LuftwaffeOberst

You are right, just have to weed out the good stuff from the bad.



Peter Dowling aka Luftwaffe Oberst
AMA District II # 865404
Aero Modelers Club
Pulaski, NY

Charlie P.

Put an engine in that generates 3 times more thrust than the airframe weighs so it can hang on the prop and call it a "3-D" model. It'll sell like no tomorrow.

Back to the original thread. Not everyone enjoys building or wants to invest the $ in tools, or has the room for a workshop. I enjoy the building, but I am slow. ARFs have opened up the pursuit for non-builders, and that is a good thing for the most part. I have one that I fly more than my built kits, but that is apt to change (usually with a crunching "Splat!" sound).

I could probably build a kit for what a similar ARF would cost, but it would be difficult and it would have to be one color or include a lot of "scrap" from stock on hand. You can't make a four-color, or even three color model with covering for the ARF cost if you have to buy new & full rolls (at least I can't). And then I end up upgrading control linkages (and adding weight) which ups the costs even more. I also have to really work at building light. I'm sure if I had a foreman yelling at me to "stop wasting glue!" I'd build lighter.

SPLIT S

Now that would be something - a space shuttle that can do torque rolls.

Dan

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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That last sentence is very true for me, now that I'm older. I used to know folks with that attitude when I was younger and never understood their motivation. When you get older, you sometimes enjoy the airconditioning over sweltering your brains out at the field. Besides, it is all model airplanes, just in a different form.


Ed Cregger

aresti1963

Just to get the thread back on topic....... (well kinda)....... Why do I ARF instead of build? I used to have a building bench in the bedroom (very understanding wife), but I now have a computer desk instead.

Basically its all down to space. Sure, I could build on the dining table but, I'd have to put it all away at the end of every session and the start of every meal.

If I had a dedicated building room / workshop, I'd build everything...... and used to.

Now, I can assemble an ARF in my hands, sitting in the kitchen. Is it as satisfying? For me, no, but, at least I still get to fly.

However......... I do have a hankering for a Chris Foss WOT4 kit. Now, I could build that on a 4' x 3' building board that I could slide under the bed.....Hmmmm


If you get satisfaction from doing it, whether it be ARF or Build, Do it. If you are more relaxed after your days flying, then, you've done it right.

smosher9

My Feedback: (2)

I'm 51 and have only been in this hobby for 3 years. I work. I have kit built a slow poke and a 4*40
during the 3 years. It takes me a LONG time to built these and at the end of the day, I would rather be
flying than building. There's only so much time in a day. Arf's are quicker and cheaper and they are better
than I can do. Thats my reality. If there were no ARF's than I would build SPAD's, which I have also built.
My current list of ARF's are the modelfly Ready 2 and Jupiter, Midwest Aerobat and the CMP Giles 202. RIP a world models sky raider 2. All of the kit planes are back to kit form. When I'm looking for a new plane I always check out the ratings here before I buy and so far I have not been let down. My next plane is gonna be a Stick and I'm leaning towards the World Models Super Stunt 60. World Models makes an excellent product if the Sky Raider is an example, Lite and Strong and excellent hardware. For $ 69 plus $10 shipping its a tough deal to beat. I always use the hardware that comes with the models. I haven't had a problem with most of it that I can recall, certainly nothing to ruin my day. I did have a problem with the modelfly fuel tank. If it goes in its more likely due to me and not the model. There is more of an attachment to kit models than ARF's for me.

My job requires me to travel to China where we have sub-contractor's mfg product for my company.
The Chinese workers are very good and they will make on their own, tooling and jigs to do the job right.
Sometimes though you will need to show them what right is, and they catch on. My industry is in the high tech
where dexterity is required to assembly the product and thousandth's on an inch in critical. I was visiting a plant in Shanghai and saw a training session unannounced. The Chinese workers were listening and paying attention.
In the states its not the same.

If there wasn't ARF's there would be less people flying which would mean the Club dues would go up and of course the AMA would go up.

Steve

Nerevar

One of those 'sad but true' reasons jobs are leaving the USA and going to other countries. [sm=disappointed.gif]

nickj

I can see the ARF side of things--not perfect, but cheaper and faster if you're only interested in the flying side of the hobby. IMO, anything that gets more people out to the field is good. My only complaint is the severe reduction in kits due to the dwindling builder community. But you can't blame the ARFers for that.

Stickbuilder

The kits disappeared as the ARF's became more profitable. No one wants to have a warehouse full of diminishing returns. No one is pointing the finger of blame at anyone. It is purely a matter of economics. However, the movement to ARF's is the reason for the low number of available kits. If more people built kits, then the demand for them would be there. Since there are more ARF customers that is where the bulk of the investment will go. Simple supply side economics.

With me, I don't need someone else to cut the kits for me. I am perfectly capable of building from a set of plans. Mine or someone elses. That's the most fun part of this hobby (at least for me).

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

nickj

I've built a few planes from plans. I'm building a Fly Baby from plans right now. I do prefer kits, though, everything in one box. The one part of kit-building I don't really enjoy is final assembly--hinging, radio installation, landing gear--exactly what the ARFs leave for you.

RoyR

It seems about everything that can be said about this topic has been said.
That being said, I am still going to have my say.

I love to build. I built and flew control line for years, and I bought my first radio in the 70s. Since then I have built and crashed more airplanes than I can remember.
I have tried scratch building, didn't think I was patient enough and stuck with kits.
About 10 years ago I stopped flying RC and sort of lost track of the hobby. I would read every now and then about electrics becoming popular, thinking to myself that nothing can beat a glow with the noise, the smell, the oil all over everything, etc. (These things really do appeal to me by the way)
Well Last year I retired. I have flown full size helicopters for 40 years. Incidentally of all the helicopters I have flown, I did not build a single one.
Preparing for my retirement I knew I wanted to get back into RC. So I bought a couple of kits and monocote and building supplies the last year or two prior to retirement, saving them for that magical retirement day.
I spent a few months building a Slo Poke 40 to get back into flying. Once it was completed I rejoined the local club. When asked what I was flying, and telling them, someone said, "Almost everyone is flying ARFs now, some have never built a plane." Like I say, being out of touch, I found that hard to believe. I still consider building to be half the fun.
The last plane I crashed before dropping out for those years was a GP Super Sportster 120. I loved it so much I bought a new kit just before they quit making them and kept it stashed under the work table in my shop. It got a little damp and moldy during Rita, but I was able to salvage most of it and have put it together over the last few months. It looks good, but does have a funny smell. (just joking) I flew it on its maiden flight today. I still love those sporsters
When I build I take pride in choosing the color and scheme for covering. I usually do something unusual, for instance my Super Sporster has my name in bar code on the bottom of the wing.
Not that my covering is always super neat, but it is always eye catching and that is something I like to do.
And building can always be done during rain and wind and in the cold winter.
But you know? RC is all of that. Building, flying, pride in your work, even if your work is being a great pilot and you do not build.

It's all out there waiting for me. I have a TF P47 waiting to be built. It will be a long project.
And at the present I have the glow powered planes I built recently, an older Ultra Sport waiting for restoration , A foamy waiting for a battery, and within the next few days my order will come in with a new ARF Brio 10 powered by an electric motor of all things.
It will be interesting to see what it is like with all the hard work done for me.
My point is, it is all part of RC. I do, however, hope the kits do not completely go away.

And, oh yeah, Retirement is great
and uh, no. My wife hasn't seen the bill yet.

And that's all I have to say about that.

RoyR

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