kc Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Nice video Mike and a really good model. As several people want to build one I wonder whether it should be considered for publication in RCME as a mini electric version of Ms Jax with due acknowledgement to the original designer? Perhaps it should have a slightly diffferent name - maybe Miss Jax ( what does Ms Jax mean anyway? ) What do other forum members think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 Thanks kc, I'd be more than happy to submit my work to RCME for publication if there is enough interest. "Ms Jax" was simply the name given to the model by the original designer... I don't know what the origin of the name was and I can't see any clues in the original build article, but as fate would have it, I went on to meet and marry my very own Ms Jax (well Jacqui to be precise) ...yes maybe Miss Jax or Mini Jax would be a good name for it. I hadn't realised until recently that there was a smaller version of this model back in the 80's and it was called Little Special (same designer)... perhaps I should have based my model on that instead Edited By Mike Smith on 06/09/2014 18:51:13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Well that gives another possible name if it's published......Ms Jacqui. I guess it's a matter of interesting David or Graham Ashby to get something published. David seems to be on the forum on weekdays so all we have to do is extend this chatter until Monday..... Other forum members - do we want to see it published? Of course we do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 I didnt manage to find my copy of the Little Special plan until this afternoon. When I examined it I found Mike's model differs a fair bit as follows:- Wingspan is 41 inch not 39 fuselage sides are Liteply instead of balsa with ply doublers and rear cutout. Ailerons are solid instead of built up Fin and rudder shape is quite different Wingtips diffferent. U/c is alloy instead of piano wire And of course .25 glow instead of electric. So all in all Mike's version is a very worthwhile modernisation & nearer to Ms Jax than Little Special. As neither Little Special or Ms Jax appear in the Plan Service it seems appropriate to have a modern version to include. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Another outing for Ms Jax today... here are a few pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 ...and one close up from this morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Fentiman Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Looking very nice with that colour scheme, hope it flys the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Thanks Gary, yes it flies really nicely. A good turn of speed and very responsive to the controls. There's a little bit of video of it in flight on the previous page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darrell Woodward Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Posted by kc on 06/09/2014 17:54:25: ( what does Ms Jax mean anyway? ) Hello All, Dont Panic! My name is Darrell Woodward, son of Dereck (R.I.P.) , member 'kc' directed me here from another forum my father was a long term member of. Ms. Jax was mooted and initial design work started about 12 months after 'Holiday Special' was maidened - in response to 'Holli' kicking butt in almost every 'Club 40' aerobatic comp entered - dad would let me fly Holli in the comps just to 'iss' off the competition / baying crowds off even more. They didnt like the fact that a TINY model with a .25 up front could do Everything in any schedule....... and some stuff that was not! These one piece models were designed - Holli first - to go on the back seat of his 1967 Fiat 500 (which I learnt to drive in). Anyhoooo..... Whats in the names of my fathers Sport planes? Holliday Special was designed (in his head) while on holiday in Somerset. Lil Jo. (early 80's) was named after his god-daughter...... Ms. Jax - Ms. is the title of a married or divorced woman (Miss is un-married) and Jax is the 'Air Traffic' designation for Jacksonville air base, where he met Sue. I'm sure my father would be delighted that there is interest in this design, be it scaled up, down or nailed together as is AND that some one has 'electrified' it. I doubt my farther would protest at a scaled down version being named 'Miss Jax' Mr.Smith, really fine building there Sir, reminds me of days gone by....... After 17yrs flying kites (own design) I really should get my act together and build a sportplane, it would be good for the wind-less days, which so far count 4 in a row here in sunny Cornwall and there's no surf either (I make my own surfboards as well!!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Great to have you here on the forum Darrell, and thanks for the explanation - I knew there would be a good reason behind the model name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Readers of Derecks columns such as Weekend Pilot will remember that he often mentioned his wife Sue, so with Darrell's explanation we know the origin of the name. Dereck was, togther with Peter Miller, a founder non member of the Small Model Association! A spoof organisation without actual membership to promote small models rather than large. I think they succeeded. Holi at 40 inch span is a bit similar to the reduced size Ms Jax or Little Special but it has a 16 percent wing section compared to about 13 percent on Little Special. Holi has a more sloping canopy shape than MsJax. Sheet tailplane, rudder and ailerons too so quite a bit different in construction. Holi actually seems to have been published later - it's in RCModelWorld April 91 so it's Traplet plan MW2329. With the information that it flys so well it may be another model to consider building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Darrell, may I start by offering my rather belated condolences for your father. I was a novice flyer back in the late 80's when the Ms Jax free plan caught my eye and, even though I didn't possess the necessary skills to fly it then, I just had to build one. I never did get to fly it... I think I must have sold it on to a fellow club member before "parking" the hobby for over 20 years (still at the novice stage). Thank you for your background info on Ms Jax and your fathers other designs... I hope I have done justice to the original with my electric conversion of Ms Jax - she certainly flies nicely. It would be interesting to see some of the other designs if anyone has any photos of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Banner Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I haven't got any pictures of the ones specifically mentioned in this thread. But I did make an Amy recently. I also regularly fly a 'Bigger Bit' I am a big fan of Derrick's models and intend to build something along the lines of Ms Jax / Little Special as well as his Amelia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 That looks lovely Jack... pretty quirky design and very nicely finished too I'm still working on the Ms Jax drawing and will send you a copy in due course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Banner Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Thanks Mike, I love Derricks tail-less designs, although they can be a bit of a handful. Amy is currently awaiting repairs after I failed to recover from a spin! Shouldn't be too bad to repair though. I had a hunt about and I have a suitable power train for your electrified Ms Jax, so just need the drawings and the time to do it. If you are ever in need of a quick build, that would be easy to convert to electric, take a look at Derrick's Bigger Bit (!). Dead simple and an absolute riot to fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 Gary / Jack, if you'd like to PM me with your respective email addresses, I will email you the first draft of the Ms Jax plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darrell Woodward Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Hi Mike, Could I trouble you for a copy of the plan as well? After reading this thread (and a few others) I'm starting to think I dont need to make more surfboards / HiFi stuff (I diy that too, though not 'bright' enough to design my own). Call it 'The need to build the model that never was'....... there was a variation that got drawn but was put on the back burner - think Holli > Ms Jax > Evo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 Of course you can Darrell, drop me a PM with your email address and I send it to you. It's a PDF and can be printed on lots (about 18, I think) of A4 sheets or if you have a local copy shop they should be able to print it in all its glory on a single sheet of A0 for you. Mine charged be just over £3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darrell Woodward Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Hi, Thanks Mike, most kind of you. I'll print it tiled, last copy shop I went in (one I used to work for(apprenticed as a Printer of the fine arts / graphics artist)) looked at me like I'd landed from the moon when I enquired about large format. But thinking about it for 30secs, I can load the pdf into Coral Draw and go from the scales to paper PM fired in ones general direction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Some slightly better footage of Ms Jax. Best viewed full screen, high resolution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Banner Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Excellent, looks like a lot of fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Smith Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Thanks Jack... have you made a start on yours yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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