74 MODEL AVIATION
Park View: Green RC Models Colorful Butterfly ARF
MICHAEL RAMSEY
The many features
and options make
this elegant slow flyer
as much a joy to look
at as it is to fly
Green RC Models USA caught my attention
at the iHobby Expo in Los Angeles,
California, last fall. Most of the aircraft the
company currently offers are those classified
as “park flyer” types, meaning they’re electric
powered and have a ready-to-fly weight of
less than 2 pounds. Being all wood, some
might think they would have to be small
models, but because the designs are so well
thought out, the engineering practices have
yielded larger aircraft.
Laser-cutting and high-quality
manufacturing principles have been exploited
to a new level. Such items as diagonal wingrib
construction, hollowed formers that are
lightened to within 4mm of the outer edge,
and zero-tolerance joinery are just a few
features that dominate Green RC’s models. If
you consider yourself a fine craftsman, you’ll
appreciate looking these airplanes over.
At first glance the Colorful Butterfly
Electric ARF seems like just another oldtimer-
looking cabin model. But this is “classic
made modern” and it has the bells and
whistles to go along with it.
This aircraft is not only a pleasure to fly,
but it’s one I’m proud to own. Just looking
through the transparent covering and clearplastic
dressings to marvel at the construction
is enough to make my leisure time with the
model satisfying.
Raising a Caterpillar: The Butterfly is
The floats’ open structure is sealed with
film covering available to match the five
color options. Clear-plastic gear legs play
visually with the strong mounting system.
Type: Park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Beginner
Wingspan: 47 inches
Wing area: 309.5 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 17 ounces
Wing loading: 7.9 ounces per square
foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
class with 5.3:1 gear reduction
Radio: Three channels (minimum), two
miniservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa and
plywood with molded clear-plastic
ornaments
Covering/finish: Lightweight
transparent film covering, available in a
choice of five colors
Price: $134.99 (basic), $190.98 (as
tested with options)
Specifications
available in one of five primary color
transparent-covering finishes: red, green,
yellow, purple, or blue. The basic model
includes a brushed motor/gearbox power
system, a 10-amp ESC, and an eight-cell
650 mAh battery pack. Two 9 x 6 slow-flyer
propellers (one is a spare part) are standard
equipment, as is all the hardware needed to
assemble this tail-dragger.
A feature I hope never to fully appreciate
is the complimentary patch kit. It is
apparently a bonus included in all Green RC
Models kits. The patch kit contains scrap
pieces of wood and a generous sample of
matching covering.
The Butterfly can be upgraded to include
flashing lights built into the wing for an
additional $11. Also available are floats for
$44.99, in the same five color choices. My
sample of the model included both of those
options.
The Butterfly is a three-channel model
that uses elevator, rudder, and throttle for
control. A four-channel microreceiver
weighing roughly 4-9 grams best fits the area
provided. The cutouts in the servo tray will
The Butterfly’s seaplane configuration
enhances the nostalgic look.
There’s no trick to flying
it off water.
The transparent film and clear-plastic
coverings make it easy to marvel
at the elegant construction.
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:24 AM Page 74+
• Beautiful construction and engineering.
• Modular components for easy
assembly and storage.
• High-quality materials and excellent
craftsmanship.
• Available in different colors with
optional strobe lights and float kit.
• Simple to fly.
• Readily available replacement parts
and upgrades (can be ordered on
Web site). -• Connectors between battery and ESC
are reversed. (Newer kits have been
revised.)
• The included ESC may not last too long.
Pluses and Minuses
Motor: Speed 370 and 5.3:1 gearbox
(included)
Battery: 9.6-volt, 650 mAh NiMH
(included)
Propeller: 9 x 6 SF (included)
Motor draw: 6.5 amps
Power output: 55 watts @ 9.0 volts
Radio system: Hitec Eclipse 7
transmitter, GWS 4P receiver, two
TowerPro SG-50 miniservos, 10A ESC
(included)
Ready-to-fly weight: 15.9 ounces
with landing gear, 18.5 ounces with
floats
Flight duration: Five to 10 minutes
Test- Model Details
The battery hatch is held secure with a
spring-loaded metal latch. Provided Velcro
straps secure the included 9.6-volt battery
in place.
No adhesive is required to assemble the Butterfly. The stock kit includes the
motor/gearbox, ESC, and battery. Wings with a built-in lighting system are an option.
An excellent use of materials can be recognized throughout,
including on the box where the five-step assembly instructions are
found.
The included motor system is smartly mounted to a shockabsorbing
motorstick. The molded clear-plastic parts are supplied
pretrimmed to fit.
Two 5-gram servos fit in the laser-cut
openings to control the rudder and
elevator. The micro four-channel receiver
is double-stick-taped in place.
Photos courtesy the author
accommodate almost any microservo that has
at least a 10-ounce torque rating. If you don’t
use a four-channel receiver, you’ll have to
provide a Y harness to split one of the
channels so power can be supplied to the wing
lights.
The box includes the separately wrapped
August 2006 75
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:53 AM Page 75assemblies and zip-lock-sealed parts bags.
The polyhedral wings are in two pieces that
are joined with a carbon-fiber spar. The
fuselage is in another bag, with the clearplastic
turtledeck and canopy temporarily
taped in place.
The tail surfaces are packaged together
and are supplied factory-finished with top
hinging that is integral with the covering. The
landing gear is 2mm hardened wire with
spoke wheels dyed to match the covering.
The thing that struck me funny about the
contents was the lack of paperwork. I thought,
“Where are the instructions?”
Then I took a good look at the box and
noticed the extensive amount of full-color
information, including the short five-step
instructions necessary to make the model
ready for the field. If this doesn’t prove the
point of how easy this model is to assemble, I
don’t know what could.
The information is all accurate. If this is
your first ARF I don’t think you’ll experience
any trouble putting this airplane together,
other than some big-hand fumbling I
experience when securing some of the tiny
screws.
There is no gluing involved with the
Butterfly. In fact, it can be disassembled for
shipping as easily as it can be readied for
flight.
I was happy with the alignment of all the
parts and didn’t find any need to custom-fit or
tweak. I won’t bore you with the assembly
process, but I will discuss the construction and
engineering features I found important.
The plywood-and-balsa fuselage is light
and strong. The formers and sidepieces key
together and are joined so tightly that only a
small amount of adhesive is needed. This is
another reason why Green RC Models
airplanes are so light. In my inspection I
found no instances of poor craftsmanship such
as drips of glue or gaps between parts.
Likewise, the framework was free of
warps and twists—faults that are often found
in lightweight wooden structures. Only in the
stabilizer/elevator did I find a minor twist that
I could have caused when I was touching up
some of the wrinkles in the covering. To
make the surfaces true again, all I had to do
was twist back the surfaces and take out the
wrinkles in the covering with the heat gun.
The clear-plastic parts that enclose the aft
turtledeck, forward canopy area, and cowling
are lightweight and already trimmed to fit.
They are mounted with 1mm screws provided
using the pinpoint laser-cut holes as guides for
their location.
The plastic is soft enough that no drilling
is necessary; just press the screws through the
plastic and drive them into the wood. There
are only eight screws to secure because
ingeniously the canopy and cowling share two
of the mounting points.
I used all the hardware that came with the
kit, right down to the nylon micro control
horns that fit so neatly into the control
surfaces’ predrilled hard points. The pushrods
are with threaded clevises, making the radio
setup operation and adjustment a snap.
The shock-absorbing stick motor mount is
preset to the exact length needed to support
the offset motor/gearbox included. Even the
ESC is already hardwired to the motor.
I needed to change the plugs around on the
connection between the ESC and the included
eight-cell battery. Continuity in the connectors
I use between aircraft is important to me, but
the way the plug arrangement came would
have worked fine. Typically the male Red JST
connector is on the battery, but in this case it
was wired with the female plug. I didn’t want
to modify my charge equipment, so instead I
swapped the connectors between the two
points.
The 10-amp ESC is a BEC type and has a
cutoff suitable for Ni-Cd and NiMH batteries.
If you choose the lighter Li-Poly batteries,
keep the ESC limitations in mind and
consider the extra ballast that will be needed
in the nose for the airplane to balance at a safe
CG location.
Although I used the included ESC for the
initial flight testing, the motor system
provided much less power than I would’ve
expected. I didn’t put a meter on the system,
which I’m sure would have proven my
layman findings. Instead I just swapped the
ESC with a fresh one waiting for a rainy day
in the spare-parts box.
Exchanging this component had the effect
of waking up the motor system and made a
significant flight-performance improvement. I
trust that Green RC Models would havereplaced the unit if I had made the company
aware of the problem.
Expect to spend at least an hour and a half
putting the Butterfly together—a little longer
if you install the floats at the same time.
Metamorphosis: What really sold me on this
model was the optional floats. Their stick-andformer
construction is so complementary it
seemed only natural to have them for this
aircraft. Even though the floats are a perfect
match for the Butterfly, I’m sure they could be
adapted to fit many other models in the same
weight class.
The size, weight, and undercambered
airfoil predictably contribute to wellmannered
handling qualities. Because of this I
jumped past the flight testing with the stock
landing gear and went straight to the seaplane
configuration. This was my second electric
model on floats, and I was confident that it
would do well.
On the water the Butterfly stands with a
high waterline. Part of me wishes that the
floats were perhaps an inch wider so the
model could sit higher above the water. As it
is, in windy conditions it’s possible that the
downwind float could sink just below the
surface, which would surely present handling
problems.
When I fly the Butterfly from the pond I
pick a calm day and stand on the downwind
side of the water. There’s no water rudder, so
sometimes I count on the breeze to aid in
retrieval of the model.
All the same, because of the efficient float
design the Butterfly isn’t on the water surface
long enough to worry about ground handling.
To take off, just hold full up-elevator, apply
full throttle smoothly, and watch the airplane
jump up on the step of the float. Reduce the
elevator input to a light pressure, ground
(water) speed quickly increases, and the
model flies effortlessly off the water.
As a three-channel airplane, aerobatic
performance is limited but positive in that the
model can be set up to be as gentile or agile as
a pilot wants. I crank up the control throws
because that’s the way I like it. Where the
model came to balance gives a slightly tailheavy
control feel, meaning it will drop a
wing, but only if the stall is induced violently
with too much control throw like I have it.
When my 8-year-old son flies the model, I
turn the high rates off and the airplane’s name
takes on true form.
The Butterfly’s high-lift airfoil allows the
model to fly slowly (i.e., “float like a
butterfly”). Landing it is a comfortable
process that can be done inside tight spaces if
necessary. This airplane has the ability to
“float” but also turn in a tight circle. So if a
straight-in approach isn’t ideal, a circular, or
similar shaped, landing-approach pattern can
be done.
I swapped out the floats for the plug-in
landing gear and enjoyed flying the model
even more. With a 2.5-ounce lighter wing
loading, the time-to-climb performance was
excellent. Those brushless-motor users out
there would have a hard time complaining
about the model’s power.
I keep the strobe lights plugged into the
receiver for every flight. They don’t seem to
limit the flight duration to any significant
level. The six LEDs flash in roughly halfsecond
intervals. The right wing’s lights are
red and the left wing has green lights.
In a pitch-black sky I don’t think flashing is
the ideal program for the light system. I’d like
to modify the lights so that they are steadily on
at all times. Early morning or late-evening dusk
conditions are ideal for this lighting system, so
I’m flying while others are packing to go home
because it’s too dark for them.
The Green RC Models USA Colorful
Butterfly Electric ARF is a sweet little model.
I recommend it to beginners and to those who
are looking for a high-quality, easy-to-fly RC
airplane. MA
Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Green RC Models USA
13909 Artesia Blvd.
Cerritos CA 90703
(562) 802-0680
www.greenmodelusa.com
Products Used in Review:
Eclipse 7 radio:
www.hitecrcd.com
GWS 4P receiver:
www.gws.com.tw
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 74,75,76,79
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 74,75,76,79
74 MODEL AVIATION
Park View: Green RC Models Colorful Butterfly ARF
MICHAEL RAMSEY
The many features
and options make
this elegant slow flyer
as much a joy to look
at as it is to fly
Green RC Models USA caught my attention
at the iHobby Expo in Los Angeles,
California, last fall. Most of the aircraft the
company currently offers are those classified
as “park flyer” types, meaning they’re electric
powered and have a ready-to-fly weight of
less than 2 pounds. Being all wood, some
might think they would have to be small
models, but because the designs are so well
thought out, the engineering practices have
yielded larger aircraft.
Laser-cutting and high-quality
manufacturing principles have been exploited
to a new level. Such items as diagonal wingrib
construction, hollowed formers that are
lightened to within 4mm of the outer edge,
and zero-tolerance joinery are just a few
features that dominate Green RC’s models. If
you consider yourself a fine craftsman, you’ll
appreciate looking these airplanes over.
At first glance the Colorful Butterfly
Electric ARF seems like just another oldtimer-
looking cabin model. But this is “classic
made modern” and it has the bells and
whistles to go along with it.
This aircraft is not only a pleasure to fly,
but it’s one I’m proud to own. Just looking
through the transparent covering and clearplastic
dressings to marvel at the construction
is enough to make my leisure time with the
model satisfying.
Raising a Caterpillar: The Butterfly is
The floats’ open structure is sealed with
film covering available to match the five
color options. Clear-plastic gear legs play
visually with the strong mounting system.
Type: Park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Beginner
Wingspan: 47 inches
Wing area: 309.5 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 17 ounces
Wing loading: 7.9 ounces per square
foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
class with 5.3:1 gear reduction
Radio: Three channels (minimum), two
miniservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa and
plywood with molded clear-plastic
ornaments
Covering/finish: Lightweight
transparent film covering, available in a
choice of five colors
Price: $134.99 (basic), $190.98 (as
tested with options)
Specifications
available in one of five primary color
transparent-covering finishes: red, green,
yellow, purple, or blue. The basic model
includes a brushed motor/gearbox power
system, a 10-amp ESC, and an eight-cell
650 mAh battery pack. Two 9 x 6 slow-flyer
propellers (one is a spare part) are standard
equipment, as is all the hardware needed to
assemble this tail-dragger.
A feature I hope never to fully appreciate
is the complimentary patch kit. It is
apparently a bonus included in all Green RC
Models kits. The patch kit contains scrap
pieces of wood and a generous sample of
matching covering.
The Butterfly can be upgraded to include
flashing lights built into the wing for an
additional $11. Also available are floats for
$44.99, in the same five color choices. My
sample of the model included both of those
options.
The Butterfly is a three-channel model
that uses elevator, rudder, and throttle for
control. A four-channel microreceiver
weighing roughly 4-9 grams best fits the area
provided. The cutouts in the servo tray will
The Butterfly’s seaplane configuration
enhances the nostalgic look.
There’s no trick to flying
it off water.
The transparent film and clear-plastic
coverings make it easy to marvel
at the elegant construction.
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:24 AM Page 74+
• Beautiful construction and engineering.
• Modular components for easy
assembly and storage.
• High-quality materials and excellent
craftsmanship.
• Available in different colors with
optional strobe lights and float kit.
• Simple to fly.
• Readily available replacement parts
and upgrades (can be ordered on
Web site). -• Connectors between battery and ESC
are reversed. (Newer kits have been
revised.)
• The included ESC may not last too long.
Pluses and Minuses
Motor: Speed 370 and 5.3:1 gearbox
(included)
Battery: 9.6-volt, 650 mAh NiMH
(included)
Propeller: 9 x 6 SF (included)
Motor draw: 6.5 amps
Power output: 55 watts @ 9.0 volts
Radio system: Hitec Eclipse 7
transmitter, GWS 4P receiver, two
TowerPro SG-50 miniservos, 10A ESC
(included)
Ready-to-fly weight: 15.9 ounces
with landing gear, 18.5 ounces with
floats
Flight duration: Five to 10 minutes
Test- Model Details
The battery hatch is held secure with a
spring-loaded metal latch. Provided Velcro
straps secure the included 9.6-volt battery
in place.
No adhesive is required to assemble the Butterfly. The stock kit includes the
motor/gearbox, ESC, and battery. Wings with a built-in lighting system are an option.
An excellent use of materials can be recognized throughout,
including on the box where the five-step assembly instructions are
found.
The included motor system is smartly mounted to a shockabsorbing
motorstick. The molded clear-plastic parts are supplied
pretrimmed to fit.
Two 5-gram servos fit in the laser-cut
openings to control the rudder and
elevator. The micro four-channel receiver
is double-stick-taped in place.
Photos courtesy the author
accommodate almost any microservo that has
at least a 10-ounce torque rating. If you don’t
use a four-channel receiver, you’ll have to
provide a Y harness to split one of the
channels so power can be supplied to the wing
lights.
The box includes the separately wrapped
August 2006 75
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:53 AM Page 75assemblies and zip-lock-sealed parts bags.
The polyhedral wings are in two pieces that
are joined with a carbon-fiber spar. The
fuselage is in another bag, with the clearplastic
turtledeck and canopy temporarily
taped in place.
The tail surfaces are packaged together
and are supplied factory-finished with top
hinging that is integral with the covering. The
landing gear is 2mm hardened wire with
spoke wheels dyed to match the covering.
The thing that struck me funny about the
contents was the lack of paperwork. I thought,
“Where are the instructions?”
Then I took a good look at the box and
noticed the extensive amount of full-color
information, including the short five-step
instructions necessary to make the model
ready for the field. If this doesn’t prove the
point of how easy this model is to assemble, I
don’t know what could.
The information is all accurate. If this is
your first ARF I don’t think you’ll experience
any trouble putting this airplane together,
other than some big-hand fumbling I
experience when securing some of the tiny
screws.
There is no gluing involved with the
Butterfly. In fact, it can be disassembled for
shipping as easily as it can be readied for
flight.
I was happy with the alignment of all the
parts and didn’t find any need to custom-fit or
tweak. I won’t bore you with the assembly
process, but I will discuss the construction and
engineering features I found important.
The plywood-and-balsa fuselage is light
and strong. The formers and sidepieces key
together and are joined so tightly that only a
small amount of adhesive is needed. This is
another reason why Green RC Models
airplanes are so light. In my inspection I
found no instances of poor craftsmanship such
as drips of glue or gaps between parts.
Likewise, the framework was free of
warps and twists—faults that are often found
in lightweight wooden structures. Only in the
stabilizer/elevator did I find a minor twist that
I could have caused when I was touching up
some of the wrinkles in the covering. To
make the surfaces true again, all I had to do
was twist back the surfaces and take out the
wrinkles in the covering with the heat gun.
The clear-plastic parts that enclose the aft
turtledeck, forward canopy area, and cowling
are lightweight and already trimmed to fit.
They are mounted with 1mm screws provided
using the pinpoint laser-cut holes as guides for
their location.
The plastic is soft enough that no drilling
is necessary; just press the screws through the
plastic and drive them into the wood. There
are only eight screws to secure because
ingeniously the canopy and cowling share two
of the mounting points.
I used all the hardware that came with the
kit, right down to the nylon micro control
horns that fit so neatly into the control
surfaces’ predrilled hard points. The pushrods
are with threaded clevises, making the radio
setup operation and adjustment a snap.
The shock-absorbing stick motor mount is
preset to the exact length needed to support
the offset motor/gearbox included. Even the
ESC is already hardwired to the motor.
I needed to change the plugs around on the
connection between the ESC and the included
eight-cell battery. Continuity in the connectors
I use between aircraft is important to me, but
the way the plug arrangement came would
have worked fine. Typically the male Red JST
connector is on the battery, but in this case it
was wired with the female plug. I didn’t want
to modify my charge equipment, so instead I
swapped the connectors between the two
points.
The 10-amp ESC is a BEC type and has a
cutoff suitable for Ni-Cd and NiMH batteries.
If you choose the lighter Li-Poly batteries,
keep the ESC limitations in mind and
consider the extra ballast that will be needed
in the nose for the airplane to balance at a safe
CG location.
Although I used the included ESC for the
initial flight testing, the motor system
provided much less power than I would’ve
expected. I didn’t put a meter on the system,
which I’m sure would have proven my
layman findings. Instead I just swapped the
ESC with a fresh one waiting for a rainy day
in the spare-parts box.
Exchanging this component had the effect
of waking up the motor system and made a
significant flight-performance improvement. I
trust that Green RC Models would havereplaced the unit if I had made the company
aware of the problem.
Expect to spend at least an hour and a half
putting the Butterfly together—a little longer
if you install the floats at the same time.
Metamorphosis: What really sold me on this
model was the optional floats. Their stick-andformer
construction is so complementary it
seemed only natural to have them for this
aircraft. Even though the floats are a perfect
match for the Butterfly, I’m sure they could be
adapted to fit many other models in the same
weight class.
The size, weight, and undercambered
airfoil predictably contribute to wellmannered
handling qualities. Because of this I
jumped past the flight testing with the stock
landing gear and went straight to the seaplane
configuration. This was my second electric
model on floats, and I was confident that it
would do well.
On the water the Butterfly stands with a
high waterline. Part of me wishes that the
floats were perhaps an inch wider so the
model could sit higher above the water. As it
is, in windy conditions it’s possible that the
downwind float could sink just below the
surface, which would surely present handling
problems.
When I fly the Butterfly from the pond I
pick a calm day and stand on the downwind
side of the water. There’s no water rudder, so
sometimes I count on the breeze to aid in
retrieval of the model.
All the same, because of the efficient float
design the Butterfly isn’t on the water surface
long enough to worry about ground handling.
To take off, just hold full up-elevator, apply
full throttle smoothly, and watch the airplane
jump up on the step of the float. Reduce the
elevator input to a light pressure, ground
(water) speed quickly increases, and the
model flies effortlessly off the water.
As a three-channel airplane, aerobatic
performance is limited but positive in that the
model can be set up to be as gentile or agile as
a pilot wants. I crank up the control throws
because that’s the way I like it. Where the
model came to balance gives a slightly tailheavy
control feel, meaning it will drop a
wing, but only if the stall is induced violently
with too much control throw like I have it.
When my 8-year-old son flies the model, I
turn the high rates off and the airplane’s name
takes on true form.
The Butterfly’s high-lift airfoil allows the
model to fly slowly (i.e., “float like a
butterfly”). Landing it is a comfortable
process that can be done inside tight spaces if
necessary. This airplane has the ability to
“float” but also turn in a tight circle. So if a
straight-in approach isn’t ideal, a circular, or
similar shaped, landing-approach pattern can
be done.
I swapped out the floats for the plug-in
landing gear and enjoyed flying the model
even more. With a 2.5-ounce lighter wing
loading, the time-to-climb performance was
excellent. Those brushless-motor users out
there would have a hard time complaining
about the model’s power.
I keep the strobe lights plugged into the
receiver for every flight. They don’t seem to
limit the flight duration to any significant
level. The six LEDs flash in roughly halfsecond
intervals. The right wing’s lights are
red and the left wing has green lights.
In a pitch-black sky I don’t think flashing is
the ideal program for the light system. I’d like
to modify the lights so that they are steadily on
at all times. Early morning or late-evening dusk
conditions are ideal for this lighting system, so
I’m flying while others are packing to go home
because it’s too dark for them.
The Green RC Models USA Colorful
Butterfly Electric ARF is a sweet little model.
I recommend it to beginners and to those who
are looking for a high-quality, easy-to-fly RC
airplane. MA
Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Green RC Models USA
13909 Artesia Blvd.
Cerritos CA 90703
(562) 802-0680
www.greenmodelusa.com
Products Used in Review:
Eclipse 7 radio:
www.hitecrcd.com
GWS 4P receiver:
www.gws.com.tw
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 74,75,76,79
74 MODEL AVIATION
Park View: Green RC Models Colorful Butterfly ARF
MICHAEL RAMSEY
The many features
and options make
this elegant slow flyer
as much a joy to look
at as it is to fly
Green RC Models USA caught my attention
at the iHobby Expo in Los Angeles,
California, last fall. Most of the aircraft the
company currently offers are those classified
as “park flyer” types, meaning they’re electric
powered and have a ready-to-fly weight of
less than 2 pounds. Being all wood, some
might think they would have to be small
models, but because the designs are so well
thought out, the engineering practices have
yielded larger aircraft.
Laser-cutting and high-quality
manufacturing principles have been exploited
to a new level. Such items as diagonal wingrib
construction, hollowed formers that are
lightened to within 4mm of the outer edge,
and zero-tolerance joinery are just a few
features that dominate Green RC’s models. If
you consider yourself a fine craftsman, you’ll
appreciate looking these airplanes over.
At first glance the Colorful Butterfly
Electric ARF seems like just another oldtimer-
looking cabin model. But this is “classic
made modern” and it has the bells and
whistles to go along with it.
This aircraft is not only a pleasure to fly,
but it’s one I’m proud to own. Just looking
through the transparent covering and clearplastic
dressings to marvel at the construction
is enough to make my leisure time with the
model satisfying.
Raising a Caterpillar: The Butterfly is
The floats’ open structure is sealed with
film covering available to match the five
color options. Clear-plastic gear legs play
visually with the strong mounting system.
Type: Park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Beginner
Wingspan: 47 inches
Wing area: 309.5 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 17 ounces
Wing loading: 7.9 ounces per square
foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
class with 5.3:1 gear reduction
Radio: Three channels (minimum), two
miniservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa and
plywood with molded clear-plastic
ornaments
Covering/finish: Lightweight
transparent film covering, available in a
choice of five colors
Price: $134.99 (basic), $190.98 (as
tested with options)
Specifications
available in one of five primary color
transparent-covering finishes: red, green,
yellow, purple, or blue. The basic model
includes a brushed motor/gearbox power
system, a 10-amp ESC, and an eight-cell
650 mAh battery pack. Two 9 x 6 slow-flyer
propellers (one is a spare part) are standard
equipment, as is all the hardware needed to
assemble this tail-dragger.
A feature I hope never to fully appreciate
is the complimentary patch kit. It is
apparently a bonus included in all Green RC
Models kits. The patch kit contains scrap
pieces of wood and a generous sample of
matching covering.
The Butterfly can be upgraded to include
flashing lights built into the wing for an
additional $11. Also available are floats for
$44.99, in the same five color choices. My
sample of the model included both of those
options.
The Butterfly is a three-channel model
that uses elevator, rudder, and throttle for
control. A four-channel microreceiver
weighing roughly 4-9 grams best fits the area
provided. The cutouts in the servo tray will
The Butterfly’s seaplane configuration
enhances the nostalgic look.
There’s no trick to flying
it off water.
The transparent film and clear-plastic
coverings make it easy to marvel
at the elegant construction.
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:24 AM Page 74+
• Beautiful construction and engineering.
• Modular components for easy
assembly and storage.
• High-quality materials and excellent
craftsmanship.
• Available in different colors with
optional strobe lights and float kit.
• Simple to fly.
• Readily available replacement parts
and upgrades (can be ordered on
Web site). -• Connectors between battery and ESC
are reversed. (Newer kits have been
revised.)
• The included ESC may not last too long.
Pluses and Minuses
Motor: Speed 370 and 5.3:1 gearbox
(included)
Battery: 9.6-volt, 650 mAh NiMH
(included)
Propeller: 9 x 6 SF (included)
Motor draw: 6.5 amps
Power output: 55 watts @ 9.0 volts
Radio system: Hitec Eclipse 7
transmitter, GWS 4P receiver, two
TowerPro SG-50 miniservos, 10A ESC
(included)
Ready-to-fly weight: 15.9 ounces
with landing gear, 18.5 ounces with
floats
Flight duration: Five to 10 minutes
Test- Model Details
The battery hatch is held secure with a
spring-loaded metal latch. Provided Velcro
straps secure the included 9.6-volt battery
in place.
No adhesive is required to assemble the Butterfly. The stock kit includes the
motor/gearbox, ESC, and battery. Wings with a built-in lighting system are an option.
An excellent use of materials can be recognized throughout,
including on the box where the five-step assembly instructions are
found.
The included motor system is smartly mounted to a shockabsorbing
motorstick. The molded clear-plastic parts are supplied
pretrimmed to fit.
Two 5-gram servos fit in the laser-cut
openings to control the rudder and
elevator. The micro four-channel receiver
is double-stick-taped in place.
Photos courtesy the author
accommodate almost any microservo that has
at least a 10-ounce torque rating. If you don’t
use a four-channel receiver, you’ll have to
provide a Y harness to split one of the
channels so power can be supplied to the wing
lights.
The box includes the separately wrapped
August 2006 75
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:53 AM Page 75assemblies and zip-lock-sealed parts bags.
The polyhedral wings are in two pieces that
are joined with a carbon-fiber spar. The
fuselage is in another bag, with the clearplastic
turtledeck and canopy temporarily
taped in place.
The tail surfaces are packaged together
and are supplied factory-finished with top
hinging that is integral with the covering. The
landing gear is 2mm hardened wire with
spoke wheels dyed to match the covering.
The thing that struck me funny about the
contents was the lack of paperwork. I thought,
“Where are the instructions?”
Then I took a good look at the box and
noticed the extensive amount of full-color
information, including the short five-step
instructions necessary to make the model
ready for the field. If this doesn’t prove the
point of how easy this model is to assemble, I
don’t know what could.
The information is all accurate. If this is
your first ARF I don’t think you’ll experience
any trouble putting this airplane together,
other than some big-hand fumbling I
experience when securing some of the tiny
screws.
There is no gluing involved with the
Butterfly. In fact, it can be disassembled for
shipping as easily as it can be readied for
flight.
I was happy with the alignment of all the
parts and didn’t find any need to custom-fit or
tweak. I won’t bore you with the assembly
process, but I will discuss the construction and
engineering features I found important.
The plywood-and-balsa fuselage is light
and strong. The formers and sidepieces key
together and are joined so tightly that only a
small amount of adhesive is needed. This is
another reason why Green RC Models
airplanes are so light. In my inspection I
found no instances of poor craftsmanship such
as drips of glue or gaps between parts.
Likewise, the framework was free of
warps and twists—faults that are often found
in lightweight wooden structures. Only in the
stabilizer/elevator did I find a minor twist that
I could have caused when I was touching up
some of the wrinkles in the covering. To
make the surfaces true again, all I had to do
was twist back the surfaces and take out the
wrinkles in the covering with the heat gun.
The clear-plastic parts that enclose the aft
turtledeck, forward canopy area, and cowling
are lightweight and already trimmed to fit.
They are mounted with 1mm screws provided
using the pinpoint laser-cut holes as guides for
their location.
The plastic is soft enough that no drilling
is necessary; just press the screws through the
plastic and drive them into the wood. There
are only eight screws to secure because
ingeniously the canopy and cowling share two
of the mounting points.
I used all the hardware that came with the
kit, right down to the nylon micro control
horns that fit so neatly into the control
surfaces’ predrilled hard points. The pushrods
are with threaded clevises, making the radio
setup operation and adjustment a snap.
The shock-absorbing stick motor mount is
preset to the exact length needed to support
the offset motor/gearbox included. Even the
ESC is already hardwired to the motor.
I needed to change the plugs around on the
connection between the ESC and the included
eight-cell battery. Continuity in the connectors
I use between aircraft is important to me, but
the way the plug arrangement came would
have worked fine. Typically the male Red JST
connector is on the battery, but in this case it
was wired with the female plug. I didn’t want
to modify my charge equipment, so instead I
swapped the connectors between the two
points.
The 10-amp ESC is a BEC type and has a
cutoff suitable for Ni-Cd and NiMH batteries.
If you choose the lighter Li-Poly batteries,
keep the ESC limitations in mind and
consider the extra ballast that will be needed
in the nose for the airplane to balance at a safe
CG location.
Although I used the included ESC for the
initial flight testing, the motor system
provided much less power than I would’ve
expected. I didn’t put a meter on the system,
which I’m sure would have proven my
layman findings. Instead I just swapped the
ESC with a fresh one waiting for a rainy day
in the spare-parts box.
Exchanging this component had the effect
of waking up the motor system and made a
significant flight-performance improvement. I
trust that Green RC Models would havereplaced the unit if I had made the company
aware of the problem.
Expect to spend at least an hour and a half
putting the Butterfly together—a little longer
if you install the floats at the same time.
Metamorphosis: What really sold me on this
model was the optional floats. Their stick-andformer
construction is so complementary it
seemed only natural to have them for this
aircraft. Even though the floats are a perfect
match for the Butterfly, I’m sure they could be
adapted to fit many other models in the same
weight class.
The size, weight, and undercambered
airfoil predictably contribute to wellmannered
handling qualities. Because of this I
jumped past the flight testing with the stock
landing gear and went straight to the seaplane
configuration. This was my second electric
model on floats, and I was confident that it
would do well.
On the water the Butterfly stands with a
high waterline. Part of me wishes that the
floats were perhaps an inch wider so the
model could sit higher above the water. As it
is, in windy conditions it’s possible that the
downwind float could sink just below the
surface, which would surely present handling
problems.
When I fly the Butterfly from the pond I
pick a calm day and stand on the downwind
side of the water. There’s no water rudder, so
sometimes I count on the breeze to aid in
retrieval of the model.
All the same, because of the efficient float
design the Butterfly isn’t on the water surface
long enough to worry about ground handling.
To take off, just hold full up-elevator, apply
full throttle smoothly, and watch the airplane
jump up on the step of the float. Reduce the
elevator input to a light pressure, ground
(water) speed quickly increases, and the
model flies effortlessly off the water.
As a three-channel airplane, aerobatic
performance is limited but positive in that the
model can be set up to be as gentile or agile as
a pilot wants. I crank up the control throws
because that’s the way I like it. Where the
model came to balance gives a slightly tailheavy
control feel, meaning it will drop a
wing, but only if the stall is induced violently
with too much control throw like I have it.
When my 8-year-old son flies the model, I
turn the high rates off and the airplane’s name
takes on true form.
The Butterfly’s high-lift airfoil allows the
model to fly slowly (i.e., “float like a
butterfly”). Landing it is a comfortable
process that can be done inside tight spaces if
necessary. This airplane has the ability to
“float” but also turn in a tight circle. So if a
straight-in approach isn’t ideal, a circular, or
similar shaped, landing-approach pattern can
be done.
I swapped out the floats for the plug-in
landing gear and enjoyed flying the model
even more. With a 2.5-ounce lighter wing
loading, the time-to-climb performance was
excellent. Those brushless-motor users out
there would have a hard time complaining
about the model’s power.
I keep the strobe lights plugged into the
receiver for every flight. They don’t seem to
limit the flight duration to any significant
level. The six LEDs flash in roughly halfsecond
intervals. The right wing’s lights are
red and the left wing has green lights.
In a pitch-black sky I don’t think flashing is
the ideal program for the light system. I’d like
to modify the lights so that they are steadily on
at all times. Early morning or late-evening dusk
conditions are ideal for this lighting system, so
I’m flying while others are packing to go home
because it’s too dark for them.
The Green RC Models USA Colorful
Butterfly Electric ARF is a sweet little model.
I recommend it to beginners and to those who
are looking for a high-quality, easy-to-fly RC
airplane. MA
Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Green RC Models USA
13909 Artesia Blvd.
Cerritos CA 90703
(562) 802-0680
www.greenmodelusa.com
Products Used in Review:
Eclipse 7 radio:
www.hitecrcd.com
GWS 4P receiver:
www.gws.com.tw
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 74,75,76,79
74 MODEL AVIATION
Park View: Green RC Models Colorful Butterfly ARF
MICHAEL RAMSEY
The many features
and options make
this elegant slow flyer
as much a joy to look
at as it is to fly
Green RC Models USA caught my attention
at the iHobby Expo in Los Angeles,
California, last fall. Most of the aircraft the
company currently offers are those classified
as “park flyer” types, meaning they’re electric
powered and have a ready-to-fly weight of
less than 2 pounds. Being all wood, some
might think they would have to be small
models, but because the designs are so well
thought out, the engineering practices have
yielded larger aircraft.
Laser-cutting and high-quality
manufacturing principles have been exploited
to a new level. Such items as diagonal wingrib
construction, hollowed formers that are
lightened to within 4mm of the outer edge,
and zero-tolerance joinery are just a few
features that dominate Green RC’s models. If
you consider yourself a fine craftsman, you’ll
appreciate looking these airplanes over.
At first glance the Colorful Butterfly
Electric ARF seems like just another oldtimer-
looking cabin model. But this is “classic
made modern” and it has the bells and
whistles to go along with it.
This aircraft is not only a pleasure to fly,
but it’s one I’m proud to own. Just looking
through the transparent covering and clearplastic
dressings to marvel at the construction
is enough to make my leisure time with the
model satisfying.
Raising a Caterpillar: The Butterfly is
The floats’ open structure is sealed with
film covering available to match the five
color options. Clear-plastic gear legs play
visually with the strong mounting system.
Type: Park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Beginner
Wingspan: 47 inches
Wing area: 309.5 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 17 ounces
Wing loading: 7.9 ounces per square
foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
class with 5.3:1 gear reduction
Radio: Three channels (minimum), two
miniservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa and
plywood with molded clear-plastic
ornaments
Covering/finish: Lightweight
transparent film covering, available in a
choice of five colors
Price: $134.99 (basic), $190.98 (as
tested with options)
Specifications
available in one of five primary color
transparent-covering finishes: red, green,
yellow, purple, or blue. The basic model
includes a brushed motor/gearbox power
system, a 10-amp ESC, and an eight-cell
650 mAh battery pack. Two 9 x 6 slow-flyer
propellers (one is a spare part) are standard
equipment, as is all the hardware needed to
assemble this tail-dragger.
A feature I hope never to fully appreciate
is the complimentary patch kit. It is
apparently a bonus included in all Green RC
Models kits. The patch kit contains scrap
pieces of wood and a generous sample of
matching covering.
The Butterfly can be upgraded to include
flashing lights built into the wing for an
additional $11. Also available are floats for
$44.99, in the same five color choices. My
sample of the model included both of those
options.
The Butterfly is a three-channel model
that uses elevator, rudder, and throttle for
control. A four-channel microreceiver
weighing roughly 4-9 grams best fits the area
provided. The cutouts in the servo tray will
The Butterfly’s seaplane configuration
enhances the nostalgic look.
There’s no trick to flying
it off water.
The transparent film and clear-plastic
coverings make it easy to marvel
at the elegant construction.
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:24 AM Page 74+
• Beautiful construction and engineering.
• Modular components for easy
assembly and storage.
• High-quality materials and excellent
craftsmanship.
• Available in different colors with
optional strobe lights and float kit.
• Simple to fly.
• Readily available replacement parts
and upgrades (can be ordered on
Web site). -• Connectors between battery and ESC
are reversed. (Newer kits have been
revised.)
• The included ESC may not last too long.
Pluses and Minuses
Motor: Speed 370 and 5.3:1 gearbox
(included)
Battery: 9.6-volt, 650 mAh NiMH
(included)
Propeller: 9 x 6 SF (included)
Motor draw: 6.5 amps
Power output: 55 watts @ 9.0 volts
Radio system: Hitec Eclipse 7
transmitter, GWS 4P receiver, two
TowerPro SG-50 miniservos, 10A ESC
(included)
Ready-to-fly weight: 15.9 ounces
with landing gear, 18.5 ounces with
floats
Flight duration: Five to 10 minutes
Test- Model Details
The battery hatch is held secure with a
spring-loaded metal latch. Provided Velcro
straps secure the included 9.6-volt battery
in place.
No adhesive is required to assemble the Butterfly. The stock kit includes the
motor/gearbox, ESC, and battery. Wings with a built-in lighting system are an option.
An excellent use of materials can be recognized throughout,
including on the box where the five-step assembly instructions are
found.
The included motor system is smartly mounted to a shockabsorbing
motorstick. The molded clear-plastic parts are supplied
pretrimmed to fit.
Two 5-gram servos fit in the laser-cut
openings to control the rudder and
elevator. The micro four-channel receiver
is double-stick-taped in place.
Photos courtesy the author
accommodate almost any microservo that has
at least a 10-ounce torque rating. If you don’t
use a four-channel receiver, you’ll have to
provide a Y harness to split one of the
channels so power can be supplied to the wing
lights.
The box includes the separately wrapped
August 2006 75
08sig3.QXD 6/23/06 11:53 AM Page 75assemblies and zip-lock-sealed parts bags.
The polyhedral wings are in two pieces that
are joined with a carbon-fiber spar. The
fuselage is in another bag, with the clearplastic
turtledeck and canopy temporarily
taped in place.
The tail surfaces are packaged together
and are supplied factory-finished with top
hinging that is integral with the covering. The
landing gear is 2mm hardened wire with
spoke wheels dyed to match the covering.
The thing that struck me funny about the
contents was the lack of paperwork. I thought,
“Where are the instructions?”
Then I took a good look at the box and
noticed the extensive amount of full-color
information, including the short five-step
instructions necessary to make the model
ready for the field. If this doesn’t prove the
point of how easy this model is to assemble, I
don’t know what could.
The information is all accurate. If this is
your first ARF I don’t think you’ll experience
any trouble putting this airplane together,
other than some big-hand fumbling I
experience when securing some of the tiny
screws.
There is no gluing involved with the
Butterfly. In fact, it can be disassembled for
shipping as easily as it can be readied for
flight.
I was happy with the alignment of all the
parts and didn’t find any need to custom-fit or
tweak. I won’t bore you with the assembly
process, but I will discuss the construction and
engineering features I found important.
The plywood-and-balsa fuselage is light
and strong. The formers and sidepieces key
together and are joined so tightly that only a
small amount of adhesive is needed. This is
another reason why Green RC Models
airplanes are so light. In my inspection I
found no instances of poor craftsmanship such
as drips of glue or gaps between parts.
Likewise, the framework was free of
warps and twists—faults that are often found
in lightweight wooden structures. Only in the
stabilizer/elevator did I find a minor twist that
I could have caused when I was touching up
some of the wrinkles in the covering. To
make the surfaces true again, all I had to do
was twist back the surfaces and take out the
wrinkles in the covering with the heat gun.
The clear-plastic parts that enclose the aft
turtledeck, forward canopy area, and cowling
are lightweight and already trimmed to fit.
They are mounted with 1mm screws provided
using the pinpoint laser-cut holes as guides for
their location.
The plastic is soft enough that no drilling
is necessary; just press the screws through the
plastic and drive them into the wood. There
are only eight screws to secure because
ingeniously the canopy and cowling share two
of the mounting points.
I used all the hardware that came with the
kit, right down to the nylon micro control
horns that fit so neatly into the control
surfaces’ predrilled hard points. The pushrods
are with threaded clevises, making the radio
setup operation and adjustment a snap.
The shock-absorbing stick motor mount is
preset to the exact length needed to support
the offset motor/gearbox included. Even the
ESC is already hardwired to the motor.
I needed to change the plugs around on the
connection between the ESC and the included
eight-cell battery. Continuity in the connectors
I use between aircraft is important to me, but
the way the plug arrangement came would
have worked fine. Typically the male Red JST
connector is on the battery, but in this case it
was wired with the female plug. I didn’t want
to modify my charge equipment, so instead I
swapped the connectors between the two
points.
The 10-amp ESC is a BEC type and has a
cutoff suitable for Ni-Cd and NiMH batteries.
If you choose the lighter Li-Poly batteries,
keep the ESC limitations in mind and
consider the extra ballast that will be needed
in the nose for the airplane to balance at a safe
CG location.
Although I used the included ESC for the
initial flight testing, the motor system
provided much less power than I would’ve
expected. I didn’t put a meter on the system,
which I’m sure would have proven my
layman findings. Instead I just swapped the
ESC with a fresh one waiting for a rainy day
in the spare-parts box.
Exchanging this component had the effect
of waking up the motor system and made a
significant flight-performance improvement. I
trust that Green RC Models would havereplaced the unit if I had made the company
aware of the problem.
Expect to spend at least an hour and a half
putting the Butterfly together—a little longer
if you install the floats at the same time.
Metamorphosis: What really sold me on this
model was the optional floats. Their stick-andformer
construction is so complementary it
seemed only natural to have them for this
aircraft. Even though the floats are a perfect
match for the Butterfly, I’m sure they could be
adapted to fit many other models in the same
weight class.
The size, weight, and undercambered
airfoil predictably contribute to wellmannered
handling qualities. Because of this I
jumped past the flight testing with the stock
landing gear and went straight to the seaplane
configuration. This was my second electric
model on floats, and I was confident that it
would do well.
On the water the Butterfly stands with a
high waterline. Part of me wishes that the
floats were perhaps an inch wider so the
model could sit higher above the water. As it
is, in windy conditions it’s possible that the
downwind float could sink just below the
surface, which would surely present handling
problems.
When I fly the Butterfly from the pond I
pick a calm day and stand on the downwind
side of the water. There’s no water rudder, so
sometimes I count on the breeze to aid in
retrieval of the model.
All the same, because of the efficient float
design the Butterfly isn’t on the water surface
long enough to worry about ground handling.
To take off, just hold full up-elevator, apply
full throttle smoothly, and watch the airplane
jump up on the step of the float. Reduce the
elevator input to a light pressure, ground
(water) speed quickly increases, and the
model flies effortlessly off the water.
As a three-channel airplane, aerobatic
performance is limited but positive in that the
model can be set up to be as gentile or agile as
a pilot wants. I crank up the control throws
because that’s the way I like it. Where the
model came to balance gives a slightly tailheavy
control feel, meaning it will drop a
wing, but only if the stall is induced violently
with too much control throw like I have it.
When my 8-year-old son flies the model, I
turn the high rates off and the airplane’s name
takes on true form.
The Butterfly’s high-lift airfoil allows the
model to fly slowly (i.e., “float like a
butterfly”). Landing it is a comfortable
process that can be done inside tight spaces if
necessary. This airplane has the ability to
“float” but also turn in a tight circle. So if a
straight-in approach isn’t ideal, a circular, or
similar shaped, landing-approach pattern can
be done.
I swapped out the floats for the plug-in
landing gear and enjoyed flying the model
even more. With a 2.5-ounce lighter wing
loading, the time-to-climb performance was
excellent. Those brushless-motor users out
there would have a hard time complaining
about the model’s power.
I keep the strobe lights plugged into the
receiver for every flight. They don’t seem to
limit the flight duration to any significant
level. The six LEDs flash in roughly halfsecond
intervals. The right wing’s lights are
red and the left wing has green lights.
In a pitch-black sky I don’t think flashing is
the ideal program for the light system. I’d like
to modify the lights so that they are steadily on
at all times. Early morning or late-evening dusk
conditions are ideal for this lighting system, so
I’m flying while others are packing to go home
because it’s too dark for them.
The Green RC Models USA Colorful
Butterfly Electric ARF is a sweet little model.
I recommend it to beginners and to those who
are looking for a high-quality, easy-to-fly RC
airplane. MA
Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Green RC Models USA
13909 Artesia Blvd.
Cerritos CA 90703
(562) 802-0680
www.greenmodelusa.com
Products Used in Review:
Eclipse 7 radio:
www.hitecrcd.com
GWS 4P receiver:
www.gws.com.tw