Just flew my new LB today! What fun, Looks docile but it will do alot. Especially if you go more than the 3/8 throw [mfg sug] My question is I used a 8-4 wood prop for it, I think it was a bit much. I didnt want to use a 7-4 because it looked so small in comparison to the plane. Anyone have any experiance with this plane and a prop suggestion? The Fox15bb runs well [great old motor]
Thanks for your input
Keester

Yeah...I know what you mean about the prop looking small. I had built my Lazy Bee with a little Norvel 15 mounted until I discovered the Gyro Bee would have a tremendous amount of drag and the Norvel just did not have the power needed to fly the auto gyro attachment....those heli blades produce a lot of drag, so I dropped in a Saito Gold Knight .30!!!!!

Getting back to your prop situation....with a small .15 you are limited to what size to use. I usually trade one inch of diameter per digit of pitch. So....not sure if anyone makes a 9X3 prop. That may be solution if you can find it. I know they make a 10X 3 and may want to snip a half inch off each blade.

Attached is my newest Bee with the Gold Knight on her. Working on the Autogyro attachment now. Check out the photo of what it will look like when I finish it! Cant wait!

OK....getting excited about the new project.....

Dave

I built this one from scratch and from borrowed plans. It isnt the best built plane or the best looking but with a good ol' ebay magnum 15 this little fart flys good and slow. I have flown for 36 minutes with a few minutes of ground tuning. I am going to wait until it really gets broke in and time it again. It would be funny to fly it over 45 minutes.

Nice Bee!!!!! Is that the extented wing? Looks like you would get a lot of air time on one tank!!!! 15 engines have great fuel economy and are light....perfect for the Lazy Bees. Good luck with your Bee. Wish spring would get here soon!!!!!


Dave

Nice Project Dave, I have no knowlage of the Gyro system at all. I have my hands full flying planes with wings. Anyway my bee is flying well on the 8x4 wood prop. I did try the 7x4 but it didnt have enough thrust, especially in the wind. I'm going to try a Master Airscrew 8x4 it may spin faster than the wooden Zinger. My LHS said to try a 7x8 APC and gave me one free to try. I think they are nuts. I will try it, I have been in boats for more than 20 years and props always take a lot of trial and error even with identical boats. As for my Bee I am happy with it and the Fox 15, I'm just looking for the sweet spot. One bit of trouble I'm having is just below a 1/2 tank of fuel I will get bubbles in the fuel line and sparratic run out. When I built it I wraped the tank in foam to prevent this. I may have to live with it I dont know what to do just yet. It is difficult at best to get to the tank with my XL hands. also I mounted it up as far as I could to keep the fuel draw as easy as possible The top of the tank is against wood and the bottom and sides have the foam. Maybe thats what my problem is? Maybe someday I will take out the tank and get foam all the way around it, I only did that for the fuel delivery [keeping the tank elevated as much as poss.]
I'll stop rambling. Good luck with your project, show us a completed picture k
Keester

Hey Keester....what about dopping the motor mount with your engine down 1/2"....I had to do that with my Bee. Below the engine will have to cut away for the bottom of the motor mount, but it is worth it. The center line of the carb should be the center level of your tank when it is full. If it is too high....it pulls back out of the engine and creats air bubles in the lines. That has been my experience.

Glad that prop worked out for you.

Went home today...bad day at work! Taking Friday off too! Want to fly but it is gusty and I would rather build for now. I started sanding my Gyro Bee attachment. I will finish it soon I hope. Thanks for the compliments.

Hey....thought about trying a landing gear like mine? It gives the plane a more posative angle of attack on take off. Let me know if you are interested and I will post a drawing of it.


Dave

I would like to see it, It makes me laugh thinking of my landings. I did seperate my wheels to the ends of the shaft and used fuel line to space it, [and shock absorb]. It amazes me just how stable it is compared to how it looks. On my landings tho it looks straight out of the cartoons...Bounce bounce...................................bounce..B ouncebounce. No matter how good and level I come in all it takes is one little touch and off I go.....Bounce. Mostly pilot error but I have no damage, not even wing tip scuff. Another question for you tho [you seem to have conciderable Lazy Bee experiance] My Bee uses 2 nylon screws for the main wing at the rear top of it to hold it down. I have a hard time trusting them. [sometimes Im pulling a lot of Gs with this thing.] Any thoughts?
Thanks again
Keester

I agree with you...the threaded wood looks a little shaky with the ARF version. My suggestion is to use blind nuts on the bottom of the wing hold down plank. Hobby People are using M6X1.0 plastic hardware. Sugestons.....add some thin CA glue in the threaded wood holes, let it soak in, hit with acelerator and re-tap with a M6 tap....that is what I did for my ARF verson and I replaced my bolts with new M6 nylon screws. Or.........drill it out 1/4" dia. and use 1/4-20 blind nuts and nylon bolts. I did that on my newest one. But I made my own blind nuts out of aluminum hex stock. See the photos below. The steel ones at the hobby store work great....I am just a little too "creative"......Hahahaha! With the landing gear.....I use .093 music wire. This will not work on the ARF version unles you cut into the body and install an axle box. I may do that on my spare ARF Bee.



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