AMA Plans Service Showcase
Buttercup
An adorable sport model that you almost want to build big enough to sit inside
You won't need a lot of fancy tools to build this charming model. When Fred Reese dreamed up this little beauty more than 15 years ago, he wanted something small that would build quickly. From a table napkin on which he had been doodling, an outline revealed an airplane that had everything he wanted.
The aircraft was designed around a Cox .020 glow engine and had a 10-ounce goal weight. Plenty of dihedral was built into the wing so that rudder control would more than adequately steer the model.
It wasn't until Fred finished the aircraft with his favorite color of MonoKote that he dubbed the new design "Buttercup."
Fred especially liked the way the Buttercup flew. Back then he was flying only two channels, so when the engine screamed the model would loop from level flight and even do a decent barrel roll. The model was good for small fields, as long as there was a parking lot or baseball diamond on which it could land.
If you are contemplating your first building project, the Buttercup would be a great choice. The article and plans for this design were published in the June 1985 Model Aviation (MA), and full-size plans are available from the AMA Plans Service (see the advertisement on page 88).
You can find the construction article for the Buttercup (or any other favorite MA design) by searching AMA's Digital Archives, a members-only feature of the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org. A complete bill of materials is included with this set of plans.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
