).

That's cool. I see Jerry and some of the old crowd occasionally. I have the plans for the Big Boy, but haven't had time to build it. Jerry designs some really good planes and I've seen a Big Boy fly. Too bad there never was giant scale fun fly.
IIRC, Jerry designed the Big Boy just so he could do fun-fly type stuff at a giant scale fly-in. Kinda shook things up a bit, I imagine.

Bob R.

(in reply to Dr1Driver)

Post #: 12

RE: Miss Martha - 1/30/2007 10:35:43 PM

Dr1Driver

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Yea, I knew James well. Flew against David Grantham and Azaar, too. Ken Jackson flying barefoot so he could "get a good hold". Jerry coming to the flight line with a trash bag stuck in his belt. People removing the prop in teh pit so you couldn't know what they were running. Others covering the ends of the wings so the airfoil couldn't be seen. The rumor that Jerry Smith's airfoil was the planform of a SSBN fairwater plane. All posturing and psyching each other out. If there was a four event meet, some people brought 4 planes. If you practiced hard, you went through about a plane a week. A 2.5 pound plane!! If I remember, it didn't survive the first hard landing.

I also did over 190 turns in one drop (flat spin into a thermal!!).

That wasn't you at a fun fly in Bristol, Tennessee too many years ago, was it? I watched a MM do almost the same thing there. We were counting: one........ two........ three........ four. It was taking about two seconds per spin and not losing any altitude!

I can just see the faces of the giant scale crowd when Jerry pulled out that Big Boy!!

Dr.1

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RE: Miss Martha - 1/31/2007 2:10:49 AM

toprudder

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dr1Driver
That wasn't you at a fun fly in Bristol, Tennessee too many years ago, was it? I watched a MM do almost the same thing there. We were counting: one........ two........ three........ four. It was taking about two seconds per spin and not losing any altitude!

I can just see the faces of the giant scale crowd when Jerry pulled out that Big Boy!!

No, that was not me.

I wish I could have been there the first time Jerry flew his Big Boy at a giant scale meet.

(in reply to Dr1Driver)

Post #: 14