I just finished up my Predator Bee and while it has been languishing around the shop for a few months the build actually went pretty fast. (The Predator Bee is a modified version of the popular Windrider Bee combat wing). I went with internal pushrods, taped the heck out of it and added a couple of layers of goop. It seems really strong and is the stiffest combat style wing I’ve owned. This one came in just under 24 ounces. Looks like I may want to build a lighter one in the future!
For radio gear I put in a Spektrum 6 receiver. Nothing like being able to throw a plane into a furball willy nilly and not worrying about frequency conflicts. I used some JR-821 digitals I had lying around and a 1700mah battery pack for longevity and so I don’t have to throw it on the charger every time I fly it.
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I had a brief flight in about 5mph at Concordia on Sunday but the fog was so thick it was hard to keep the plane in view. It also seemed to be tail heavy which I later verified as the CG was at 8-9/16″. I moved it forward to 8-3/8″.
Today, Tuesday, I had a flight at Big Bay in 25mph-plus winds and it flew well. At 25mph Big Bay is starting to get blown out but the Predator Bee had no problem penetrating. The wind was off the slope by about 20-25 degrees and there was a noticeable difference in speed going South as compared to North, still the P-Bee handled the less than perfect conditions fine and seems fast and stable.
Tomorrow the wind should be more favorable. Problem around here is no one to combat with!
