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BudgetRC continues to integrate well designed and engineered products that are affordable and great flyers into the hobby market. The ULD "U Like Dat" trainer is the perfect trainer that will make you a better pilot.
 
BudgetRC.com ULD EPP BiPlane Trainer Review
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By 78dave 78dave is offline
Old Sep 22, 2009, 07:29 AM
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Introduction


Wingspan: 29" / 736.6mm
Wing Area: 460 sq. in. / 29 sq. dm.
Weight W/O Battery: 10.6 oz. / 300g
Weight With Battery: 12.7 oz. / 359g
Length: 35" / 890mm
Wing Loading: 3.98 oz/sq. ft. / 12 g/sq. dm.
Aileron Servo: 1 9-gram TowerPro SG-90
Tail Servos: 2 5-gram TowerPro SG-50
Transmitter: Futaba 9Cap Super
Receiver: Corona RS601II
Battery: Advanced Battery 3S1P 703048 11.1V 20C
Motor: TowerPro 2408-21T-2A Brushless
ESC: LazerToys 15 amp
Manufacturer and Available From: BudgetRC
MSRP: $55.00

 

My first experience with BudgetRC was with their P-51 Combat EPP flyer. That plane was just something else. I enjoyed the flight characteristics so much, I knew I had to try another EPP from BudgetRC.

Kit Contents

The ULD ships for $5.00. Mine arrived unscathed and ready to hit the work bench.

In a bag you get lots of materials necessary for the build. Instructions are downloadable. Don't be intimidated. The kit will be ready in one or two evenings
 

Kit Includes:

  • Laser cut EPP and Depron foam components
  • Carbon linkages
  • Heat shrink tubing
  • Ply motor mount
  • Wheels
  • Linkage supports
  • Laser cut control horns

Kit requires:

  • Epoxy, CA and medium foam safe CA
  • Hot glue
  • Blenderm hinge tape
  • Cheap enamel spray paint and detail paint
  • 55 -71 gram brushless motor (TowerPro 2409 or 2408)
  • 9 gram aileron servo
  • 2 - 5 gram elevator and rudder servos
  • 12 - 18 amp ESC
  • GWS 9050 prop
  • Four channel transmitter and micro receiver

Assembly

I think they have done a great job of not only writing the instructions, but also updating them with tips and tricks and ways to better the original design. All of these can be downloaded and viewed here.

The ULD is a biplane, and that requires keeping things square during construction. The cutouts and mating points for all the parts are excellent, but I had to pay attention as I glued.

Wing and Fuselage - Part I

The build starts with strengthening the fuselage and wing with flat carbon strips. I was impressed with first, having enough to go around (BudgetRC gives you plenty) and second, the fit of each piece.

All of the structural pieces require this treatment. Note the stiffeners in both edges of the wing.
 

The fuselage has one flat piece of carbon that runs the length of the fuselage, and it has to be tucked into the laser cut. Make sure that both halves stay straight and square.

Note the detail of the laser cut. This little hole is where the wing strut carbon pieces will stick through the wing.
 

The nose is square with no motor offset. The carbon only covers one side of the tail mounting slot.
 

The fuselage nose is doubled with more EPP. I used Mercury Adhesives because they offer both medium and thick, and they work very well with EPP foam. (Later there is some Depron involved which is NOT foam safe).

The doubling creates a wider surface for the motor mount. The top doublers must be correctly placed. This is the servo cutout.
 
A good look at the nose before the motor mount is installed.
 

Next, I made up the motor mount and glued with CA and then fit it into the nose. No offset is necessary.

Here is the mount from the top down. It is square. Pretty good contact between the mount and the EPP foam.
 

The fuselage needs to have stiffeners placed on both sides. These are heavy Depron and must be placed and held while gluing. It is important to keep the fuselage straight, and use foam safe glue.

The stiffener has to be split. Make sure you cut it evenly.
 

Holes are provided in the fuselage that perfectly mate-up with the stiffeners.

You have to get them in tight. Building on a grid helps keep things straight.
 

In addition to the perpendicular stiffeners, there are also two more angled supports that go under the main side stiffeners. These increase the strength, and because they go the length of the fuselage and under the horizontal stabilizer, provide extra support: Great planning.

The fit is incredibly accurate. Note how well it fits.
 
The angled stiffeners
 

The EPP foam linkage support pieces give the long control rods some help.

These are placed along the fuselage. Here you see the thin control rod going through one of the supports.
 
Both the rudder and elevator are on one side.
 

Time to paint

I used red and yellow cheap enamel paint which also helps to stiffen the EPP. I found that the EPP does leak some paint under masking tape but otherwise it paints very well.

The finished product after painting I used a large font and cut out a stencil.
 
The doublers painted
 

Tail

The horizontal stabilizer needs to be installed by first slipping in the elevator and then the horizontal stabilizer. Note that part of the support for the horizontal stabilizer is the Depron stiffener and needs foam safe CA.

The elevator in place The stabilizer in place
 

The tape and carbon stiffeners are exposed here. The linkage support and the control horn setup
 
The control horn for the rudder The tail connected
 
The only variation I added since I did not use the wheels off my grass was a tail skid.
 

Wings

I installed both sets of ailerons and control horns. The horns are laser cut lite-ply and work very well. I used the derm tape to attach the ailerons to both wings making sure to flex the aileron opposite the side I was placing the tape. The ailerons are Depron, big and pre-beveled.

The ailerons are in place with the control horns. Note the tape and the bevel
 

I used a triangle to keep the fuselage square with the bottom wing. I also made sure the tail was square with the wing. The top wing requires installation of the cabanes which need to be placed with the curved portion to the rear, and they should be square with the wing.

Note the curved edge is rearward. The struts and cabanes in place
 
Good contact with the doublers Above the carbon stiffener you see one of the mounting ports for the cabane.
 
The wing also has two main attachment points on top and bottom.
 

The foam has precut spaces and holes for the carbon struts to pass through which fit perfectly.

The outer portion of the wing The inner portion. Note the new battery location.
 
A hole is provided in the cabane through which the carbon passes. Carbon running everywhere
 

Servo Installation

For the servo installation, carbon linkages and heat shrink work well and ensure strength and security. 3D servos arms are not necessary.

Short pieces of heat shrink ready to receive the carbon control rod.
 

I attached a short piece of carbon rod to the control horn using hot glue.

Note the double heat shrink
 

I took another piece of carbon and slipped it into the heat shrink on the servo arm, using a soldering iron to shrink the plastic. Then I bent it to meet the piece on the control horn and cut it about 3" longer than needed, and cut that piece into two pieces. I took a short piece of heat shrink in the smaller size and placed it on the piece I had attached to the control horn, attached the longer piece and used heat shrink to put it in place. I slipped a larger piece of heat shrink over that joint and and hit it with the heat shrink again. Using one more piece of heat shrink, I put the two halves together, and after centering the servo (radio on) and centering the control surface, used heat shrink on the coupler and some thin set CA to complete.

Here is the aileron servo setup.
 

The ailerons have to be joined using the carbon rods again which can be tricky, especially when cutting the rods.

The angle is provided by the heat shrink tubing. Here is the lower connection.
 
The complete connection showing the coupling The coupling in detail
 

I followed the same method for the rudder and elevator control linkages.

The elevator The rudder
 
Both tail servos
 

Completion

I completed the build by installing the motor, receiver, ESC and battery. I mounted everything originally on one side.

Note the battery way too far back. The ESC is soldered to the motor.
 
The new battery location
 

I used a thin layer of CA on the foam before I applied the hook and loop. It hardens the surface and makes a better bond for both materials.

The CG is 2.5 inches behind the leading edge for aerobatic beginners and 3 inches for more advanced flying.

Flying

My first flight had the battery way too far back, and I needed to move it forward and to the opposite side to get the CG correct. I ended up flying the pattern in a full harrier hanging on the prop and got it back. I went back and checked and CG, and I must have either forgot that or thought I could fly it that tail heavy. The design is testament to its flight capabilities across a huge CG range; I literally moved the battery 8 - 10 inches forward.

Basics

The ULD is as basic as it gets with the addition of an extra wing and added lift and stability. I thought I was capable of doing anything I wanted and maintained slow flight with no stall tendencies. It can be kept close and would be a great choice as an indoor flyer.

I started my first flights with the dual rates turned down. I set mine at 50% of the full 3D to get used to the flight characteristics and immediately noticed the need to use the rudder. I dialed in about 10% of rudder mix with the ailerons to help you out.

Biplanes and other flat foam planes may require you to make a CG balance. I use a thin piece of wood with a split in the middle to slip along the fuselage sides and reach back onto the upper wing at the 3” mark. Beginners to 3D flight might want to set the CG at 2.5”.

Taking Off and Landing

I hand launched exclusively. I wanted to be able to just grab the ULD, head outside and toss it in the air without the need for a runway, and that was absolutely no problem. A slight upward underhand pitch, and I was off. I could feel the power as I hit the throttle.

Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance

For 3D flyers that are struggling, or for those wanting to get some 3D in their log book, the ULD is an excellent choice.

I practice (and as you can tell need to continue practicing) my hovers, inverted flight, harriers, rolling harriers, spins and really make stuff up as I go. I am not anywhere near being good at 3D, but the low wing loading and 11.1 volt power setup give the ULD some incredible possibilities.

Is This For a Beginner?

This is designed for a 3D beginner, though it is not a simple build. Get some help if needed, or better yet just take your time. It’s durable: The wings flex very well.

Flight Video/Photo Gallery

Great control Very little wing rocking
 
Plenty of lift Durable
 
Solid hover Plenty of vertical power
 
Not a lot of control input needed for hovers Excellent axial stability
 
Plenty of control movement A really fun plane to build and fly
 

Downloads
Type Name
Size
Enjoy some flying with music by SleepyC
19.73 MB
A little more flying with music by Billy Hell and the Stump Grinders
18.10 MB

Conclusion

The ULD has great flight characteristics both indoors and outdoors and total control through all flight maneuvers. It’s durable and is a slow flyer you can keep up with as you learn to fly 3D. It’s an excellent design plus electronics combination.

BudgetRC is doing great things for the flying community and advancing the opportunities for all of us to become better flyers. This is one airplane you should consider for your hangar. The ULD is one of my go-to planes and sits by the backdoor ready to go so I don’t miss an opportunity to turn to my flying buddies and say, "U like dat"?

The Good:

  • Well engineered design
  • Paintable
  • Durable
  • Excellent slow flight
  • Price

The Not-So-Good:

  • Nothing I can think of and no bad experiences
Last edited by Angela H; Sep 21, 2009 at 12:45 PM..
 
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Old Sep 22, 2009, 11:51 AM   #2
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Good review and lots of nice pictures.
TeeVee
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Old Sep 22, 2009, 12:58 PM   #3
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Dave,

Like always, another fantastic review completed in a logical order. I love the simple yet effective paint work you did on this plane and you made the build look so easy.
Great work!

John
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Old Sep 22, 2009, 02:32 PM   #4
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Thanks guys for the positive comments. I appreciate it greatly.
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Old Sep 22, 2009, 05:57 PM   #5
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Great review! Being an ULD owner I agree with all your comments, specially the "The Not-So-Good: Nothing I can think of and no bad experiences"
Ice
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Old Sep 22, 2009, 10:23 PM   #6
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Nice review Dave.

Question: was orientation an issue? With a mirror image plane like this (and no gear) I would think it could be a problem?
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Old Sep 23, 2009, 05:54 AM   #7
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Orientation would be a problem if this was a plane you let get very far away from you. For most of your flying you begin to learn to keep it tight and within a distance you can see it well. It does fly equally well upside down. Also, I did not paint the lower portion of the wings and left them white. That ULD on the top of the wing or whatever you want to put there sort of guides you.

As for the gear, many planes like this have very well designed gear for smooth surfaces. I mean smooth. So grass and dirt are out of the question. As well hitting those mains will damage them so I left them off so I could grab-and-go-fly anywhere.
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Old Sep 23, 2009, 03:55 PM   #8
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Here is a video I did over 5 months ago when I did a build for budgetrc also

http://www.vimeo.com/4490624
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Old Sep 23, 2009, 06:06 PM   #9
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Excellent flying. I need more practice!
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Old Sep 24, 2009, 04:56 AM   #10
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LOL@Dave. You fly well and have a very good build ethic.

John
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Old Sep 24, 2009, 04:59 AM   #11
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tallflyer,

You have posted many vids of flying from that exact location. I remember watching you learning to hover with other planes. You really have come a long way and are flying very well. another nice plane too. Within the next month I will post a few plane crashes here on RCG. I have to move and will get rid of my old planes... (silly me, I plan to crash plane.... What am I thinking. LMAO)

TFS the vid

John
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Old Sep 24, 2009, 08:45 AM   #12
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And when you want a little more fun...

Buy the ULD's brother

Budgetrc "Arrow" Flying in San Diego (6 min 24 sec)
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Old Sep 24, 2009, 01:40 PM   #13
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Very well done review Dave! I got a ULD at Toledo directly from Mark S. and the boys, and have been flying it just recently. It will lay on knife edge, and with the right speed, just keeps going, no inputs! Makes me look WAY better than I am! I smacked it hard and broke the side supports early on, any recommendations for getting the tail reinforced correctly?
Tom
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Old Sep 24, 2009, 01:45 PM   #14
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Did you Crash

budgetrc ULD flying and crash (3 min 25 sec)


watch this and think what would have happened if the plane was not made out of EPP
I used strapping tape and a little hot glue to fix it and she was as good as new.
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Old Sep 24, 2009, 02:13 PM   #15
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Tallflyer
That's exactly what happened to my plane. I tried inserting a "wedge" of new foam into the borken area, but it broke at the "new" glue joints as soon as I thumped it a bit on landing. What really got the back end loose was an outside loop that finished at full power with the LG contacting the grass solidly... the front stopped, but the tail kept going!
I'll try strapping tape, and a foam patch over the cracked areas.
Thanks!
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