by Pete Kaiteris

My winter build project. The Lazy Bee is ready to test fly, all it needs is a test pilot. 1.4 oz of ballast is taped to the nose under the motor. with vinyl tape. The total weight is 24.2 oz or 1.51 lbs, compared to the avg of 32 oz. The light weight and long span wing should make it a real floater. The 160 watt motor is in the 100 watt/lb sweet spot. It should climb like a monkey but cruise like a Lazy Bee.

The build starts with laminating the tail and wing tips. The fin and stabilizer have different construction. The wing is very lightly built. Clancy, the designer says never power dive because it might flutter. The main spars are spruce with balsa webbing.

The fuselage is sturdy having been originally designed for gas engines. The windshield was modified for a smoother shape than the original design. The axle box was built as designed although the wheels were left off. The designer says this is fine and improves the glide. A knock off motor mount was recommended. The book shows a geared brushed motor held by rubber bands. I designed a keyed block with magnets for mounting the outrunner motor which spins a 10" x 4.5" slow fly prop. Vinyl tape secures the block for flight.