RE: ANYBODY FLYING A DYNAFLITE BUTTERFLY ANYMORE?
Heres my old Butterfly (1982or83), its not a Dynaflyte but a Craftair kit which was around before Dynaflytes time. Its powered by a OS 15LA now. First powered by a Enya 19 and had a Kraft radio. Then powered by a OS15FP which lasted many years and now the "New 15LA which is about 3 years old.
The CraftAir kit was really a terrible kit. The ribs and some of the wood was as hard as a rock and some of it soft as mush!!! The notches for the Turbulator spars were not even cut into the ribs and they were very soft balsa. I replaced them with spruce I remember. But the build has been worth it, the plane has hundreds of flights and many people have had there thumbs and fingers on the sticks.
People remark about how ugly the plane is on the ground but how beautiful it is as it soars in the sky, kind of like a Vulture!!!! Nothing like getting it up 3-400 feet and cut the engine back to idle, sit in a lawn chair and just work the thermals for as long as you can stand to look up before your neck gets sore.
One of these days I should convert it to electric, but the OS15 is so docile and easy to start and tune, that Im not sure it would be worth it.
Have seen many converted with cheap 550 size RC truck motors geared 3 or 4 to 1 that fly great. This plane would also lend itself to the A123 DeWalt power tool Li-Ion batteries also. and should fit in the nose OK. Saw one in Kansas with twin GWS 400 geared motors, 1 on each wing panel and it also flew great but the climb rate was not real good. He just screwed a nose cone on the motor area.
Anyway in my opinion one of the great kits to come along, others must feel the same way as it has had such a long production run.
Also I have a seperate fuse and use the wing as super floater sailplane as that is what the wing was originally designed as. Called the "Drifter" if my memory is correct.
Happy Flying
Bob