Full size printed plans Peanut Scale "Mordecai Murphy's DART" Why not try a model of Mordecai 'Murphy's Dart

Full size printed plans No material

Mordecai Murphy's

DART

Mordecai Murphy was a villainous cartoon strip character in Air Trails magazine back in the late '30s. His aircraft were always sleek and fast. The Dart, even though

Full size printed plan on a sheet 11” x 17”

Three page article with building notes and photos

Peanut Scale

Wingspan 13”

Power Rubber

By WALT MOONEY

In 1938 and 1939 almost every month in Air Trails magazine there would be a fictional story about one of the aviation heros of the younger set of the time. Waiting for the latest issue to appear at the local library was almost too much to bear, and once it arrived, the latest Bill Barnes story would be profusely illustrated with pictures of the air battles depicted in the story between Bill or one of his pilots, "Sandy," and Bill's mortal (well almost mortal) enemy MORDECAI MURPHY.

One continual puzzle was how Bill kept managing to come out best in the fights with aircraft that were obviously inferior aerodynamically (if the illustrations could be believed), while Modecai always limped away from the fight in his beautiful, sleek, black with gold lettering, "Dart". Somehow having the bad guy lose in better looking equipment always seemed a little far fetched. After all, in five or six years, Bill's engineers should have picked up a little stability and control know how and put a larger vertical tail on his airplanes.

Well, maybe good aeronautical engineering can't improve black- hearted piloting ability. The Dart always looked good, and inspired in me a desire to build a model of it someday, but where could a three- view be obtained? Thirty-three years of aeronautical engineering experience later, it became obvious that a good review of the available data would allow a comprehensive air force intelligence effort to be made, and a good, accurate three-view to be drawn Curtiss Mooney says that the Dart looks like the Grumman Bearcat which it predates by at least a decade. Besides the Dart is prettier. The model is a delightful flyer. It has flown 25 seconds indoors, and more than 48 seconds outdoors. Why not try a model of Mordecai 'Murphy's Dart and wear a "black flying helmet" for a while?

The model in the photos was built without landing gear and "looks right" in the air. It obviously will fly better without a landing gear but one has been indicated for those who prefer to have a bird with legs.

Construction of the Dart generally follows standard practices with the exception of the fuselage which will be taken up in detail.

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