Spikey Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Well, after waiting 29 days since I completed it for a calm day to try it out, today we finally got one. So off we trot to the playing field with my first-ever build-it-from-plans aeroplane ... Yep, it's a Lazy Bee, and this one is the bog-standard 40" span version built exactly to plan except I added the access door and chickened out of doing both the portholes and the cockpit glazing. It seems a little underpowered right now, but I'm quite happy to live with that while I get lots more practice with it, but it's an absolute delight to fly! Takes off and lands remarkably well, and it's very controllable - which is more than I can say for the Mini Tyro I built while waiting to fly the Bee! It needed quite a lot of lead up its nose to balance correctly, and yes, it does drag its belly as much as you'd think if you're flying off grass, but otherwise it's just lovely! But as for the Mini Tyro ... the best thing I can say about it is that it's remarkably robust ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 maybe bigger wheels to lift her up a little? oh and well done, a lovely little Bee- jus needs some black stripes.... Edited By Olly P on 18/06/2013 13:32:57 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 Cheers Olly. Those are 70mm as opposed to the 4 inch Trexlers which are kosher for a Lazy Bee, but I didn't want to pay that much for wheels! I'm going to build another one, and apart from cockpit glazing and the portholes I chickened out of glazing this time, the next one will have legs on the undercart to give me another inch or so but still keep the suspension, which I do like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlo0161 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 nice build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john melia 1 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 thats very cartoony spikey , i love it , something else for me to think about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Well done Spikey! She's a beaut! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Cheers, chaps. We think it would look even funkier with the recommended king-size Trexler balloon tyres, but I decided to play safe on the grounds of (a) cost and (b) I wasn't at all sure how much weight it would stand at the front end. Fun Cub tundra wheels were out for the same reasons Whatever, I just love the really lazy, chilled way it flies - even with me driving it. That and the characteristic bouncing landings ... The Lady Wife says I have to build a Stevens Aero MudBug next, but it's more likely to be a Clancy Yard Bee. We shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john melia 1 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 spikey where did you get the plans ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Posted by john melia 1 on 19/06/2013 09:02:49: spikey where did you get the plans ? Here you go, mister **LINK** And if you want to risk rotting your brain ploughing through 40-odd pages of it, there's a lot of useful info about Bees here **LINK** BTW, the 40" Bee plans do print out OK on an A0 printer, providing that the operator of it knows how to let it print over-width (i.e. full width of the paper roll, but longer than A0). If you see what I mean ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john melia 1 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 " "BTW, the 40" Bee plans do print out OK on an A0 printer, providing that the operator of it knows how to let it print over-width (i.e. full width of the paper roll, but longer than A0). If you see what I mean ..." erm nope spikey you lost me now but if you have the time and inclination i'm all ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikey Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 I just read what I wrote and even I don't understand that. Take #2 The 40" Bee plans do print out on an A0 printer, but it needs setting so that the printer doesn't cut the roll at A0 sheet size. A0 is 1189 x 841 mm, and 841mm is the effective width of the roll of paper that an A0 printer uses. The Bee fuselage sheet is about 1336mm wide, so if the printer trims the paper at its default A0 dimensions, you lose the RH side of the plan. The printer needs setting so that it cuts the paper at the RH edge of the image, which in this case is 1336mm - and I'm advised that not everybody who has one knows how to do that. Better? Edited By Spikey on 19/06/2013 14:09:06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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