owner

Hello Dick, I'm a Roy Cough fan too. I have built the dragonflyer, roto thing and am now building the Martian Space ship. I got the plans from Bill Northrup a couple of years ago. I love his stuff and like you am in a continuous pursuit of plans of his. He was a prolific designer and published all kinds of places so it is a tough job finding plans. Any help in that regard I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm going to make a few changes and would like your input on it. As you can see, I got tired of sticks and went to Blue Foam; why not? I'm also going to blue foam for the outer strakes reinforced with either balsa or carbon tow.

I also put in elevons for control and made a foam cover. The entire tail section is held with two nylon machine screws.

I'm going to put in an LA 40 instead of 25. I don't think the weight will be much different, but I will have more power and as I under stand it, rocks and the Martian Spaceship have about the same glide.

Once I get this thing to fly, probably a couple of weeks, I think I will make another one, same size, but entirely blue foam and use and AXI 2814 for power.

Arthur

Stick40

OK, im am not able to find the videos on the site given!Help!

Stick 40

old git

I believe the Zeppelins and other "lighter than air" craft regularly flew with negative buoyancy.

Skyship 600? used vectored thrust to take off (with a run) and elevators controlling altitude.

It would be very limiting to use ballast or to vent gas to control altitude. They commonly used
and still use angle of attack to produce the required positive or negative lift.

Note, the do not have any lifting strakes along their length.



old git - - - - - aka John L.

50+AirYears

I belive even current Blimps actually maintain negative buoyancy. I had the chance to watch a couple lift off locally, and both times I remember people on the lines only holding the ships from being blown around on the ground, till other ground crew grabbed hold of the side rails on the cabin and "Bounced" the ship up and down several times against the LG strut. The airship obviously was eventually released on the rebound which got it off the ground, at which time the pilot kicked what looked like full UP elevator and gunned the engines for a high angle of attack climb-out.

First time I saw it was with a Navy blimp taking off from our former Naval Reserve facility in the early 50s, and the second time was a Goodyear blimp taking off from Cleveland's Aviation High School parking lot during a Cleveland Air Show sometime in the mid 80s.

I also read this was a normal procedure in an old Air Progress magazine.

bigbird3

Just ordered the plans. Bill Northrop unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago. I called his number and his lovely wife of 56 years told me of his passing. She also said that Bill had made arrangements to turn his plans over to AMA. His wife gets a percentage of each sale. As an AMA member you get a 10% discount, 22.00 +about 4.00 for shipping in a tube, right at 26 bux, not bad. It's my next project, can't wait to finish the present project and get started! Good luck guys, I think everyone aught to do at least one of these things. One thing for sure, no one will care what else is going on while you are flying a 'space ship'!!!!!!!! Just watch the video and listen to them rave.
bird.

foodstick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw068hNnsY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5zqt8KPVf4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWlEUv47_qc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMRFE36fMR4

RC_Fanatic

My Feedback: (1)

I have enough problems with orientation on a standard airplane. This would be hopeless! Should have a fast roll rate!
Cute plane, though!

50+AirYears

Kind of funny to consider that the original designer, Roy Clough, went through at least 7 iterations of this design before he published it...As a Free Flight model! In April, 1954. Wanted to build it when I bought the issued, never had the confidence in my building to try it.