This is the StevensAero SkyBuggy (300), the subject of my next build:

Planned setup:

This is my first ever balsa build, and the first time I’ll be trying to use covering film. Wish me luck!

The parts have arrived!

All the wooden parts laid out for a light sanding, per instructions.

Empennage

Completed sections of the horizontal stabilizer

Vertical stab and rudder

Fuselage

Got a fuselage half built

Interior ‘ladder’ forms fuselage bracing

Starting to get an idea of the size of the finished plane. (The Grolsh is included for scale.)

After several experimental runs on my new motor test stand, we settled on the AX 2308 N bell motor to propel the ‘Buggy through the air. Its lower kV seems to translate into higher efficiency and, hopefully, longer flight times. StevensAero estimates its flying weight at 12.5 ounces, so I should be getting better than 1:1 thrust with any of these setups.

The stick for the motor mount, measured, cut and glued.

Here’s where the motor goes.

A side view of the motor placement.

Here’s where *somebody* tore a hole in the side and tried to patch it up.

The windshield frame in place

I hit my first snag on the model at this point. The instructions call for a pair of magnets. Search as I might, I could not find any magnets in the kit. The solution seemed to me to be to replace the magnets with a few I had on hand. Unfortunately, none of mine were exactly the correct dimensions, so I was forced to drill out the holes a bit. This resulted in much unfortunate breakage to half of the latch mechanism. It’s more epoxy than wood at this point. There’s actually a second magnet sitting on top of the latch in this photo.