wesf5

I'm wanting to get a Dynaflite Butterfly so that I can build it and fly it next year at the field. Out there, there's always at least 15 mph winds, so I'm wanting to build it and I can fly it everyday we go out there, on days that everyone else won't even get there planes out because there's to much wind. I know you can fly these in high winds because a pilot out there has one that he flys in high winds. So Butterfly or Not a Butterfly?

ronwc

My Feedback: (404)

The Butterfly was really just a glider (Windrifter) that they installed landing gear and made a flat nose for an engine. It is a good plane, but with it's flat bottom airfoil, large wing area and light weight, it is not best for windy conditions - just my opinion -

ksechler

It's not the airplane it's the pilot that's handling the wind so well. The butterfly is a bad choice for high wind conditions. It has a lot of wing and is lightly loaded. That's not a good combination for windy flying. It is also a three channel bird which means you won't have ailerons. It would be very difficult to land an any kind of crosswind.

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Built two, one still hanging on the wall for occasional flying. I wouldn't recommend it for high wind conditions. It would be possible to modify the wing for ailerons or at least spoilers. In any case the wing is not the sturdiest part of the model. My first one, built per plans, had the wing break at the polyhedral joint. Scattered parts all over the place. The second built much stronger flys too well. Got into ground effect and flew one foot off the ground for 400 ft. until it was dumped so it would quit flying. I may get around to a spoiler mod some day so it will come down. I put a .25 in it for climb power and to compensate for the high altitude of our field. Fun airplane but just good for tooling around.
The perfect setup wold be a brushless motor so you could shut down and soar and still be able to start up again.