I was told that when you build the Bug, we should put shrink wrap tubing around the main bow out front. From what I have been told, when CF gets nicked, it can break later on. I don't know if that is true, but I did that and so far no problems.

Yes the Bug is almost bullet proof. I think if you run over it with a car , lawnmower, or something like that, don't think they last all that long.

Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

Originally Posted by bighead93

If anyone out there doesn't know...the bug is almost bullet proof!! I out flying in front of the house tonight...fell out of a hover and hit the light pole...bounced off my fence and crashed right into the tree!! Tumbled down through the branches...did the walk of shame and to my surprise ...no damage !! I also nosed her it hard and talk about a loud SMACK!! Again...no damage...the carbon bow is getting a little scratched up...but still hanging in there!! The one thing I really love about the bug...even when you crash or tear a wing...the repair is so quick and easy!!

well I have experienced the durability of my expert Bug. That same flyin that you see in my vid, a HyperFlea from Superfly came in and colided into me while I was in a harrier and no damage.

Originally Posted by Conehead

I was told that when you build the Bug, we should put shrink wrap tubing around the main bow out front. From what I have been told, when CF gets nicked, it can break later on. I don't know if that is true, but I did that and so far no problems.

Yes the Bug is almost bullet proof. I think if you run over it with a car , lawnmower, or something like that, don't think they last all that long.

Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

It's true with CF if you nick it and it has some abuse, later on it will eventually it will split.

Guys, unless I'm mistaken, when the throttle is at 50% and the plane is at 30% tail down, that's tail heavy. And it makes the plane unreliable. In heavy wind it is a blast as is, but in the yard? It's a no go. I do know that it is something I did in the build. Not a problem with the plane. Hence my decision to trim out the plane in 3 ch mode. I guess I'll lose the joy of flying in heavy wind, but gain the the joy of flying in no wind. The yak 55 is sitting here, needing to be built, maybe for windy flight?

Tim

I usually fly T style planes. Am I mistaken on how the bug flies? Tim

Too bad...can't add the shrink wrap now!

bighead93, just use a little electrical tape for now.

Tim,
I don't know why you are having the CG problem. I fly my Bug with a 450 2 cell with it all the way up front and the CG is just about spot on. With the battery that Ron sells, I do the same thing, his battery is lighter than my 2S 450 and I have no problem.

I wish I knew the answer to your problem.

When I fly in the small gym I add a lot of up trim to get it to mush around and fly slow. Outdoors, I take all that up trim out and I get a pretty level flight at about 1/4 to 1/3 power.

Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

I ended up using electrical tape on one Bug, I got shrink tubing for the other two. Does it make any difference if you shrink it or not?

I did that on the landing gear CF. The new design for the landing gear on the 17 inch Bug is much better and when I break this landing gear, I will go to the newer design on my original Bug. I will modify the other Bug to be like the 17 inch one also when I build it.

Gosh, I will have three Bugs, now where is that fly swatter??
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

I have several planes with carbon fiber rods like my Bug and I use IC-2000 black tire cement from Bob Smith Industries to protect the rods. Just run a bead on the exposed sides of the rods and then hit it with kicker to cure it. No more broken or frayed rods.

Hey rabbit,
How about more info on that tire cement? Kicker, too. Where to buy, etc. Thanks!

Originally Posted by FERNDALE AIR FOR

I fighting a tail heavy flying condition, I will try to trim it out this weekend in 3 channel mode. It is a blast in a 10 mph wind, but a bear in little to no wind. It flies in a semi hover. And I am in denial of this problem

So heres how yesterdays flight ended.

Tim

LOL! I hope you got it down Tim.

Originally Posted by Conehead

I was told that when you build the Bug, we should put shrink wrap tubing around the main bow out front. From what I have been told, when CF gets nicked, it can break later on. I don't know if that is true, but I did that and so far no problems.

I found out about the heat shrink after I'd built my first Bug. The CF front bow got some nicks in it eventually and started to splinter. I fixed it with thin CA and kicker. No problems since.

Originally Posted by FERNDALE AIR FOR

Guys, unless I'm mistaken, when the throttle is at 50% and the plane is at 30% tail down, that's tail heavy. And it makes the plane unreliable. In heavy wind it is a blast as is, but in the yard? It's a no go. I do know that it is something I did in the build. Not a problem with the plane. Hence my decision to trim out the plane in 3 ch mode. I guess I'll lose the joy of flying in heavy wind, but gain the the joy of flying in no wind. The yak 55 is sitting here, needing to be built, maybe for windy flight?

Tim

I usually fly T style planes. Am I mistaken on how the bug flies? Tim

Hi Tim,

Could you post some photos of your Bug to help us solve your problem? Closeups of the side profile of each side will probably be enough. I'd like to see your elevator position and where you've attached all the gear (ESC, Rx, servos etc.)

Also, take a look back a page or so to see where my 600mAh battery is located. This Bug is a little nose heavy when inverted but I don't mind it that way. This battery is about 9g heavier than Ron's 460mAh from memory so I put it a little further back. I'm still relatively new (in time) to RC planes, but my understanding of the easiest way to get it sorted is as follows:
1. put the battery onboard and try to get it to balance at Ron's recommended CoG point.
2. Fly it on a light or no wind day and trim it out to fly mostly horizontal at 50% throttle. Take note of the wind direction as you'll climb very easily if the wind gets under the front of the wing.

3. While flying mostly level at 50% throttle, use your ailerons to roll upside down. If you need lots of down stick to keep it flying level then your too nose heavy. A small amount of stick is OK but lots means you're too nose heavy and will therefore have used more up elevator trim than necessary to get it flying level non-inverted. When you roll inverted this then effectively pushes the nose "down" further so you need more down elevator to offset it.

To say it in different words: get it balanced at one of Ron's recommended points indoors on pen/pencil points or similar (not fingers, too coarse). Then trim it for mostly level flight at about 50% throttle with little wind in the equation. Finally, roll inverted and see how much down elevator it takes to maintain level flight. If you feel it takes too much, move the battery back a small amount, retrim the plane for level flight, roll inverted and see if you need less down elevator to fly level inverted. Each time you move the battery back you should be trimming the elevator down a bit to offset the weight going back. Then when you roll inverted, this extra down trim will help keep the nose up. Once you're balanced on one of Ron's recommended points, don't move the battery too far each time you experiement as 1/2 an inch will make a dramatic difference if you're near his points.

Oh, one more thing. I basically adjust trim on all my planes based on what the wind is doing on a given day. All I usually do is add or subtract a click of trim to stop the plane rolling and adjust the elevator if the nose is dropping to easily.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help. I'll balance and shoot pic's shortly. I still think part of my problem is my radio, flash-5, I can't trim the plane in flight in elevon mode. That's why I'm thinking of using the y connector and trimming it in 3 ch mode and then switching back to elevons. For those of you just reading and thinking about buying a bug, to my knowledge and to Ron's, I am the only person to ever have this problem. It is most emphatically something I did. .

A different note, I flew a flight demo with my slow stick and micro-cessna today for a local elementary school. If you have an opportunity to do this go for it. The kid's eat it up and I left on a high note that is still in evidence. By the time I was done I was wishing I had brought my back-up tx and the training cord.

Tim

Tim,

I can't make sense of this, but maybe you can and maybe it will help: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attac...hmentid=111756

EDIT: Here's a manual in case it differs to yours or you've lost your one: http://www.hitecrcd.com/Manuals/Radi...5%20Manual.pdf