OK;
Let's go through the basics,
What does it weigh?
What power plant do you have?
What Prop are you using?
Did you build it or buy it? - is everything strait and true?

As much fun as these little guys are, they can be tempermental due to their size.

So as Andy Clancy once said; "The Devil is in the Details."

Hello; I had a Speedy Bee for 3 years too, I built it form the RCM plans while I was rehabilitating from shoulder sergery in a hospital. I used a Surp 26 in mine and developed quite an affection for it while I had it. I covered it with Tyvek (house wrap) and could do things with it that defy description. In the end, the antenna wire caught in my shoe while I was straddling it while running the engine up. When I lifted my foot, it off balanced me and rather then fall I stabbed my foot out and crushed it dead. I have built a new fuse for it a year ago, but have put it on the back burner for now. The Tyvek worked out really well, and gave the structure tremendous strength. I just watered down white glue to a milk consistency and painted it on the frame and wing, then put the Tyvek on just like any other covering.

First and foremost....unless it is a HOT .15 motor, I would say that I would want a little more "umh" for my motor. The Speedy Bee is heavier than the Lazy Bee and it is a very draggy plane to begin with. But, it should not want to dive like it is doing.

#1 So....If the CG is on the money, I would be looking at the trim of the elevator.

#2 I have a good 2 inches of travel each way on the elevator.....you need a lot of travel to compensate for the turbulence coming off the flat bottom wing and the elevator is VERY close to the trailing edge of the main wing. You may not have enough!

#3 ....I would check to see if the bottom of the ailerons ailerons are level to the bottom of the main wing. If they are hanging down below the wing bottom surface....they are in effect becoming flaperons and you will need much more elevator trim an input.

#4 I would check to see if there is excessive down thrust on your engine.

Hope this helps.....please let me know what you find!!!!

Dave

Thanks for all the help. I will get a few more details but here is some more for now... The plane weighs around 3 pounds (I would guess, my scales didn't go that low). I have an OS .15 on it but I need to check the prop pitch and size. Last night I took it out to fly it again (off a frozen lake here in Minnesota - we were technically ice-fishing but hey if the fish aint bitten then we fly) and one of my buddies accidently stepped on or kicked the rudder and broke it in half. Funny to me, very simple fix, but he felt aweful. I will get the rudder fixed and check some of the other suggestions you gave me. Would changing the CG effect it's nose dive problem? I've hesitated to do that as I know a little change can make any plane unstable - so I was wandering if that is in fact what has happened and it is off a bit for this plane??

Thanks again for all the help.

(This might should go in the crash forum - after my rudder got busted my buddy had just purchased a P-51 ARF and is wanting me to teach him to fly. He brought his plane with last night too. We got the engine finally running - can be tough in the cold - and he was taxing around on the lake getting a little more brave all the time by going faster and faster. He skipped it off the ground a few times and I told him, the plane wants to fly and it looked so cool zipping across the lake. I know I should have taken the controls and taken it off for him, but I didn't and he did take it off. It got about 10 feet in the air, dropped it's right wing and curled into the frozen lake. I thought he was simply turning because it was a nice take off turn but he said he didn't so it just needed trimed. A bit of up elevator would have saved the day but when the plan turned it freaked him out and he gave no inputs. Needless to say, he is now learning how to build (or rebuild) planes. He didn't hurt it too bad but popped off the wing and consequently smashed up the fus. a little bit. Boys and their toys! Hey I did catch two small pan fish once our other toys were broken.)

You never told me what the throw on the elevator is. Try adjusting your elevator trim UP. Check you aileron to make sure they are NOT hanging down below the wing surface....VERY IMPORTANT!

If you were closer....I would help you out personally.

Dave

Hi
Where do I find the plans for a lazy bee 48"
Thanks
Uffe

Hi Dave.

I was thinking of ordering a Speedy Bee ARF, after reading your comments on it, I will not buy it untill I hear what is wrong with the ARF. I will appreciate your coments. I built one when they first came out and installed an OS .15 and really had a good time with it untill it developed fluter on the elevator when doing a high speed dive the elevator came off and that was the end of the little airplane.
Will appreciate your advice.
Calixto

My problem with the ARF Clancy planes are the poor quality wood they are using. I had a couple broken ribs on the Lazy Bee ARF wingand decided to uncover it and fix the ribs. The balsa was VERY soft! If you just touch it......it breaks. In my Yard Bee ARF....the middle rib actuallly caved in from being too soft. Then comes the poor workmanship problems. The glue is inferior and the glued joints sometimes are not actually glued.

Scratch build.....you will never have a problem.

Dave

Than you Dave. I will try to find the plans ad follow yur advice.
Calixto

I KNOW YOUR MESSAGE ON HERE HAS ALITTLE AGE ON IT,BUT I'M A NEWER MEMBER AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER DUPLICATING ME A SET OF THOSE SPEEDY BEE PLANS.I'VE FOUND THEM ON THE RCM PLANS PAGE,BUT NO ONE IS ANSWERING THE PHONE OR THE FAX I'VE BEEN SENDING.I'M A BUILDER AND DON'T REALLY WANT THE ARF,NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY SAYS ITS JUNK.ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

I would be willing to do that for you, it would cost a couple of bucks for me to copy the plans and to send them as long as it is legal - which I will check because of the planes are no longer available then usually this isn’t a problem. I will be out of the country until the end of October so I won't be able to get to them until then. You might want to send me an e-mail in early November to remind me or let me know if you found them elsewhere. My e-mail is [email protected]

I found the plane pretty fun as a backyard flyer. I had some problems balancing it out but this summer once I got it set up good it flew pretty well. It does have some of it's own quirky characteristics you have to get used to when flying (ground handling was pretty squirrelly but it did take off quick and would leap into the air). Landing was slow and graceful and ground handling at idle was very good. I eventually put the plan in the ground because the fun thing was flying it just above head level. Sadly the engine sputtered when I was pulling out of a swooping low dive and the plane stalled and came to the ground nose first. It did bounce and I took it back up and flew it for a few more minutes and even put a second flight on it after that. Only after I got home and inspected the damage did I find that I had cracked the engine nacelle off the body and it was only being held on by the ultra coat. Loops and spins were good but on rolls the plane would loose a good bit of altitude. The plane was light enough that it was very susceptible to any breeze.

Building was very simply and straight forward. Building a second one would be very easy.

If you have any other questions, let me know.
John

I AM ALSO A PASTOR ,IN SPRINGFIELD TENN.I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP GIVEN.I WOULD BE GLAD TO REEMBURSE YOU ANY EXPENSES YOU INCUR.I AM INTERESTED IN PLANS FOR THE SPEEDY BEE,LAZY BEE,AND STAGGER BEE,AND AM HAVING NO LUCK IN FINDING THEM.MY BROTHER AND MYSELF HAVE A SMALL FLYINGFIELD AT HOME,AND THESE LOOK LIKE THEY WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THAT.FLY AT HOME WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO LOAD UP AND GO TO THE CLUB FIELD.ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [email protected] --THANKS!!

I have successfully converted my Speedy Bee ARF to a "bolt on" wing configuration. I hate rubber bands so I took the challenge and bashed my Speedy to use two wing bolts. Check it out on my web site Forum (Electric Planes).

RCM doesn't really answer the phone..... I just went ahead and paid them and the plans showed up in the mail

I brought one of my bees out of retirement today!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sACnncO5DyE

Damn that looks nice.
I'm building one as well and the plan was to go elektric as I did with the Lazy Bee,but now I'm really thinking four-stroke.
How is the handling ? is it hard to fly ? how does the CG match with the engine.

Hi from Denmark
Uffe

CG is easy to find....especially with the two stoke. You will have no problem. It flies fast or slow. What ever you want.....it will deliver. Rolls are easy and depending how you set the bee up....will determine how fast it will roll. A little four stroke like have is a lot of fun.....I really like the sound of a four stroke...big or small. If you have good power, it will knife edge, vertical victory rolls, torque roll if you have enough throw on the rudder. Just do it high! When it fall out of a hover...it drops fast. Inverted, little down stick input, loops and Imelmans are easy as pie. You will love the Speedy Bee!

I will be making modification on mine this winter, I will fly it "As is" right now. This winter, I will take out the bell crank system and drop in a servo per aileron. I need to change my fuel tank....it is leaking and the screw is tight. It may be split. I need a stiffer wire on my tail gear...way too mushy.

Dave

How do you make a ventilation/cooling path for the batteries on an electric Speedy Bee ARF?

Send some photos on where you mount your battery.

I have not "mounted" my battery yet. The air flow through the hole behind the motor is blocked by the wing. I may just "duct" it though the firewall, then down into the fuse and out through some holes in the battery hatch.

I will post details on my web site forum....

On all of my electric Speedy Bees.....I made a battery hatch accessable form the front. The door is actuallthe the curved part of the bottom fuselage. It hinged from the botton and when closed....I would stck a wooden dowel thru with a small hitch pin on each side. I will see if I can find any old photos....

I must not have what I thought I did...sorry. I made a quick sketch along with a photo....


Dave