• Wing Span: 99 in (251 cm)
• Wing Area: 916 sq in (5910 cm²)
• Length: 48.5 in (123 cm)
• Weight: 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg)
• Engine: .15 - .20 2 - cycle
  (2.5 cc - 3.3 cc 2 - cycle)
  
• 3 Servos required

The Butterfly has been around a long time and is a proven flyer. It is ideal for anyone who wants to learn or to just have fun. It is basically a glider with a motor mounted on the front. This is about all the good things that can be said for this model.

The quality of the kit is one of the worst that has ever been encountered based on a large number of kits that have been built over the years. The price asked for this kit and the quality of the kit is way out of balance. The problems that were encountered and steps taken to improve on them will be covered. Most kits manufactured that are in the price range of this kit come with a fairly decent hardware package but not this one. There were no control rods of any kind even though Ny-Rods are shown being used. Also, the instructions show a tube installed inside the fuselage for routing the antenna wire but again no tube is provided. There was no motor mount nor hinges provided. The control horns were different from any other that has encountered so a more common type was substituted.

The fuselage formers were cut about a 1/16" too small requiring that they be reworked so they would fit properly. A piece of scrap balsa was glued to the bottoms of the formers and sanded to fit the fuselage sides. Some of the wood that was used for the ribs was poor quality and broke very easily when sanded making it necessary to make even more repairs during construction. It is advisable to discard any ribs that are questionable and make replacements. The ribs are die cut but did not have the 1/8" notches for the turbulator spars requiring that the building cut the notches. There is a statement in the instructions that says that the manufacturer has not found a good way to cut the notches but other manufacturers do not seem to have this problem. Some of the wood for the stabilizer had to be replaced because it was cut at a taper. This paints a very bad picture of this kit but it is not intended to deter a builder from attempting to build this model. The final product is a very gentle and fun to fly airplane.

By knowing the problems in advance, they can easily be corrected. Since the hardware that was provided was inadequate and incomplete, some hardware had to be purchased which added to the cost of the kit. Since many builders upgrade the contents of a kit, this was not a problem. The turbulator spars were changed from 1/8" square to 1/8" x 1/4" for additional strength. A 1/16" music wire is added to the joint at the polyhedral to add strength. This may be adequate if the recommended size engine is used but the design was changed because use of a larger engine was planned. After the proper dihedral was set at the polyhedral, a 1/8" plywood doubler was made, slots were cut in the ribs, and the doubler was glued it in place. Finally, two (2) additional shear webs were installed.

The landing gear is designed so that it is not removable which is unacceptable for this type model. A little modification using landing gear straps solved this problem. The receiver battery is placed below the tank, but there is no opening in the former for the plug to reach your receiver. A hole cut must be cut before assembly to provide access to the receiver. Ny-Rod push rods were use for the elevator and rudder. The outer tube was secured at three (3) points to reduce flexing of the rods.

The Butterfly has a lot of flaws while irritating, are not difficult to correct. The end result is worth the effort. The result is big airplane that is powered by a small, inexpensive engine. If fun is not judged by the speed of the model then this will be an enjoyable plane.

UPDATE: The new version of the Butterfly has been greatly improved. Great Planes is now the distributor of the model and it is apparent. The box still has the Dynaflite label but that is where the similarity ends. The quality of the wood is excellent. The 1/8" slots for the turbulator spars are now cut into the ribs. The die-cutting is clean. All of the required hardware is included except the motor mount and hinges. The kit is now worth the price and is highly recommended as long as the new edition is purchased rather than the old.