Bumble Vee (oz10652)

About this Plan

Bumble Vee. Radio control sport model, for IC or electric power.

This design was also kitted by GM Precision Products, see Bumble Vee (oz10613). This here is the plan as it was published by RCM magazine.

Quote: "Designed for a break from the normal routine, this model will inject some fun into the hobby as well. Bumble-Vee, by Henry Arance.

Everyone likes to have fun. Personal enjoyment and satisfaction are what this hobby is all about. Unfortunately, sometimes we get so wrapped up in R/C that we forget it supposed to be a fun hobby. I wanted to design an airplane that would be an enjoyable break from the normal routine and inject some fun into the works at the same time. That's where the Bumble-Vee comes in. The Bumble-Vee has one mission; to be fun! Once you have one you'll agree it fulfills that mission amazingly well.

The size of the Bumble-Vee is small to keep things simple and inexpensive. A 1/2A airplane will fly almost anywhere, making it easy to sneak away for a half an hour flying session. The structure on a small plane is simpler, faster building and less expensive than on a larger model. A two channel airplane means a less expensive radio set-up is required. And nothing is cheaper to obtain or feed than a 1/2A engine.

The Bumble-Vee was designed to look different. The V-tail certainly accomplishes that. But the tail is simple to control using a Du-Bro mechanical mixer, so don't let it put you off. The cabin style fuselage means there's plenty of room for standard servos and battery packs - no need for any special radio gear. You put those two design elements together, and nothing this side of a Beech Bonanza comes close to the way a Bumble-Vee looks on the ground or in the air.

In case you aren't convinced yet, there's one more reason to build a Bumble-Vee. It's a terrific way to get your feet wet in the wave of the future - electric power. A basic electric motor and battery combination is now under $40, so cost isn't really a restriction. And with motor runs of 5 to 6 minutes on a 6 x 4 prop, performance isn't a problem either. If you've been wanting to try an electric, stop making excuses and build an electric Bumble-Vee.

I couldn't be happier with the Bumble-Vee. It builds fast, is inexpensive, and flies great. To me, that all adds up to fun. So enough talking, get out to your workshop and build your very own Bumble-Vee! And if your final excuse is that you don't scratch-build, forget it. The Bumble-Vee will be kitted in the future by GM Precision Products. If you don't want to cut out your own kit, watch for their ads.

Pre-Construction: Your Bumble-Vee will build faster and with fewer hassles if you cut out all your parts before building. That way, when you need a part, you simply reach into the box for it instead of stopping everything and scrambling to cut one out. Look over the plans well, once you get them from RCM. The Bumble-Vee is so simple it's almost self explanatory, but the rest of this article will give you an outline to follow.

Wing: The wing can't get much simpler than it is. Pin the balsa TE in place over the plans. Using the ribs to set the spacing, pin the spruce spar in position. Don't pin through the spar: use two pins in an 'X' to hold it in place. Glue all the W-1 ribs in place. Use a small square to keep them vertical. Add the W-1A ribs, then glue the LE. to the front of the ribs. Cut and fit the 1/16 in sheeting between the ribs in the first rib bay of each panel..."

Note this is a low resolution plan.

Note this listing is here for completeness (of the RCM plans listings) and to have somewhere to post the RCM article. For a better, clearer, plan of the Bumble Vee design to actually build from, see the GM Precision Products plan at Bumble Vee (oz10613). The two plan drawings seem to be in essence identical, except for the title block (and the print quality). Many thanks to davidterrell80 for help with this.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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