Hello Group,
Well you guys have been pretty patient. Only been a year hanging around here.It had a lot of dust from hanging all that time. Cleaned up well too. I am going to do a synopsis of the
Maiden flight here first. Kind of long winded here.
Sept. 7, 2013
I had to add a load of weight to the nose to get it safely nose heavy. (28 oz.) I think I can take some out as the plane is sitting down some on the nose. The wind was light through most the flight and picked up to 15mph in the last minute of the flight before landing. The plane tracks very good on the water if flat. When you see the video it will show it. got it up in the air and it was very smooth and handles like calm pussycat. She goes very straight with all that rudder area. I like it alot. I never even touched the trims the whole flight. Smooth and sweet flyer. I was very comfortable with her. She does not need a load of power to go and it flies very realistic at half throttle.
The maiden landing was also smooth. The first attempt was too fast. I slashed the power on the next round and glided and slow turned into the stiffer wind and let it land itself. This is not as cumbersome as many think. Do not let the size fool you. It is going to be a favorite flyer and pleaser. The only thing I found with the size is not to make to steep a bank if there is strong wind. I actually had the rudder used more than the ailerons in the turns. I use the ailerons in opposite position to help it make a flatter but larger turn in slight angles. The Emily is a handful to fly compared to this plane. That plane has higher wing loading. But it has big flaps to compensate. These big wings do not like high angle banking in the wind. The wind will flatten it and the plane will dive out of the sky. Do not ask how I found out.
Martin Mars XPB2M-1 Maiden flight.
I hope you do not mind the low resolution quality. But, it does shows how she flies.
Vimeo- A little better sharpness
https://vimeo.com/76437383
Good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzsvpnvnwNQ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sept.8, 2013
The Nicolaci Float Fly Event the next day.Flight #2
After assembly and checkout all the flights stopped to get me up in the air singley.
If I did not test fly the Mars the day before I think I would not have flown at all. The wind was 15mph and sometime more. I flew a flight before to feel the wind out with my Seamaster. I did roundups and landing approaches in the wind to get a correct lineup.
The plane was put in the choppy water and here it goes. I taxied out and started the run. The right float dug in the chop and she looped 360. I straightened it out and full throttle and she lifted off the the water with a graceful lift and banked left smoothly. The wind never made so much as a wing flutter or nudge the whole flight. She plowed right through the wind. Al I had to do is keep my turns with little banking. After a few crowd pleasing low pass flybys it was time to bring it in. I travelled out further and made my roundhouse turn I had to make a 270 degree turn as the wind shifted left slightly. As I made the approach I throttled back to 1/4 and let the weight and the head wind do the work of descending and slowing down the aircraft. She settled in with a small bounce and I throttled it in for pickup. What an applause I got and hoorays.
I had 3 motors only. I never knew it but a far spectator said I took off with 3 motors. I tried to turn the plane and it only went in a circle. I let the wind push it back to shore. Now If I had 3 motors in flight, I never noticed it. My flybys were slow for some reason but not to much slower. I have to run them on the bench and analyze them for any problems I can find.Now for the clincher. There was awards presented and picked up an award for 'Best of Scale" plane. I was ecstatic and received it and had a seat on the grass. Then there was a "Pilots Choice" award. I was called out again. Wow!! This was a mind blower. I never expected that. What a day. I flew a lot and had no crashes with all my flights. No repairs. Oh yes I flew the big Kawanishi "Emily" too. She did great also.
https://vimeo.com/74868568