049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Established Hobby Shop is considering branching out into kit production.

I'm looking for assistance from someone who enjoys designing, building and flying all types of models. Should be proficient in Corel Draw for the generation of original plans as well as the modification of existing plans. Kits will be laser cut.

Work from home, communicate via email and telephone, work at your own pace, get paid with paypal.

Please respond via email with your preference for the types of aircraft, power systems and control systems you personally prefer, RC, Control Line, Free Flight, Warbirds, 3D, electric, glow gas etc. Be ready to provide pictures of planes you have designed, built and flown as well as original plans you have drawn.

jim19

My Feedback: (1)

Attached are some pics of some of the planes that I have designed. All are excellent flyers and are designed using a Cad system. Fist pic is of the Fiasco, second is the Gemini GT-25 (.25 size twin) and the third is the Gemini GT-40 (.40 size version of the Gemini).
Jim

hhltd

Hi!
I'm interested to co-operate with you like designer of a new RC model planes.
Can you send me more details about your co-operation terms, please?
Thanks,
Zorin (aerospace engineer)
[email protected]

seddream

Hi, good day! My name is Arselio A. Sajol, 31 yrs old, I am a Graphic Artist using Coreldraw, Photoshop and Illustrator. I am a flying car designer. I been searched of wanted airplane designer and i found this RCUniverse site. I have many concepts of designing planes and flying car. I read that u are in need of an assistant to design planes. And I would like to work with you. If you are interested i will show you my animation of my flying car designed. ([email protected])

Best Regards,

Arselio

Avaiojet

Maybe you haven't noticed, but "kits" are on the way out, not on the way in.

Do the math, on the investment dollar, seed money, just to produce small runs, and I'll bet you'll use the money for something
already marketed, as product, for your business. Or, to stock that "item" customers ask for that you may not have.

Living proof. The list of failed kit manufacturers, is a long one. Some even failed when "kits" were popular. And invested tens of thousands.

List the failed, for one reason or another, kit manufacturers:

I'll start it off and I was reared on these kits.

1) Berkeley

Joystick TX

I hate to say it, but Charles is right. Kits are pretty much dead. There will always be a market, but it will be small. Some people still like to cut out parts on little rubber band models with a razor blade, but the odds are that market will continue to decline as well.

The new ARF's are cheap, light, quick to put together, and they fly well. Building from a kit has also become more expensive.

Seems like people do not want to take time to build anymore even though we have all of these "labor saving" devices to save us time.

A lot of us old die-hard kit builders who said they would never own and ARF ten years ago probably have one or more of them now. I only have one kit built plane left in my hangar. I am scratch building a plane now and it is taking my way longer than I ever thought possible. It is not as much fun as it used to be.

Avaiojet

WOW! First time someone has agreed with me! Well almost.

You are absolutely correct!

What are you scratching!

Joystick TX

I am scratch building, and redesigning as I go, a plane called the Bell Hop. It is somewhere in the Scratch Building section.

It is a neat looking plane. Right now I am trying to decide if I want to make the wings foam with woodsheetingor wood with fabric covering. The flap and aileron construction are my main concerns at the moment, I would like to keep them simple.

It seems like everything I post here has the "stealth feature" automatically invoked. If RCU had a "Search" feature that worked, you could look it up. If RCU did not have a policy against "spamming", I could post a link here to help you find it. If you can't stumble on it after a few days, let me know and I can PM you with the link if you want to see it. I think that is allowed.

Avaiojet

Hey,

POST THE LINK!

Posting a link isn't spam. How will anyone share in what you're up to if you don't provide information or photos?

Feedback is a great way to learn and a great way to have fun in what your doing. Nothing better than having someone else take interested in your projects, and make comments.

It's a good thing!

Charles,

C-101 Aviojet Brotherhood #1

JoeVen

I agree with all of you, but as a buyer looking for the quality and affordable products I have to stay in the 049flyer side.
ARF planes is almost the rule nowadays and with them big size parts like gas (or petrol) engines, high torque servos, high capacity batteries, even 1.60cin/50cc category planes... but the shipping cost is the downside, not to mention the size restrictions.
For many of us air shipping is the only one option and usually costs as much as the product. The box full of nicely cut parts and detailed plans is the way....

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

While it is true that the kit production business has changed dramatically since the 1960s and 1970s it is by no means dead or even dying.

Like the ground hog that only sees what he can from his hole, we as modelers tend to view the hobby as we see it from our vantage point. If you are a giant scale modeler or a jet modeler you tend to believe that everyone flies giant scale or jets or would like to. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many modelers world wide cannot afford to spend $5000 or more on a model plane, many more enjoy the cheap entertainment that comes from building something themselves.

The days of a large kit manufacturer producing a run of 5,000 or 10,000 kits are indeed gone. However, I believe there are more kit manufacturers out there than there ever has been. CNC routers and inexpensive laser cutter machines have enabled many who have a desire, to produce high quality kits in their garage or basement. CAD software has replaced teams of designers, online print shops have enabled inexpensive blueprint reprint reproduction at any scale you desire.

The modeling fraternity exists world wide not just here in the USA. Kits are in demand worldwide, admittedly in much smaller numbers than before but in demand just the same.

Have you checked out the prices of kits on the auction sites, YIKES! A stash of kits is worth more these days than a stash of US Dollars!

Indeed many of us complain of no time to build but seem to have plenty of time to spend on the internet or RCU!

Joystick TX

Here is the link to the scratch-build and redesign project for the Bell Hop plane.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10...m.htm#10366796

Hope it works.

cam-flyer

Make some time!

Greg
Charlotte Aircraft Modeling

Wilson4824

Glad to hear someone is thinking about putting kits back out on the market!!!!!!!

My father and I have a small custom building service. Flying W Models

My father, Carl, has been an architectural home designer for many years since his retirement from home design; we started out designing and build custom airplanes of all sizes not only for ourselves but also for our modeling friends.

Carl W. has more than 40 years experience in design quality plans, material list and build instructions. Myself, Scott, I have over 25 years of flying all types of model airplanes. My profession has corporate trainer has help in the training of many local pilots. Therefore, my job with Flying W Models is Finishing and test flying.

What started out as a hobby is now it has turned into a grass roots type business that is growing slowly at a pace we like just by word of mouth.
With all that said, do you have a one-off project that needs a custom builder to complete? Build from plans? Whatever the type of build, ARF, ARC, Kit, Plans, or Scratch build. Flying W Models can do it. We have built everything from Park flyers to Giant Scale Warbirds.


Notable Airplane builds by Flying W Models
Custom build:
O2- Skymaster designed using an Easy 100 from Balsa USA. (High Wing Trainer)
Low wing sport plane designed using an Easy 100 from Balsa USA. (High Wing Trainer)
80in wing span CAP 21 fun scale scratch designed
GEE BEE Dreamer 68in bi-plan up scale 20% from Gee Bee products model
Super Sportster 60 Bi Plane… kit based a low wing Great Planes super sportster 60 into a bi plane using skybolt wingsKits Builds:
Bud Nosen P51 Mustang 102in
Bud Nosen F4U Corsair 102in
Prime Cut 80in sport plane
Wrecked Patrick Extra 300s Rebuild.

traxxasslash12

i am interested send info my way

lamar389

My Feedback: (2)

If kits are "on their way out and dying", why do they go for top-dollar on ebay and in the buy-sell forum here? Why cant we have less expensive kits produced in China?

davidgeorge212

It is starting to happen, and with hobby king believe it or not. They are not planes I particularly want to build but laser cut kits no less. I think one is a micro stick and the other is a little 3d airplane.

cabinetmaker

I would be very interested in finding out more about this venture. I can help out with cutting out parts, or even some sub-assembly if there is a need for that. I have scratch built a couple of large planes of my own design, large 25 cc gas planes. I have the facilities and equipment.
MADE IN THE USA.... the only way to go!!!

pjpeterchen

I can help redesign, and draw the computer file of the plane for laser cut.


-Peter

[email protected]

flyingtheoldones

My Feedback: (1)

If all you're wanting to do is create kits using laser cutting you wouldn't need to source out to China for that. China has the market for labor, but to produce a nice laser cut kit, the cutter is doing all the work. Maybe the biggest expanse would be the boxes. Those you would probably want to look into using those guys for supplying that.

The market for kits hasn't really changed much. The interest in R/C just grew, so the percentage of builders to R/Cers is no longer in favor of the builder, so the manufacturers has been focusing on the majority, the flyers who want ARFs. For instance Great Planes.

Sig Mfg. is still doing well, also, Proctor, Balsa USA, Guillows, not to mentions the numerious independants that Are doing this. Offering quality laser cut kits at a decent price.

Let us know how this project is going 049flyer

DM

ChrisKnee

Best kit I've ever had was the Scat Cat. If I remember correctly, it was only $27.00. To me that was excellent value for money. Produce something like that and you definitely have good sales.

Also, the advantages of kit building needs to be stressed. When you build it - it becomes yours. The feeling you have when it flies is much more intense. Planning and putting your own color scheme on the plane is an essential part of kit building. Flying an ARF that looks EXACTLY like the next guys plane. What's the point? Its been done before!

I don't value the ARFs I have. I didn't create or "father" them, so they mean nothing to me. Even less, when they don't fly well.

What about that excitement when you take your new kit plane to the field. If it is (most likely will be) different it will garner attention and questions.

Michael's

Hi your thread caught my eyes as I had a kit cutting service fr almost 30 years.Everything was hand cut and sanded to fit with all quality balsa and 6 grade aircraft plywood.Kits arent going out they are out to the modelers who cant build and just want to fly.Or maybe the ones who just fly.What amuses me is these modelers as they say bring in a Arf to modeeling show to wshow off their building te
chniques.I have enlarged and down scales over 650 plans sets while in business and alot up to 24:'feet in wingspan so I know what goes on in most if not all large scale building.Like to talk to you as what you have to offer sounds interesting.Ive been building since I was 8 yrs old and have quite a bit to offer someone wanting to approach this field and make money..Leave a a message if youd be interested and Ill call you or email you....Ken

jester_s1

Guys, this thread started in 2011. And the OP never posted again in it after starting it. I think he's moved on.

RonTins

Hi Ken.
I recently discovered this thread as I continuously search for a professional plane builder to customize a horizontal stabilizer for a 1/4 scale 120" wingspan Cessna 182. If you or anyone you know of will be interested in task, kindly leave me a message with a number to reach you at.

Thank you.

Ron.