Jitterbug builders thread

[Shane Sunday]

Hey Alex I just wanted to say thank you for mentioning my Jitterbug build in your column this month. It took me a while to get around to reading it and I only stumbled across it when I finally got a break from being a dad. I was chuffed to bits to read it.

 

I'll have you know as well... When all my other models are giving me grief for what ever reasons the bug always makes me smile.

 

Thanks

[Les Littleton]

All finished , well pleased with my Jitterbug here is a short clip of the plane in flight ,

powered by ASP 61 four stroke and guidance by DX8 .

 

 

 

 

Edited By Tim Mackey - Administrator on 07/08/2011 09:31:59

[Tim Mackey]

Seems we need to bump THIS thread again

 

Model looks and flys great BTW

Edited By Tim Mackey - Administrator on 07/08/2011 09:32:40

[Myron Beaumont]

Well I'm dead chuffed as my version weighs in at 5lb 2oz (6 1/2 lb originally) with the ASP 61Fst up front .Have got a series of build photos in the camera and will try and get them posted up .No ballast required with the standard servo at the rear for elevators .It has cream undersides & red top surfaces in Modelspan & as usual looks a bit bland .I've got some black and some silver Solartrim so I'll attempt to brighten it up tomorrow before running in the engine .By the way ,I painted all the front area insides etc with Simoniz cellulose grey primer which having done a soak test with 10% glow synthetic has proven to be fuel proof .

Very pleased with a weeks "work".

Edited By Myron Beaumont on 07/08/2011 20:52:00

[Alex Whittaker]

JITTERBUG DECAL

Playmates, I've just reheated a dead hard disk and found a pdf version of the long lost Jitterbug decal. I think I've emailed everyone who wrote to me directly, but I can't remember who wanted one on this forum. Therefore I have asked David Ashby to put a copy up here as soon as convenient.

Hope this helps,

Alex

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Homepage article link now up.

Edited By David Ashby - RCME Administrator on 07/09/2011 13:15:48

[coline]

Greetings,

am seriously thinking about building a Jitterbug,will be using a SC52FS. Has

anybody any comments, it should have enough energy! Have started scratching around

for materials and cannot find any 3/16" plywood so will be using 1/4" instead. Also i will be using my own brand of engine mount (1/4" paxolin fixed to 1/2" x 3/4" beech bearers,which are bonded to the fuselage sides.) Have noted with interest the forum comments concerning the plan shortcomings, i think i will just do my own thing where

necessary.

Happy landings to everybody.

[Julian Edgecombe]

Is it possible for someone to scan and post the original article from RCM&E,

I gave my copy away after removing the plan, and have started building. would like the guidance.

Edited By Julian Edgecombe on 21/10/2011 22:55:44

[Pete B]

Hi Julian, welcome to the forum.

 

If you're a subscriber, you can find the April 2011 issue in the digital archive. Alternatively, if no-one can scan the article (I'll give it a try in the morning), you should be able to get a back-issue through MHS.

 

Meanwhile, there are additional build photos here.

 

Pete

[WOETC (Rob)]

Hi all - here's my Jitterbug rendition. Is it the first downunder?

 

The maiden wasn't very inspiring but after a few minor mods wow - its everything that has been said about it. At first I couldn't get it to lift off the ground. I found that as drawn the the wing seat on the plan (apart from being too short in chord as has been well documented) has a small degree of negative incidence. After packing the te, bringing the c of g forward another 5mm and increasing the elevator deflection I have a fantastic aeroplane.

I made very few changes, the main one being to bolt the undercarriage on with nylon wing bolts. Other than that, stock standard with an OS55 AX. Thanks for a great model Alex and now for a change of pace I've made a start on Dave Royd's Luton Minor.

Cheers

[Francis Routley]

Hi all,

As i am new to plan building, and the Jitterbug is my first plan build. Can anybody tell me how to get the Jitterbug pdf file on to the correct decal material? to fit to the plane.

Being new to plans, am not up on the latest methods.

 

Cheers

[Shane Sunday]

Can I just saythat I actually prop hung the jitterbug? Wait I think I just did. a grand total of 4 attempts and 3 successful prop hangs. Not tidy, not long maybe about 8-10 seconds a piece but she did do it and will do it the better I get at it. I threw that thing around this evening. 3 batteries seems to have take all the stress away from the past 2 weeks.

Also it has been more than a year since the first flight of my bug and she is going strong.

[Julian Edgecombe]

Almost ready to cover, can't wait to get her in the air, Turnigy C4250-700, 4s LiPo, 60amp esc.

[Redex]

Hi Julian - just wondering if you have an update on your leccy Jitterbug - as I too am interested in building one. What sort of flight time are you aiming for.

[Julian Edgecombe]

have the fuselage covered, a bit garish but I'm using up odds and sods from previous builds on this, the wings need a final sanding and covering then the electrics.

I'm hoping to get 15-20 minutes out of a battery, but being as this will be my first "big" electric, previous ones were eflite Edge planes, I'm not too sure.

I fly almost exclusively Gas and Glow, with the odd day soaring and thermalling.

It has been a great scratch build, my first "real" one, and if I can do it I'm sure anyone can, kudos to the designer ,she looks very nice up till now, I made a few mods from the plans, I have a removable hatch from the turtle deck almost to the nose, and a couple of other minor changes.

I will post some more pics later, JJ

[Redex]

Thanks for the update - Pictures would be really good and 15-20 mins would be excellent. I guess that the extended removable hatch helps a lot with battery removal.

[SilverB]

Greetings from Sweden!

Yesterday I started the build of my Jitterbug. This is the first balsa building I have ever done so we'll see how it works out. (I have a Top Flite P47 kit waiting to be built but I wanted something simpler to start with.) So, to simplify things a bit I bought the CNC kit and it looks very nice. Anyway, yesterday I glued the fin and stab pieces together without any problems at all and the next step should be the fuselage sides. No pictures yet, but we'll see what I can supply later on.

I've ordered an ASP 52 S to provide some noise and have a few 16 g servos that should move the rudders quite nice I think.

[SilverB]

So, a short update on the progress. It's going faster than I thought it would. Large portions of the fuselage is ready. One winghalf is almost finished and the other one is on the building board. I'm finding this to be an excellent kit for a first time builder and my balsa building confidence is increasing. Having a great time .

Here are a few pictures:

Tailplane

Tailplane and fin

Fuselage parts glued together and waiting to dry.

Front fuselage doubler drying.

The two fuselage halves glued together with formers to form the complete fuselage.

The sheeted half of the wing together with the other half that's being built .

/Jonas

[Andrew767]

I know this is an old thread but it seems to be the right place for this question. I'm just about starting to build this plane and having had a good look at the plans, the rear of the fuselage seems very wide considering the rudder is only 1/4" thick, does the rudder horn not baulk agaist the fuz?....Could anyone please explain what they did or better still show a photo.

Thanks

Andrew

[Jimbo565]

Andrew

Just need a horn like this,full rudder and no binding

[Andrew767]

Jim....You've come up trumps once again..thank you. Though i must say your fuselage appears to terminate in a much narrower width than the plan shows..is that the case?.Did you omit the stern post?.

Andrew

[Jimbo565]

Andrew

Cant remember about the stern post, ( senior moments ) I normally use a piece of T/E section to pull the rear into shape.

Have a look in your LMS, horns like this are readily available

[Andrew767]

Jim

T/E section is a good idea which i'll use...thank you, and probably narrows the width at the rear which is the issue anyway. Airtek is my local and i'm sure Peter will have something similar to your photo.

Thanks again for your help.

Andrew

[Jimbo565]

[Jimbo565]

Andrew

Forgot to mention,check the wing seat dimension,there was an error on the plan and there was 1/2" difference between the wing seat and the width of the wing.