Anybody have one of these? How do they compare to the kit built? Heavier, junky, not recommended? I used to have a lazy bee and loved it. Was thinking of getting one of these for a park nearby.

Thanks,
BC
Tustin, CA

Does nobody have one of these? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I just received my Lazy Bee from Hobby People for $99. So far, I can make the following comments:

Timely delivery.

Excellent, secure packaging - it arrived with no damage.

After a brief inspection, the componants appear to be well put together, no warping, great looking covering. I would have preferred a more transparent covering though.

The only disappointment for me so far is that the wheels are foam ones that only look like Traxlers. I was expecting Traxler wheels. (when I priced Traxlers, I realized why they are not included!) You need to buy the gas tank if you choose the glow version.

I haven't started putting it together yet, so I can't comment on the quality or accuracy of the instructions.

I will supplement with photos later...

I've been flying mine sporadically for about 2 months now. Originally with Dubro skis on snow. I think it is a great ARF and was impressed with the build quality and ease of assembly. Some of the hardware is cheap though, notably the clevis, pushrods, and wheels. Also, the installed pushrod and servo locations only work if you use the specified servos. I ended up replacing all of the pushrods and 1 servo mount to accept std HS81's.

I powered mine with an OS .26 4 banger, and it's overpowered! I may change it out for a nice lightweight .15LA which will provide plenty of power at about 1/2 the weight. I'm not sure if the noise will be acceptable though.

I'm going to build another wing with ailerons as the stock wing is very sensitive to windy conditions and the plane is next to impossible to taxi if the wind direction is changing. Ground loops Galore! It will also drop or lift a wing when flying due to gusty cross winds. This is not a problem when it isn't windy, but if I waited for a day w/o wind on top of all of the other time issues, I wouldn't get to fly! Also, I was hoping to get better aerobatics and more control for flying in tight ballpark sized fields.

The only other thing I've modified is to use a 3" longer axle for the wheels. I spaced the collars out with a piece of CF arrow shaft to keep the wheels centered. This gave it a little more ground stability for taxiing, and some much needed shock absorption when landing.

Have fun, I think it's a great plane overall.