Moon Dancer 2

[Peter Miller]

For a few months I have lacked any inspiration.I have built one of my old designs, The Waco PG2, and an old kit picked up on Ebay plus fiddled with another kit given to me that left me cold.

At last I have found the inspiration to do a bit of designing. The model is based on one of my older designs from 1993 called Moon Dancer.

This was a 36" span aerobatic model for the PAW 1.5cc diesel and came out in Radio Modeller June 1993.

I have now drawn up plans for for Moon Dancer 2. This is a 48" span model closely styled on the orginal but for electric power.

I have copied a picture of the orginal from the magazine to give you all some idea of what it will look like.

The power train is the one used in my Miss Deeds.

I hope it will flay as well as the orginal

[Paul C.]

Hi Peter, good to see you are 'back in the saddle' I set a bookmark and look forward following the build .

Paul.

[kc]

I think that is exactly the size and type of model many would like to build. Electric power is so popular now in my club that hardly anyone uses glow, so a model built for electric will be popular when published.

I cannot find any details of Miss Deeds ( Renamed from Miss Demeanor I think ) being published - have I missed something?

 

 

Edited By kc on 14/08/2019 18:34:13

[Peter Miller]

Miss Deeds is in the next issue of RCM&E

Moon Dancer is basically the same size as The Ohmen an Miss Deeds.

[McG 6969]

Bookmarked as well, Peter.

Always eager to keep on learning.

Cheers

Chris

[Piers Bowlan]

Incidentally the similar Dragon Dancer 2 (RCM&E Dec 2012) appeared to be also a 45in span development from Moon Dancer and was on my (very long) build list. An enlargement to 48in span and an electric conversion will be very popular I am sure. Dragon Dancer 2 was for 25-32 IC (2ST) by the way.

Looking forward to some build pictures of Moon Dancer 2 Peter.

[Peter Miller]

Yes, I do like that styling. There was also an enlarged Moon Dancer built by another club member for .25s. Mind you, they were so long ago that they have been forgotten by most.

I am just waiting for my wood stocks to  arrive and will start building.

Edited By Peter Miller on 15/08/2019 14:08:37

[kc]

There is also a Dragon Dancer plan at 52 inch span for a .40 plan No RC 1868 in the Sarik catalogue. Dragon Dancer 2 the 45 inch span is also by Sarik and is No RC2111. So whatever size you need whether glow or electric it seems there is a plan already when Peter has the latest one finished.

The 48 inch for electric seems just right for me...... it will be interesting to see how Peter arranges a battery hatch with that long canopy style......

Edited By kc on 15/08/2019 16:53:16

[Paul C.]

Was the dragon dancer 52 inch for 40 a rcm&e plan ? Can't find anything in the search.

Paul.

[Peter Miller]

I just found that Dragon Dancer 2 was never included in my list of plans. THat brings me up to 190 plans with another plan next month.

I certainly like that series and several sizes and versions.

There was another one called Firedrake which was powered by an RCV 60 and fitted with retracts. It was a bit too heavy.

Edited By Peter Miller on 15/08/2019 18:19:27

[kc]

Dragon Dancer 2 was in RCME December 2012 but I don't know about Dragon Dancer 52

Edited By kc on 15/08/2019 18:42:04

[kc]

!90 published plans must be some sort of record! With next months plan plus the Moon Dancer 2 which we eagerly anticipate = 192.

[Peter Miller]

And only about 6 farmed out to other people to build.

[Levanter]

An astonishing feat all round Peter

Levanter

[Peter Miller]

Well my first published plan was 1974. That was 45 years ago.

I just noticed. three more posts and i have reached a magic number!!!

Edited By Peter Miller on 16/08/2019 09:00:31

[Nigel R]

4 plans a year, that is fine work Pete.

I struggle to build much more than one a year!

[Piers Bowlan]

Posted by Paul C. on 15/08/2019 18:07:39:

Was the dragon dancer 52 inch for 40 a rcm&e plan ? Can't find anything in the search.

Paul.

Dragon Dancer was a plan in the September 98 RCM&E (not June as posted on another thread).

Firedrake (RCM&E July 2003) did weigh six and a quarter pounds but the wing loading was 23oz/squ ft. which sounds OK, so maybe it's lacklustre performance was due to it's RCV 58 engine? On this forum I have read that the RCV58 was pretty tight when new, needing a good deal of running before it began to free up, so maybe it was a lack of power that was the problem? The model featured quite a thick, fully symmetrical aerofoil, incidentally. (a Laser 80 might have transformed it )

I am wondering if Moon Dancer 2 will feature a fuselage mounted u/c to keep it simple or have the wing mounted gear, like the Dragon Dancer 2?

Peter must be very focused and organised to knock out new designs so quickly. Also, whilst models like the 'Dancer' series are logical developments of each other there are dozens of unusual and sometimes quirky designs too that he has had published. (and they all fly well!)

[Paul C.]

Thanks Piers , me and Google were having a bad day 😂 . Just been looking at the firedrake , I have a 61 four stroke that is looking for a home. Every time I start looking at the list of Peter's designes I get tempted to send for the plan, winter is coming think I know what the next build will be. 😉

Paul.

[Peter Miller]

Yes, Moon Dancer 2 will have a fuselage mounted U/C to keep it simple and save a bit of weight.

I do like variety but sometimes I am lazy and do a developement of an existing idea.

[Piers Bowlan]

Posted by Paul C. on 16/08/2019 20:02:32:

Thanks Piers , me and Google were having a bad day 😂 . Just been looking at the firedrake , I have a 61 four stroke that is looking for a home. Every time I start looking at the list of Peter's designes I get tempted to send for the plan, winter is coming think I know what the next build will be. 😉

Paul.

PM sent.

Peter, That is what Boeing have been doing with the B737 for the last 60 years! (different engines, glass cockpit, fuselage stretch)

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 16/08/2019 22:01:21

[i12fly]

Ah Piers, but Peter has been much more successful with his designs, not nose heavy and not requiring downthrust

[kc]

I see that the RCME with original Dragon Dancer is available from Magazine Exchange but although it's a free plan issue it was not the Dragon Dancer but a different plan.

Paul C - there is a copy of the Firedrake issue of RCME with plan for sale if that is the plan you intend to build.

meanwhile we await Peter's 10,000th posting.......

Peter must also be one of the longest serving columnists in model mags - Millers Tales, Safety etc etc for decades.

[Paul C.]

Thanks kc I am on the case 👍, I wonder what subject will be Peters 10,000 post will be ?

Paul.

[Peter Miller]

I should be able to provide copies of all the plans published as full size plans. I can get them scanned ad PDF files.

The others I do not have copies of before I started getting them scanned. One of our club members does have all my old tracings going back a long way.He has more storage space than I do.

 

JUst for the record I looked at my lists an as far as I can say the score is:

Columns various 462

Articles 139

Product Reviews 63

Plans and drawings total 190 16 of these in the USA includes rehashed vintage models 3 views

178 original designs including published in two magazines

Grand Total of items not counting 5 books 854

Since 1974

10,000 up!!!!!"

Maybe I shopuld order a larger size in hats!!!!

Edited By Peter Miller on 17/08/2019 09:06:39

[kc]

That's a most remarkable record Peter and unlikely to be equalled. I hope that writing and drawing all those articles and plans has given you as much satisfaction as it has given your readers and builders of your designs.