DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFO ON THIS PLANE? WHO SELLS THEM? WHAT DO THEY COST? DO THEY FLY WELL ETC.

Joe,

As I recall, the Maya was Dean Pappas's pattern design from the early/middle 80's. I don't ever recall seeing a kit or plans ( at least in the South). I suggest you look at Flying Model's (Carlston Publishing) web site and see if Dean actually did do the airplane in an article. Also, Dean is still a writer of the pattern column for Flying Models so I am certain you can get in touch with him. Dean also frequents this board... so. good luck with your project.

Dan

Carolina Custom Aircraft

I think I recall Lee Davis flew one in the late 80's with a YS61. Nice looking model, typical of most of the
pattern models from the end of the 61 2 cycle era.

This is one of the many, many designs stuck in no mans land. Too "new" for SPA or VRCS events, but not really
competitive in AMA Pattern (other than Sportsman). Even there unless fitted with a .91 4 cycle the impression
of a fast model with a loud 2 stroke wont score as well as a more modern plane.

If you have one build it as it was intended & just enjoy it- all these planes are really fun and have no bad habits.


Scott~

I had one, too, built by Jim Fife. It was real nice flying plane with a quiet two stroke setup.

I sold it to a sportsman flier and he buried it a couple of weeks later when he got out of sync doing three rolls.

Sigh...

Did Larry Phillips of Phillips Aircraft ever kit the Maya? Dean's prototypes were all wood. Looked and flew great. I think the prototype crashed due to a failure of the plug-in wings, but I don't remember the specifics.
Yes, another design lost in no-man's land.

My kit came from Phillips.
I vaguely remember this wing failure thing. Didn't it have something to do with the screw in the spar starting a crack that eventually led to total failure?
Dean! Come forth and answer these questions!!

Hi Ron, and Hi Gang,
The Maya MK5 was kitted by Larry Phillips, back before we lost track of him. That would have been in '88, just in time to be obsoleted by the YS 120 FS.
If I tell you it was a good ship, well that would be because I am partial. The MK1 was a hastily built prtotype, and had extensive cuts made during its 6-week lifetime. I had a mid-air with Don Lowe while practicing the day before the '84 Tangerine. Oh well.
The MK2 used what was learned, and is probably still the most honest airframe I have ever had my hands on. It hangs in my workshop, complete with the stress cracks that testify to over 1800 flights.
The MK3 was the first plug-in ship I built in '86 and helped me to 6th in that Nats. It died in '87 when the wing tube failed from a crack that started at the set-screw and worked its way to the fuse/wing junction. It had trike gear (throwback) and had to be the prettiest thing I'd ever built.
The MK4 was essentially a clipped wing MK2. We were going faster, that year. It was shot down by a car guy with an aircraft radio frequency 3 days befor the '87 Team Trials. Out came the old MK2!
The wooden MK5 was flown for the '88 season. Then Larry Phillips approached me about the kit. I flew the kit version in the '90 season.

All the Maya had "quiet" setups, though the very slippery MK5 gave me more leeway on prop selection. The MK5s both weighed within an ounce or two of 7-1/2 lbs. Larry and I also experimented with a 3" wide strip of 1/16 balsa and a 3" wide strip of styrofoam between the fuse sides (no vacuum bags) and the ship I flew in 90 had a dead rigid and sound-dead 14-ounce fuselage. We were only a little bit ahead of the curve.

The plane would hardly be suitable for competition, today. If you build one, do post a picture. Are there any questions I did not answer?
Oh yeah, the wing was 15% at the root, 13% at the tip, the stab was 27% of the wing area, the stab airfoil was a "diamond"section and it was one of the few very early "long-trailed" airplanes. I remember Ron Van Putte's coverage of the '85 TT or NATs mentioning that the tail was looong!

Can you get us a picture of the Maya MK2 that is hanging in your workshop?

Sure! I'll have to clean the 1" of dust off it first!

Looking foward to seeing pictures. I kind of remember it.... but I only seen one of these before.

I remember seeing and reading about the Mayas in FM years ago, and also saw it at the Tangerine meet in Apopka one year (I think that was probably my second ever pattern contest).

I also remember thinking the Maya series were some of the prettiest pattern models I've ever seen. Would be good to see a pic of one again.

Rick

Thanks for the kind Comments, Rick.
I have just returned from the family vacation in Europe, and haven't had a chance to take a photo of the old MK 2. I will do so, soon.
I did get to see the tail end of the Pattern Worlds, though. Hmm, 50% electrics in the finals.
later,
Dean

Dean, so what did you think of the electrics?

I think I still have a set of your rolled up plans for the Maya, I think version 2.


Been a long time
Stuart C.

Stu!
Good to hear from you. I think it's the future. The performance is sorta there: the hacker setups are slower than glo, and probably suffered a tiny bit in the wind, despite excellent vertical authority. Bernd Bershorner's Plettenberg setup had the speed and performance, but at 10 lbs, not 11. (I think he's on to something!) I am experimenting now with an Axi 5330/18 in a Hangar 9 Funtanna 90 that weighs 11 lbs and has 100 squares. When I think that the performance is there, I'll probably switch. The new YS170s are well behaved animals, and flew best at 175 to 200m.
later,
Dean

Hey Dean, Stu, folks...

Hows everyone doing

Right before I moved down to Atlanta I bought one of the Maya kits from Larry. Built it while I was there, and flew it later in the 91 season and part of the 92 pattern season. Hanno 61 for power. REAL nice airplane. VERY smooth, and held energy in the tight corners nicely. And was always one of the quietest aircraft on the flight line.

I will have to dig up some photos.


Bob Brassell
------

Bob!
Long time no see. I still haven't dragged the dusty old ship down off the basement wall. I'll get to it.
The MK 5 (the kitted version) was intended to maximize what horsepower we had. We YS runners still had the short-stroke back in '88. When I put a 12-12 on the kit version in '90, with a YS LS, it went faster than any old-style pattern ship I ever had. Did your kit have the foam fuselage sandwich? Yup, Larry and I worked out a setup, where there was a 3" wide strip of 1/16" foam between the two layers of glass, running from firewall to tailpost. It did wonders for sound deadness and the tailcone twisties. First we tried it with 1/16" wood. We didn't know about vacuum bags yet, so there were little voids. It was still an improvement.
later,
Dean

Hey Dean

Yeah, it has been a long time. I live just outside of Cleveland OH these days. No competitive pattern flying these days, but I keep my fingers in tune.

I seem to recall my Maya had wood on the inside. I do not think it had foam. But then again, it was 15 years ago.

Yeah, it was a fast bird. Prop choice helped. With the hanno 61, I had a 13.5x9 up front. That helped keep a nice consistant speed. Flew like a big control line stunt ship.

I sold it to an 'admirer' around 1994. Couldnt turn down the offer.

I always liked your MK2 version. For some reason the lines were just 'right' in my eye.

I'm in the process of restoring my old Aurora. One of the 10+ planes. (remember when we thought those were expensive??) Won't be as pretty as when new, but im sure it will fly just as well. I have a 'fresh' YS60RE with a new liner and stuff in the box. I even ran across a brand new Hatori 650 at a swap meet last year. Plane will be just like it was in 1989.

Is that vintage enough for this forum ??

Bob

The Aurora is NOT welcome on this forum!!!! What you need to do is send it to me so I can certify it to be on this forum. Of course... that means once the plane is in "my hands" .... it will be more then welcome on here. The Aurora is a sweet/fast plane! Glad to hear you are going to re-do her.

Hey Bob, its been a long time
Guess that makes us some of the vintage pattern items on this forum

I am getting back into flying as my 12 year old wants to learn. Not much pattern activity on Long Island any more. A few flying IMAC but not pattern as far as I know. I flew Norm S's Omen a week and a holf ago. First time flying planes in about 10 years I guess.

Anyway as far as "older" planes my son really wants us to clean up my Atlanta. Except for a few marks and cracks in the paint around the fuel fill area it still looks pretty good. Covering doesn't even have a wrinkle. This was the one I flew in the 86 Nats Also won the WRAM show with it. Still have an original 60 powered scratch built Desire as well.

Stu

Good to hear you are back at the sticks Stu !

I recall that Atlanta - beautiful ship. As were your XLT's.

I got into pylon racing more than anything else for a while. Still race on and off. Got out of helicopters for the most part, and just had a few pattern birds for sport use.

Bob

I dug up some photos to post....

Two of my Maya. Im a bit gray-er and round-er these days.

Photo of my Escape from 87/88 vintage. Conquest 4 from 89/90/91 time frame.

And one classic image of two of the best pilots I had the good fortune to learn a bit of aerobatics from- Dean Pappas and Ivan Christianson at the Tidewater NATS in 1988.

Enjoy!

Bob

I'll have to dust off the atlanta and take a few pics.

Hello guys just thought you guys would like to see a good pic of the atlanta that i am still flying after 15 years of flying. Planning on anther 15 more. I also have a t-2-a mkII that i am repainting.

Hello guys just thought you guys would like to see a good pic of the atlanta that i am still flying after 15 years of flying. Planning on anther 15 more. I also have a t-2-a mkII that i am repainting.





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Very nice, I guess I will have to dust mine off