hobbyspec

I am writing this post to get some feedback on four new indoor electric airplanes we are launching into the market this month. I Rusty Uhland owner of Backyard Hobbies would like your feedback on our newly designed aircraft called BUGZ. Please feel free to email me directly at [email protected] or reply to this post. More specs will be on the website soon at www.backyardhobbies.com. We are getting 15 mins out of a 145mah 2 cell lithium Battery pack, and about one hour out of the 640mah 2 cell lithium pack. I have inclosed some images, and video will be on the site soon. All four planes can hover with ease, and are capable of very slow flight plus fast flight aswell. Let us know what you think!!!!!!!!

Thank you Rusty Uhland

old navy

They look interesting indeed! Of course, cost will be a big factor in just how interesting!! Don't forget to update your post with the details as they become available.

FREEBIRD

Indoor venues are approaching in a few weeks here in MI. I would be interested in a few of these planes. What price range? are they kits or arfs?

hobbyspec

Thanks for your interest. The planes will be shipping next week on friday the 14th. The prices on the kits with prop and motor set are 69.00. Without motor and prop we are looking at 55.00 at kit. We have new videos on the site at www.backyardhobbies.com if you are inteested in seeing them in action. All specs should be on the site by friday. Thanks Rusty @ Backyard Hobbies

FREEBIRD

Are they semi-assembled (CF bent) or do they require full assembly like the IFO?


Thanks.

kmurray

Rusty, Are they still avalable at $55 each ?
I'm not sure if I would want the GWS drive or not.

Your post says $69 for kit, motor and prop. So are these kits. If they are arf's (ierecovored I be ordering one soon).

Kevin

Sir Crash-A-lot

Bit too expensive for my liking, so I might just biuld my own.
Sorry for copying and all.....but hey, I'm not rich....and 50$ for a few CF rods and some covering (I would go with the heavy stuff-it lasts a LOONG time). Shaping them might be hard, though.
Of course, this is why we have thin meat trays and 2mm Depron...

kmurray

Shaping is supposed to be easy.
There is a building article on line, I'll ling to it later.
Going out in the yard to fly my Pizza now. Extra Pepperoni.

kmurray

Here it is.
From August 1998
The EZone.

http://rcgroups.com/links/index.php?...at=202&id=3505

kmurray

You won't even need plans. I'ts all there in the short article.
When you build it start a new thread either here or over on The EZone,
let us know how it's going.

kmurray

Apparently they are kits. A fey CF rods and a piece of covering film.
Rusty didn't answer to this when I emailed him but Todd at Todd's Models has adressed this.

I ordered one befire I knew it wasn't a covered CF frame. [X(]

Sheptack M

To anyone who had considered ordering a Bugz Plane from Backyardhobbies.com, all I can say is go for it! I just got the chance to try out my new “Wasp� and this little carbon fiber beauty flies like a dream. I fly indoors in Michigan in a Gymnasium and this little plane was one heck of a lot of fun. Very easy to control, and loops were a breeze as well. The 7x6 Prop was a bit faster, but if you use the 8x4.5 you can really fly low and slow just barely skimming the ground. Touch and goes are a breeze, and flight times were long. I was using the Kokam 2 cell 340 pack and it handled quite well. The beauty of this plane is that it takes very little throttle to fly slow, and a beginner could handle it, but if ya move that stick forward, it can be a Zippy little plane as well! It puts the Cob Web to shame. Other than that, all items were stock as listed with the plane. I believe the plane will hover on the 8x4.5 prop, but I am not quite there yet on skills. I even tried a 3 cell Kokam 340 pack and it was like a little rocket, and really did not effect the CG very much at all. I however think you might tear up the motor with extended throttle usage. If you want a “Great Indoor flying Plane� for the off season, I highly recommend this plane. I spent more time in the air last night than most, because it was just so stable, and fun! Now on to the Building tips! Note that if you are a carbon Fiber Rod and covering expert, and have worked with it before, this may not help, but for first timers like me, I think it will help.

1. Covering the wing calls for using an iron to heat the material to get it to stick to the carbon fiber rods. I am told it only takes like a second or two of heat to make it stick, but if you heat it just a second to long, you WILL break the carbon rod, as it will snap like a twig from the heat. (Trust me on this) It is worse on the real thin rods like rudder and elevator. Option: use a glue stick on the rods and just apply it by rubbing it onto the rod surface, then stretch the covering out on a table, and place the wing or whatever down on to it, and roll the covering around the rod. The glue stick method worked just fine, but allow ample time for it to dry.

2. The directions call for using the real small plastic tubing in 2� pieces to cover the Carbon Rods on the Rudder and Elevator. All I can say is do it. It is suppose to make the covering stick better, but what I found out as well is that it insulates the rod from the heat if using an iron to install the covering, and while shrinking the covering. It is simple, use the tubing as described, or have a high risk of snapping a carbon rod.

3. When heating the covering the directions call out using a hair dryer. I did not have much luck with that, but maybe it was just my patience so I went to the heat gun on a low setting. Here again you have to be REAL careful to not melt the covering, and or get the carbon rods to hot, or trust me they WILL snap in half. If I build another one I am thinking of splitting some Fuel Tubing and putting it around the carbon rod temporarily while shrinking the covering to use it as additional insulation over the rod, so you don’t snap them. Then take it off.

4. Rudder info: The directions for the rudder have you use a piece on carbon rod I think either 1-7/8� or 2� long at the bottom of the rudder. I found that if you do that you won’t get a lot of travel on the elevator before it hits the rudder. I am told that because the whole elevator moves as a complete assembly, that not much travel is needed and that may be true. I however choose to use a piece of carbon rod that was only like ¾� long at the bottom of the rudder frame, and got a ton of travel on the elevator before it hits the Rudder. I also went a little higher on the rudder mounting. It a personal choice, and mine flies great building it as I did. Dry fit these parts first before gluing, and hook up your control surfaces and check it out.

5. Motor to wing distance: Some of the early kits for the “Wasp� had in the directions to use a distance from the tip of the motor mount, back to the wing of 2� It appears that the directions in later kits show the actual dimension is 5-1/2� which is actually the correct dimension. If you already set wing and glued at 2� CA debonder does not work to well to loosen the joint, and twisting carbon fiber rod too much after glued can result in crumbling the rod. An easy fix for the main spar on the “Wasp� is to use a ¾� pieces of I think it was 7/32 copper tubing. The ID of the tubing is almost a perfect fit to the mains spar rod OD. Cut off the rod about a ½� back from the motor mount, and basically splice in extra rod length to get the 5-1/2�. Then go back and cut fuse in half behind the wing and remove the length you added to the nose and splice back together using the tubing to maintain the original 17� overall length. You could use .125 ID carbon tubing as well, but the copper OD is minimal and after painting the rod with a Black Magic Marker you can barely see the repair, and the weight was minimal. For me this really helped get the CG where I needed it with the battery under the wing, about flush with the front of the wing. I however know a guy flying his at the 2� mark with no problems he just adjusted his equipment a lot more to get proper CG so don’t panic if you used the 2� dimensions.

6. It appears that you can change the sizes of the wing, mounting dimensions, or whatever a bit and this Plane just still flies, so if ya don’t build exactly to the directions chances are it will still fly. Mine is pretty darn close to the directions and first flight took just a little trimming and no problems at all. I flew from 8:30 to 10:30 and only went through 3 batteries and still had juice left on the 3rd battery.

7. Go get ya a Bugz Plane at backyardhobbies.com and have a Blast!! If you are in Michigan or near by, Rider’s Hobby in Toledo Ohio, and Taylor Michigan carries the Bugz line of Planes as well. Happy Flying!!! and if ya got questions, post em, happy to help.

mvsopen

Re: Bugz planes

Can someone point to articles on assembly, pitfalls, shrinking the skin, etc? The Backyard Hobbies site only lists descriptions and the videos for these planes, not anything about assembly techiniques (hint, hint...)

Thanks!

Rich

rtn9105

My Feedback: (35)

Has anyone tried flying these planes outdoors? How do they handle a slight breeze?

Romeo-Alpha

So far the one I've seen is overweight for the wing area and doesn't fly well/at all. Part of the problem is the inability to keep the incidence of the wings consistent in relation to the body or to each other. Has anyone else noticed that "Sheptack M" posted the same "infomercial" several times in these forums? With only 7 posts and 6 of them glorious reviews of the Bugz...

snakeX2

has anyone got any plans for this indoor flyer? looks simple and strong..

Mhale71

ONE HOUR FLIGHT TIMES???

hobbyspec

Yes they will get a 1 hour plus flight times with the right battery. I use a 1200 2 cell lithium pack with the wasp,skimmer, and cicada and this gives us over 1 hour of flight. The beetle is more like 30 to 45 mins because it cant handle a very heavy pack.

Backyard Hobbies Tech

hobbyspec

The Bugz planes wing loading is way less then any GWS Planes or most of the planes out there you see on the market. If you follow our guidelines on what equipment to use on these planes you will see its well under almost every plane out there on the market. You also have to remember its a ultralight design and is geared for indoor flight, but can handle small breezes. The dihedral in the wing is controled by monofilament line. The angle of incidence is greated by the plastic fittings/monofilament. The only way you could change this would be in a crash or a stiff breeze. If you want to keep the incidence consistent dont fly in windy conditions. I think alot of people try to compare a carbon fiber plane with a balsa/foam plane they are just not designed that way. Carbon rod construction is great for building lightweight very durable planes. These planes are designed to flex instead of break. My personal wasp has wrecked at least 100 times or more and still flys. You would never get that out of a foam or balsa plane, because the materials break down too fast.

P.S. Every plane is designed differant for what is was intended to do.

Thank you,
Backyard Hobbies Tech Support