AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
01-10-2006, 06:31 PM
#151
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to have a phoenix models sukhio su 31. No doubt in my mind for 75 quid it was the best model I ever flown. I loved my phoenix model Sukhio so much I started to take it to bed with me at night. My wife got very jealous and gave me an ultimatum!" It was her or the Sukhio. I decided for the sake of the kids I would have to break up my afair with the Sukhio, or should I say brake it up. One beautiful November day my Sukhio was flying around in the sky and having a whale of a time. Then when it was least expecting it I stuck it in to a vicious spin which I new it couldn't recover from. It broke my heart . I can still see it's little face starring at me as it spun in, as if to say"why are you doing this to me piestalker you fat barsteward.
01-10-2006, 07:16 PM
#152
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Guys i read the whole tread greta work, it would be nice to have a list like the one on page 2 i think where you have plane name manufacturer and flaw.
i have build 0nly a piper cub from a kit and a norman islander. the rest are and have been arf.
all of them have benn good for me ... i put them on floats and they also worked good. crasheed them several timeas fixed them and there they go again.
i usually check the whole structure before doing any put together re glue some parts and clea others.
i live in colombia so it is not easy to get new palnes everytime i crash so i learned the hard way to fixex them.
see them at www.cybul.com i thank ythe forum users on thge lancair , i reinforced the wing before flying th efirst time becuse i read it was breaking i fly it hard and land hard and is still do9ing its thing
any way i hope to start buolding from scratch since most planesa are not made in arf mode.
regards
david
i have build 0nly a piper cub from a kit and a norman islander. the rest are and have been arf.
all of them have benn good for me ... i put them on floats and they also worked good. crasheed them several timeas fixed them and there they go again.
i usually check the whole structure before doing any put together re glue some parts and clea others.
i live in colombia so it is not easy to get new palnes everytime i crash so i learned the hard way to fixex them.
see them at www.cybul.com i thank ythe forum users on thge lancair , i reinforced the wing before flying th efirst time becuse i read it was breaking i fly it hard and land hard and is still do9ing its thing
any way i hope to start buolding from scratch since most planesa are not made in arf mode.
regards
david
01-12-2006, 08:18 PM
#153
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow,read this thread and you'll end up avoiding all ARF's. Where is the thread that tells you which ones are the good ones
01-27-2006, 01:39 AM
#154
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
most of the time you goet what you pay for, i cant say how many people ive seen taht have gone out to a junk sale at the local fair gorunds, and come back with a 50$ plane hopeing to fly it... most of the time, they are in experianced, so the plane is out of balance, and the pilot is severly... well lets just say hindered (as not to offend). However i have managed to get a few of them to hand it , and the controls over to me so i can do a little "work" on it.. most of the time though, i fly it, and manage a 2 minute run, and thne hand it over to its death. But back to the topic, most airplanes abouve 100 dollars usually end up good, unfortunately there are a few instances where a flaw in the construction, or design can cause a problem. I had a small wattage cub that never flew, and i spent more on repairs then i did on it alone.. but i eventually found out that the motor was severely malformedd, and that i could only turn about a quarter of the need speed to sustain flight. My advice is to thouroughly check the aircraft, and see if there is anything that seems suspicious.. most of the time you will never have a problem, and if you do see a possible falw, either find a way to fix it, or get a different plane.
02-07-2006, 08:22 PM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi guys. Just like to start by saying this is the best modelling web site on the internet. I just can't stay off it. Anyway, ive been looking for a new ARF for some time now and have made myself a list of about 10 contenders. After reading the user reviews and checking out the forum ive whittled this down to none. All of them have been slagged off for having very poor build quality or flying like an anvil. Ive had a few ARF's in the past and they all died a spectacular death ( Kyosho ME109 split the fuz from nose to tail after a bumpy landing, oh how i laughed). The only one that has survived is the model tech (yt international in the UK) Magic fun fly. Mine has more air miles on it than the space shuttle and it still looks as good as the day i bought it. I will say i did have the same problems building it as mentioned in this forum ( tank position, undercarrage etc). The only model im considering now is the ARC Cardinal. I had the ARC ready trainer about 5 years ago and it was fantastic. Its like a giant Airfix kit and it flew on rails. Being made of plastic you dont have to worry about sagging covering or crap wood. She was a bit heavy compared to my mates TT trainer bit then again mine didnt require sticking back together after every flight. I would love to hear from any Cardinal owners reguarding building,flying and engine recomendations. Cheers fellas.
02-07-2006, 09:32 PM
#157
RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be careful what you post on this thread. You don't want to get the moderators down on you. "Some pigs are more equal than others".
05-21-2006, 02:39 PM
#158
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
hello group,
Buying any arf just saves me some building time, and many planes aren't offered as kits anymore, at least not very good ones. I strip off the factory arf covering, reinforce where necessary (always at least the cowl area, main spar, retract bays), throw out the cheap hardware and finish up the plane. I like to balsarite the wood before attaching ultracote. that way it stays put. I fly off grass so that usually means bigger wheels. I usually replace the stock fuel tank with a name brand, larger one. Even so, I usually save a little money over building from a kit.
Smackdown
Buying any arf just saves me some building time, and many planes aren't offered as kits anymore, at least not very good ones. I strip off the factory arf covering, reinforce where necessary (always at least the cowl area, main spar, retract bays), throw out the cheap hardware and finish up the plane. I like to balsarite the wood before attaching ultracote. that way it stays put. I fly off grass so that usually means bigger wheels. I usually replace the stock fuel tank with a name brand, larger one. Even so, I usually save a little money over building from a kit.
Smackdown
05-25-2006, 03:13 PM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bit the bullet and own a couple arf's.I am about to maiden flight the hanger 9 funtana 40 ..I also built a seagull model laser 200.I still enjoy building and admire anyone who can scratch build.we have a guy in our club that is hands down one of the best I come upon.he built a gulfhawk from plans he had over 40 years and even made his own retracts.awesome.as for me I am an average builder but try finding kits ..its harder and harder.I sense the cmpro and giant scale stuff on ebay is well ...lets say you get what you pay for..the arf's I do or would buy are ones that would be difficult to build from a kit provided you could get it..admittedly I went thru and beefed up some areas.my big pet peeve is that the landing gears are usually flimsy and quickly give out even on soft landings.
05-25-2006, 10:20 PM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow,read this thread and you'll end up avoiding all ARF's. Where is the thread that tells you which ones are the good ones
Not so taken on the greatplanes CAP 21 though.
05-26-2006, 01:43 PM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
I built wayback a greatplanes cap.it was ok but agree not so hot... my eye is on that new filton edge.admittedly its arf but a good one.. and I have the itch to do another cub.this time a clipped wing with hazel sig's sunburst in blue and white ..
07-27-2006, 08:20 PM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well here goes with my half-a-bubble-off comments. I got into flying electric just before I deployed to Iraq a couple of years ago. My instructor has flown for a few years and did an excellent job with me. I bought a Kadet LC-40 complete used from him and all the flight gear to make it go when we got back from the desert. He worked with me on a buddy boxfor most of last year and some this spring. I felt perfectly safe flying my electric by myself but not the gasser. He got me into SPADs and I built a couple Debonairs. He flew them nicely but I had trouble with them both. I ended up crashing them both trying to fly in too much wind. (oops) I built a SPADET straight from the plans on SPAD to the bone and have solo'd on it and have 35 flights on it. I also have bought a few ARFs (balsa) and have flown one of them. There is a diffence between balsa and SPAD but I think it is up to the pilot to learn their quirks. Just my 2 cents.
07-27-2006, 08:27 PM
#163
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, here's another one...
Early Spring a year ago, I purchased a 40-46 sized Chipmunk ARF at a good price off eBAY.
The model was from a Chinese company, the name now escapes me. However, the quality of the airplane was self-evident or so I thought.
After mounting a new SK-50 2-stroker in the nose, balancing and fueling up, I took it to our local field for initial taxi trials. While the engine was broken in gently, the airframe suffered the consequence. After 1 hour of off and on running, the plane began to wobble so I shut everything down and re-examined the landing gear. Here is where the story begins.
I discovered that the 5/32†gear legs were flopping forward and aft in the bearing blocks. I stripped away just enough balsa skin to reveal them and was greeted with hardwood. So far, so good. The Chipmunk has a rather thin airfoil so I was not surprised when I shone a light into the upright bearing to see the underside of the top sheeting staring me in the face. Evidently, the bearing block to secure the upright portion of the wire leg was less than ½â€.
Disgusted with the thing, I took it home and hung it up without even wiping it down and draining the fuel tank.
Fast forward to this week, over a year later….
My Dad expressed interest in returning to flying so I took the Chipmunk down, dusted it off and commenced to re-examine everything. This has always been his favorite RC model. I considered several different approaches to attacking the problem of the bearing blocks but finally settled on chopping my way into the wing panels to reveal exactly what was underneath. I removed top and bottom, wing skins from the main spar to the leading edge stock. I sanded all the skins away from the ribs and the ¼†square balsa leading stringer. Not much in there, no sir-ree.
What I found was a spruce,(or equivalent) block, ¼†x 4†supported by 3 ribs, 1/16†lite-ply and nothing else. Reinforcement was provided by 4, 1/4†soft balsa triangles set crooked on the block and not even engaging the ribs themselves. Had I not peeled the skinning away, even the softest of landings would have pushed the blocks right up through the top of the wing. So much for value.
I have several Balsa USA grooved maple landing gear stock pieces on hand and these will provide for the replacement bearings. Pre-grooved for 5/32â€, they only need be cut to length and installed. The upright bearing pieces will be drilled, 5/8†diameter dowels from hardwood. The diameter of the drilled holes to be slightly less than 5/32†to insure a snug fit with no slop. I plan on sanding a flat on the dowels to provide maximum surface area for epoxying to the ribs. However before that step, new rib pieces cut from 5-ply birch aircraft grade plywood will be inserted along with 2 additional false ribs to support the load. These all will be 1/8†thickness. Spruce wood triangle stock will be epoxied on the reverse sides to hold everything rigid. A re-skin of 3/32†balsa will dress it all up followed by a complete recover of the wing with Ultracote white.
Anyone buying Oriental ARF’s should seriously consider a close scrutiny of the critical parts of their models. Firewalls, landing gear plates, etc., all appear to be areas that these manufacturers are skimping on.
PM
Early Spring a year ago, I purchased a 40-46 sized Chipmunk ARF at a good price off eBAY.
The model was from a Chinese company, the name now escapes me. However, the quality of the airplane was self-evident or so I thought.
After mounting a new SK-50 2-stroker in the nose, balancing and fueling up, I took it to our local field for initial taxi trials. While the engine was broken in gently, the airframe suffered the consequence. After 1 hour of off and on running, the plane began to wobble so I shut everything down and re-examined the landing gear. Here is where the story begins.
I discovered that the 5/32†gear legs were flopping forward and aft in the bearing blocks. I stripped away just enough balsa skin to reveal them and was greeted with hardwood. So far, so good. The Chipmunk has a rather thin airfoil so I was not surprised when I shone a light into the upright bearing to see the underside of the top sheeting staring me in the face. Evidently, the bearing block to secure the upright portion of the wire leg was less than ½â€.
Disgusted with the thing, I took it home and hung it up without even wiping it down and draining the fuel tank.
Fast forward to this week, over a year later….
My Dad expressed interest in returning to flying so I took the Chipmunk down, dusted it off and commenced to re-examine everything. This has always been his favorite RC model. I considered several different approaches to attacking the problem of the bearing blocks but finally settled on chopping my way into the wing panels to reveal exactly what was underneath. I removed top and bottom, wing skins from the main spar to the leading edge stock. I sanded all the skins away from the ribs and the ¼†square balsa leading stringer. Not much in there, no sir-ree.
What I found was a spruce,(or equivalent) block, ¼†x 4†supported by 3 ribs, 1/16†lite-ply and nothing else. Reinforcement was provided by 4, 1/4†soft balsa triangles set crooked on the block and not even engaging the ribs themselves. Had I not peeled the skinning away, even the softest of landings would have pushed the blocks right up through the top of the wing. So much for value.
I have several Balsa USA grooved maple landing gear stock pieces on hand and these will provide for the replacement bearings. Pre-grooved for 5/32â€, they only need be cut to length and installed. The upright bearing pieces will be drilled, 5/8†diameter dowels from hardwood. The diameter of the drilled holes to be slightly less than 5/32†to insure a snug fit with no slop. I plan on sanding a flat on the dowels to provide maximum surface area for epoxying to the ribs. However before that step, new rib pieces cut from 5-ply birch aircraft grade plywood will be inserted along with 2 additional false ribs to support the load. These all will be 1/8†thickness. Spruce wood triangle stock will be epoxied on the reverse sides to hold everything rigid. A re-skin of 3/32†balsa will dress it all up followed by a complete recover of the wing with Ultracote white.
Anyone buying Oriental ARF’s should seriously consider a close scrutiny of the critical parts of their models. Firewalls, landing gear plates, etc., all appear to be areas that these manufacturers are skimping on.
PM
07-28-2006, 10:19 PM
#164
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have only built 3 ARFS - World 1/4 scale Cub, Sig Cap231EX, and Sig Rascal 110.
World Cub - Well Built, excellent flier, but far from scale(if that matters!) Sig Rascal 110 - Fantastic customer service! Wing folded on about 20th flight - one call and a new kit was at my door in less than a week! Beautiful airplane! Great flier! CAP231EX - received broken cockpit and curled wing servo hatches - new ones here in less than a week with a letter of apology! Airplane looks great and flys better than my capabilities! I like ARFS because at 76 [
] I don't want to spend a year or two building!
Phil http://www.quiknet.com/~pheller
World Cub - Well Built, excellent flier, but far from scale(if that matters!) Sig Rascal 110 - Fantastic customer service! Wing folded on about 20th flight - one call and a new kit was at my door in less than a week! Beautiful airplane! Great flier! CAP231EX - received broken cockpit and curled wing servo hatches - new ones here in less than a week with a letter of apology! Airplane looks great and flys better than my capabilities! I like ARFS because at 76 [
] I don't want to spend a year or two building!Phil http://www.quiknet.com/~pheller
07-29-2006, 03:50 AM
#165
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
PM , I think that plane (Chipmonk ) is sold by newyork grace or parent compnay in China called willshobbies . I have the willshobby seafury , nice plane but misleading from the ad "retract ready " guess what -only rails in the plane are for the fixed gear and on this plane they glued the fixed rails in very very well .
If you buy a ARf off ebay I have a suggestion , go to the "buyers" not the sellers , click on what they bought and if you find your plane of interest email them , they are rc people like us and will tell you the good , bad and ugly .
as far as NewYork grace is a buyer beware roll of the dice , I am happy with the seafury but I still see a ton of discriptive errors in there ads and they will never answer your emials
If you buy a ARf off ebay I have a suggestion , go to the "buyers" not the sellers , click on what they bought and if you find your plane of interest email them , they are rc people like us and will tell you the good , bad and ugly .
as far as NewYork grace is a buyer beware roll of the dice , I am happy with the seafury but I still see a ton of discriptive errors in there ads and they will never answer your emials
08-10-2006, 07:05 AM
#166
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
The worst ARF I have ever owned is the Kavan/SIG Bloody Mary electric park flyer. The Bloody Mary lists for $120 and is extremely well made. However, the plane is heavy and can barely move with the stock power system, much less get off the ground! The propeller is strange and cannot be replaced unless you order directly from Kavan/SIG. To get the plane to balance you must use a heavy 7-cell NiMH battery. The landing gear is very weak. [:'(]
Once I completely replaced the stock motor system with a Graupner 300, 5:1 gearbox and APC propeller, the plane could actually get off the ground. I then found the controls were overly sensitive and had to set the end points at less that 50%. Thank goodness I had a computerized radio with end point adjustment! For the first flight, the plane flew OK until the firewall let loose due to the increased power of the Graupner motor! I spent a lot of time and effort to correct the problems on this relatively expensive ARF. I then pulled the motor and electronics out of the Bloody Mary to put in a Great Planes BLT.
The BLT flies wonderfully!
SIG makes fabulous stuff and I could not be happier with my SIG Kadet LT-40 and Kadet EP. The Bloody Mary is over priced, under powered and over weight!
Once I completely replaced the stock motor system with a Graupner 300, 5:1 gearbox and APC propeller, the plane could actually get off the ground. I then found the controls were overly sensitive and had to set the end points at less that 50%. Thank goodness I had a computerized radio with end point adjustment! For the first flight, the plane flew OK until the firewall let loose due to the increased power of the Graupner motor! I spent a lot of time and effort to correct the problems on this relatively expensive ARF. I then pulled the motor and electronics out of the Bloody Mary to put in a Great Planes BLT.
The BLT flies wonderfully!
SIG makes fabulous stuff and I could not be happier with my SIG Kadet LT-40 and Kadet EP. The Bloody Mary is over priced, under powered and over weight!
08-10-2006, 09:54 PM
#167
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Extreme Flight 68" Yak, best ARF I have ever owned...period ! It's a shame they don't still make them, lost mine to switch failure. Aviation Models is the worst.
08-11-2006, 03:34 AM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
The worst ARF I've had is my current Hangar 9 Funtana 40. I bought it thinking I was moving into a "better class" of model, having only used the cheaper ones previously. The cheaper ones were completely satisfactory. They were well-built, cheap, light-weight, cheap, flew well and were cheap. They were cheap too. In my opinion my Funtana ought to have been even cheaper than the cheap ones! Not only is it really badly-built, it was also a horrible flier too. I'm living with the bad-build to see how long it takes before it starts to fall apart, but have managed to cure the bad flying characteristics by modifying the wing's leading edge. I'll post a pic as proof of the bad-build issue - but the pic shows just one of many bad joints in this model
Tony
Tony
08-11-2006, 04:12 AM
#169
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bids,
There are already a few threads on the ARC Cessna.
1 is in the SEAPLANES section at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_17..._1/key_/tm.htm
Then there is another at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2967967/tm.htm
and a third at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_35..._1/key_/tm.htm
That will give you a few hours of reading fun.
And there is an excellent review at: http://www.flyingsites.co.uk/reviews/cessna.htm
There are already a few threads on the ARC Cessna.
1 is in the SEAPLANES section at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_17..._1/key_/tm.htm
Then there is another at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2967967/tm.htm
and a third at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_35..._1/key_/tm.htm
That will give you a few hours of reading fun.
And there is an excellent review at: http://www.flyingsites.co.uk/reviews/cessna.htm
08-11-2006, 04:22 AM
#170
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey who can remember the terrible early LANIER'S. They were shocking.
But as for the better ones, the big improvers have been PHOENIX. I remember putting together one of their 1st Scanners many
moons ago and when I compare that model to the Tucano .40 I am working on, there is no comparison. The Tucano is good value for money.
However, having said this, I still replaced the wheels, (out of round and too small for the grass field I fly off) the pushrod dowels and the supplied pushrod wire. Also, the backplate of the nice looking spinner supplied in the kit warped under the slightest pressure. Replaced with a Tru Turn.
No, there is no such thing as the perfect ARF, but there are some that are not bad and there are some that are just plain awful.
But as for the better ones, the big improvers have been PHOENIX. I remember putting together one of their 1st Scanners many
moons ago and when I compare that model to the Tucano .40 I am working on, there is no comparison. The Tucano is good value for money.
However, having said this, I still replaced the wheels, (out of round and too small for the grass field I fly off) the pushrod dowels and the supplied pushrod wire. Also, the backplate of the nice looking spinner supplied in the kit warped under the slightest pressure. Replaced with a Tru Turn.
No, there is no such thing as the perfect ARF, but there are some that are not bad and there are some that are just plain awful.
08-11-2006, 04:44 AM
#171
RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just noticed this thread, very entertaining! I have had one VMAR model, the PC-9 & I think it's a good thing. I replaced most of the control hardware but at the price it was a good flying, pretty, easy to fly model. Another surprise was the Reach Wildcat foam park flyer, much better flyer than I thought it would be even on the standard 380 motor.
Dungers? A Thunder Tiger Christen Eagle park flyer was just crap, it just flew on the standard motor & the recommended 2 cell lipo & broke the prop shaft off when it nosed over on the first landing.
All these models had one thing in common, none claimed to be top quality world beaters. The worst ARF I have ever had was a Multiplex Skycat, yes, from Germany. I only bought it because the LHS could not shift it so it was discounted to half price. There's not enough space to say how bad this thing is (was!) It finally ended MY misery when the fuselage flexed in flight, the hatch fell off, the battery fell out and it crashed. It was made out of that flexy foam so I could not even gain pleasure from jumping on it! AVOID IT AT ALL COST!!! You have to hand it to the Germans, when they set their mind to it they can make the best in the world, even the best rubbish! - John.
Dungers? A Thunder Tiger Christen Eagle park flyer was just crap, it just flew on the standard motor & the recommended 2 cell lipo & broke the prop shaft off when it nosed over on the first landing.
All these models had one thing in common, none claimed to be top quality world beaters. The worst ARF I have ever had was a Multiplex Skycat, yes, from Germany. I only bought it because the LHS could not shift it so it was discounted to half price. There's not enough space to say how bad this thing is (was!) It finally ended MY misery when the fuselage flexed in flight, the hatch fell off, the battery fell out and it crashed. It was made out of that flexy foam so I could not even gain pleasure from jumping on it! AVOID IT AT ALL COST!!! You have to hand it to the Germans, when they set their mind to it they can make the best in the world, even the best rubbish! - John.
08-11-2006, 12:23 PM
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
ORIGINAL: PointMagu
Well, here's another one...
Early Spring a year ago, I purchased a 40-46 sized Chipmunk ARF at a good price off eBAY.
The model was from a Chinese company, the name now escapes me. However, the quality of the airplane was self-evident or so I thought.
After mounting a new SK-50 2-stroker in the nose, balancing and fueling up, I took it to our local field for initial taxi trials. While the engine was broken in gently, the airframe suffered the consequence. After 1 hour of off and on running, the plane began to wobble so I shut everything down and re-examined the landing gear. Here is where the story begins.
I discovered that the 5/32†gear legs were flopping forward and aft in the bearing blocks. I stripped away just enough balsa skin to reveal them and was greeted with hardwood. So far, so good. The Chipmunk has a rather thin airfoil so I was not surprised when I shone a light into the upright bearing to see the underside of the top sheeting staring me in the face. Evidently, the bearing block to secure the upright portion of the wire leg was less than ½â€.
Disgusted with the thing, I took it home and hung it up without even wiping it down and draining the fuel tank.
Fast forward to this week, over a year later….
My Dad expressed interest in returning to flying so I took the Chipmunk down, dusted it off and commenced to re-examine everything. This has always been his favorite RC model. I considered several different approaches to attacking the problem of the bearing blocks but finally settled on chopping my way into the wing panels to reveal exactly what was underneath. I removed top and bottom, wing skins from the main spar to the leading edge stock. I sanded all the skins away from the ribs and the ¼†square balsa leading stringer. Not much in there, no sir-ree.
What I found was a spruce,(or equivalent) block, ¼†x 4†supported by 3 ribs, 1/16†lite-ply and nothing else. Reinforcement was provided by 4, 1/4†soft balsa triangles set crooked on the block and not even engaging the ribs themselves. Had I not peeled the skinning away, even the softest of landings would have pushed the blocks right up through the top of the wing. So much for value.
I have several Balsa USA grooved maple landing gear stock pieces on hand and these will provide for the replacement bearings. Pre-grooved for 5/32â€, they only need be cut to length and installed. The upright bearing pieces will be drilled, 5/8†diameter dowels from hardwood. The diameter of the drilled holes to be slightly less than 5/32†to insure a snug fit with no slop. I plan on sanding a flat on the dowels to provide maximum surface area for epoxying to the ribs. However before that step, new rib pieces cut from 5-ply birch aircraft grade plywood will be inserted along with 2 additional false ribs to support the load. These all will be 1/8†thickness. Spruce wood triangle stock will be epoxied on the reverse sides to hold everything rigid. A re-skin of 3/32†balsa will dress it all up followed by a complete recover of the wing with Ultracote white.
Anyone buying Oriental ARF’s should seriously consider a close scrutiny of the critical parts of their models. Firewalls, landing gear plates, etc., all appear to be areas that these manufacturers are skimping on.
PM
Well, here's another one...
Early Spring a year ago, I purchased a 40-46 sized Chipmunk ARF at a good price off eBAY.
The model was from a Chinese company, the name now escapes me. However, the quality of the airplane was self-evident or so I thought.
After mounting a new SK-50 2-stroker in the nose, balancing and fueling up, I took it to our local field for initial taxi trials. While the engine was broken in gently, the airframe suffered the consequence. After 1 hour of off and on running, the plane began to wobble so I shut everything down and re-examined the landing gear. Here is where the story begins.
I discovered that the 5/32†gear legs were flopping forward and aft in the bearing blocks. I stripped away just enough balsa skin to reveal them and was greeted with hardwood. So far, so good. The Chipmunk has a rather thin airfoil so I was not surprised when I shone a light into the upright bearing to see the underside of the top sheeting staring me in the face. Evidently, the bearing block to secure the upright portion of the wire leg was less than ½â€.
Disgusted with the thing, I took it home and hung it up without even wiping it down and draining the fuel tank.
Fast forward to this week, over a year later….
My Dad expressed interest in returning to flying so I took the Chipmunk down, dusted it off and commenced to re-examine everything. This has always been his favorite RC model. I considered several different approaches to attacking the problem of the bearing blocks but finally settled on chopping my way into the wing panels to reveal exactly what was underneath. I removed top and bottom, wing skins from the main spar to the leading edge stock. I sanded all the skins away from the ribs and the ¼†square balsa leading stringer. Not much in there, no sir-ree.
What I found was a spruce,(or equivalent) block, ¼†x 4†supported by 3 ribs, 1/16†lite-ply and nothing else. Reinforcement was provided by 4, 1/4†soft balsa triangles set crooked on the block and not even engaging the ribs themselves. Had I not peeled the skinning away, even the softest of landings would have pushed the blocks right up through the top of the wing. So much for value.
I have several Balsa USA grooved maple landing gear stock pieces on hand and these will provide for the replacement bearings. Pre-grooved for 5/32â€, they only need be cut to length and installed. The upright bearing pieces will be drilled, 5/8†diameter dowels from hardwood. The diameter of the drilled holes to be slightly less than 5/32†to insure a snug fit with no slop. I plan on sanding a flat on the dowels to provide maximum surface area for epoxying to the ribs. However before that step, new rib pieces cut from 5-ply birch aircraft grade plywood will be inserted along with 2 additional false ribs to support the load. These all will be 1/8†thickness. Spruce wood triangle stock will be epoxied on the reverse sides to hold everything rigid. A re-skin of 3/32†balsa will dress it all up followed by a complete recover of the wing with Ultracote white.
Anyone buying Oriental ARF’s should seriously consider a close scrutiny of the critical parts of their models. Firewalls, landing gear plates, etc., all appear to be areas that these manufacturers are skimping on.
PM
Most ARFs are built somewhere in the far east. China, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, etc. So when a US-based company wants to bring out a new ARF they contract with a far east manufacturer and specify how the new ARF is to be built. I have noticed that on eBay the quality of new ARFs are quite a bit less even though the airframe resembles a name-brand. These ARFs have Chinese characters on the box. The instructions are horrible. The hardware is generally of inferior quality, the covering is awful and the structure is questionable. I have purchased a few of these ARFs off eBay at bargain prices. As long as you don't expect much these ARFs are OK.
Thanks, Brucea
08-11-2006, 07:47 PM
#174
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Location: GeelongVictoria, AUSTRALIA
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got another couple.
The now OOP Global Raven .40. Sensational looking model. Not bad quality, but had the most evil flying "manners" I have encountered.
I crashed one (not hard) and bought a 2nd (very generous run out deal, last one on the shelf) to just build and hang up as an ornament. I haven't put it together yet. One day when I have nothing to do and the rain is pouring down!
Then there was the also now (thank goodness) OOP VMAR Scanner.
That model was a tip stalling B>@#%t of a thing.
It had to be landed at about 2/3rds throttle or it would just drop a wing. You had to bring it in ah la "touch and go" and snap the throttle off at precisely the same moment as the wheels touched.
They were cheap when they 1st appeared and many guys at my club bought one. Within weeks the field was littered with the splintered wreckage of these deadful models. None are left now, which is not surprising.
And to back up Pt Magu's comments. I am in the process of building a World Models Super Sports 40S.
Well, even the great World Models are skimping on glue!!!
A look into the tank bay at the firewall revealed that there was NO glue holding the firewall in. 1st landing would have been a disaster!
And there is so much slop in the ailerons I gotta cut down into where the torque rods fit into the ailerons and pack out with epoxy.
My Phoenix Tucano was far superior to this. Even VMAR models don't have crappy ailerons.
World Models are slipping.
The now OOP Global Raven .40. Sensational looking model. Not bad quality, but had the most evil flying "manners" I have encountered.
I crashed one (not hard) and bought a 2nd (very generous run out deal, last one on the shelf) to just build and hang up as an ornament. I haven't put it together yet. One day when I have nothing to do and the rain is pouring down!
Then there was the also now (thank goodness) OOP VMAR Scanner.
That model was a tip stalling B>@#%t of a thing.
It had to be landed at about 2/3rds throttle or it would just drop a wing. You had to bring it in ah la "touch and go" and snap the throttle off at precisely the same moment as the wheels touched.
They were cheap when they 1st appeared and many guys at my club bought one. Within weeks the field was littered with the splintered wreckage of these deadful models. None are left now, which is not surprising.
And to back up Pt Magu's comments. I am in the process of building a World Models Super Sports 40S.
Well, even the great World Models are skimping on glue!!!
A look into the tank bay at the firewall revealed that there was NO glue holding the firewall in. 1st landing would have been a disaster!
And there is so much slop in the ailerons I gotta cut down into where the torque rods fit into the ailerons and pack out with epoxy.
My Phoenix Tucano was far superior to this. Even VMAR models don't have crappy ailerons.
World Models are slipping.
08-19-2006, 06:22 AM
#175
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Merritt Island, FL
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RE: AVOID THESE ARF's AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some good stuff written above. I'm glad we're back on topic (not racism, or whatever). I don't have an "AVOID AT ALL COST" but here's my two cents:
GP Big Stick 60 ARF - Wonderful ARF. Good quality and went together well. I blew it by over sizing the engine too much.
Phoenix Sonic Low Wing ARF - cheap hardware, crappy covering. instructions were useless. Flew well. Crashed after a combat related collision (cool).
Hobbico Avistar trainer RTF - Awesome plane. Good everything.
Goldberg Extreme 330 - Pretty decent arf. Fun to fly and good hardware.
Goldberg Endurance 400 - GREAT ARF. Don't go with the suggested motor because it's underpowered.
Combat SPAD - Awesome flier. Fast and no frills. No rudder and can turn on a dime using bank and elevator. Crashed hard during combat often with no or little damage.
Phoenix Giles 202 - Instructions BITE, hardware's somewhat lame. Flew well, but needed hinge gapping. Best looking hangar queen I have (only one).
Ikarus Super Star - Awesome. German instructions tough, but the Ikarus brushless setup is wonderful.
GP Extra 300S 160 ARF - Best ARF I have ever assembled. Wonderful flier and durable. Bigger is BETTER!
I've learned that it takes much more time to do the ARF than the 10 to 15 hrs they advertise. Experience has helped me speed up the assembly time on the common items and focus on the strengthening and other non-specified aspects. Bottom line..... I LOVE ARFS because I don't have to cover....
See ya,
GP Big Stick 60 ARF - Wonderful ARF. Good quality and went together well. I blew it by over sizing the engine too much.
Phoenix Sonic Low Wing ARF - cheap hardware, crappy covering. instructions were useless. Flew well. Crashed after a combat related collision (cool).
Hobbico Avistar trainer RTF - Awesome plane. Good everything.
Goldberg Extreme 330 - Pretty decent arf. Fun to fly and good hardware.
Goldberg Endurance 400 - GREAT ARF. Don't go with the suggested motor because it's underpowered.
Combat SPAD - Awesome flier. Fast and no frills. No rudder and can turn on a dime using bank and elevator. Crashed hard during combat often with no or little damage.
Phoenix Giles 202 - Instructions BITE, hardware's somewhat lame. Flew well, but needed hinge gapping. Best looking hangar queen I have (only one).
Ikarus Super Star - Awesome. German instructions tough, but the Ikarus brushless setup is wonderful.
GP Extra 300S 160 ARF - Best ARF I have ever assembled. Wonderful flier and durable. Bigger is BETTER!
I've learned that it takes much more time to do the ARF than the 10 to 15 hrs they advertise. Experience has helped me speed up the assembly time on the common items and focus on the strengthening and other non-specified aspects. Bottom line..... I LOVE ARFS because I don't have to cover....
See ya,