Busy Bee RC Plane
Hobby Lobby has released a new trainer that is catching a lot of interest among RC flying hobbyists. The Busy Bee RC plane is a RTF plane and that is drawing some criticism from purists in the hobby.
The Busy Bee Brushless RTF plane was recently released by Hobby Lobby. Billed as a trainer, Hobby Lobby also maintained it was a trainer for advanced flight and stunts and not necessarily as a "first plane." The Busy Bee RC plane lists at $189.90 which might explain the reasoning behind the "not a first plane" disclaimer. The Busy Bee RC plane has a 41 ½ inch wingspan and is 42 ¾ inches long. The flying weight is 23 oz.
The Busy Bee Brushless RTF plane model has a Hobby Lobby id number of RCC004 RICCS. The electronics are all pre-installed and it features a powerful Outrunner brushless motor. Included in the package is a 12 volt DC dedicated battery charger and a 4 channel, 72 MHz FM transmitter with a neck strap. The onboard 2 Lipo battery is good for around 10 minutes of flying time.
Hobby Lobby claims the Busy Bee RC plane is excellent for stability and take off and landings. A review of some Hobby message boards has shown that some very hard core hobbyists are questioning this claim. It seems that for many people, the big mistake in the Busy Bee is actually its RTF status. It is suggested often that the plane should really be ATF, or almost ready to fly. The reasoning seems to be that many hobbyists are finding that some slight changes have greatly increased the Busy Bee's performance.
However, others are finding the plane fine just as it is and blaming any performance flaws on their own shortcomings and not on the plane itself. Many of the reviewers have raved about the Busy Bee for it's out of the box performance. It seems that the plane is poised to take its place as a level two trainer designed for those ready to attempt some more complex flying maneuvers.
The question of RTF versus a more modifiable format is one that will always be present in RC flying. Some people just flat prefer tinkering and doing it their own way, while others just want to open the box and fly. The fact that so many reviewers reported on their own personal modifications seems to indicate that the Busy Bee RC plane might be one that can keep both sides of this issue happy.