RCU Forums - Bugz"Wasp" Flight and Build Report

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. :):)