Flybipe

My Feedback: (4)

I'm interested in who members think makes the hightest quality kit (or ARF) these days. I like to build, be it from a kit or an ARF and really appreciate a well thought out, well made product - scale, jet, warbird, sport, aerobatic, etc. doesn't matter. Like a really fine German automobile, I'm interested in the quality of the construction experience. Cost is always a factor, but don't limit your response based on cost - a good product is always worth more than junk!

Tell me who you think has got the best stuff out there right now!

Good Flying,

JP

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

Sport aircraft BTE Models. Bruce Tharpes crafts a kit like few others do. http://btemodels.com/
John

gene6029

I have several kits from Early R/C, (wing mfg), & if all their kits are like mine, they are definately a 10....Gene

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

I don't consider an ARF to be building. I call that "assembling pre-fabbed parts" Assembling an ARF is NOT kit building.

Best quality ARF? Don't know, I can't afford the expensive ones and I've never been even REMOTELY impressed with the quality of the mid level and cheap ARF's. There's a reason why a lot of people call them bARF's ...... [:'(]

If you want the absolute best quality kit, buy a set of plans and cut the parts yourself.

Buckmeister

Top-Flight Gold kits (Warbirds) are well done for having good woood cutting, good fit, well done plans and a flyable airplane.
You see tham at all the top events.
They build good if you have at least one basic kit build experience before this and maybe even if you don't.

Campgems

My first plane was an ARF, I said never again. However since then, I've acquired three more. A Phoenix Fun Star, Cermark 1/4 Sukohi SU31, and a Twist 150.

The Phoenix Fun Star was a very good plane until a dumb engine tuning choice crunched it.I flew it probably for 100 flights. After recovering it after the second flight, all was well. I would loose track of the plane with the transparent covering. I recommend this plane, it is well built and really flies nicely.

The Sukohi was well used when I got it, and I did a little damage on it's third flight but it is repairable. Iwould have to give it high ratings to this one also. What I uncovered for the repairs showed a very well built plane.

The Twist 150 though is another matter. When I bought it, it was assembled but never flown. Problems started showing as soon as got a good look. Ply was delaminating and ribs were falling apart.All the plyhad a waxy feel to it and I'm not sure how the repairs went. Iknow my attempt to glue down the surface layer on one former, the one that locates the wing, were not successful. Another guy at the field has the same plane and has flown it for a couple years with no issues at all.

A mediocre kit with a good builder will be a better choice than an ARF because you know how it was built. I've seen some good kits butchered by builders who would have been way ahead if they had bought an ARF.

Don

huck1199

For cheap, decent arfs see CYRadio on fleabay. I have two and have seen others at the field.  Parts fit and seem to be fairly well put together.  I have the Fourstar Birdi and the Super Sports 40.  Value Hobby has the same planes.  The maker is AeroMax. Covering is very good.

crash bandicoute

this is 'kit building'. there is a forum for BARF's. if you want a good kit, buy different ones and choose your liking. i like great planes and top flight and sig.all are excellent quality. i have no experience with other companies.

huck1199

Crash

He asked about arfs and kits.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I know we aren't ARF guys here but he did ask about both. Sorry for that Fly but some guys, myself included, to a point never use the term build when talking about an ARF.
I do like a number of them though but for the most part they are at the high end of the price range so I don't own any, the lower end ARFs I don't know?? I have seen a couple of nice planes by CMP, I was surprised at there nice Edge, about a 1/4 scale.
Kits?? The pickings are getting a mite thin but I do like the top flight golds and Great planes kits. SIG has always cut good ones and there instructions are about as good as great planes.
When I build for myself it's usually older kits you can't find any longer so I tend to go with plans and cut my own kits. I cut a pretty good kit but there are almost always mistakes in the plans drawing so during the build you have to stay on your toes.
There are still a number of the high end kits if you are into giant scale planes and have deep pockets.

noveldoc

My Feedback: (2)

Okay, I am going to ARF.

The best ARF I have built to date, surprisingly, is the Butterfly Arising Star trainer from Vietnam. Totally prefabbed with perfect fit. They even remembered to grind a flat in the nosewheel wire.

The wood on the wing and fuse sides is some sort of brittle veneer. This is the one down point. But the thing practically fell together and flies great.

I did buy a BTE Venture kit. Finish and quality is amazing, again with great attention to detail.

Tom

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Best kit you can build is your own, only limited by your imagination.

airbusdrvr

BTE(Bruce Tharpe Engineering), Mosquitobite Planes(Canada)

turbojoe

My Feedback: (8)

Check out [link=http://www.mountainmodels.com/]Mountain Models[/link]. Outstanding quality laser cut kits. For scale take a look at his P-51, Hellcat, P-38, C-180 and 3 different (soon to be 4) Cubs.

Joe

bingo field

BTE
SIG
TopFlight

sensei

What he said...

Bob

BelAirBob

The Sig Laser Cut kits have been really good and every Sig ARF I have seen is excellent too. I built 2 or 3 Somethin' Extra's and the parts fit perfectly. I think they are gone, but I enjoyed building Midwest kits. Part of the problem with a kit is the quality of the balsa and how well the parts are cut. Die cut parts can be good or awful. That is why I think the laser cut kits have the best part fit.

I have been kit building for over 40 years. I still try to build one kit a year. Last year was an Ultra Sport 60. This was a rekit of an older design and if I remember, had to make modifications for a servo in each wing, etc. This year I am building a Sig 4 Star 60 that a friend gave me.

bob

rambler53

My Feedback: (494)

I don't know, I didn't like SIG products. I always considered the old Sterling kits the worst! I always try to find old kits from private party sales rather than try the new stuff. Good thread! I like finding old Midwest and Pica kits. Balsa USA wasn't mentioned. I enjoyed building a couple of their kits over time. I know a few builders tell me Dave Platt models is like getting a tree trunk and a carving knife in the box, and you shape it into an airplane. I took their advice and stayed away from those old kits.
If Great Planes, Balsa USA, and Top Flite are left to choose from, sure, BTE looks good.

How about D&L Designs? http://www.dldesigns.net/ I've built several Ultra Sport kits and I guess I got used to it. The wing was irritating to build, and lots of sanding involved on the fuselage to make you run out for power tools and more beer to numb your senses while you do it. But I endure it because it flies no well.

What is the "good" you're looking for? The finished product perhaps? I guess "good" is a really broad term that doesn't really define what a builder likes or dislikes about a kit. Wood quality/consistency, ease of build, structural integrity, full size plans, cost, hardware included, how much shaping and sanding is involved?
Here in FL it's flying season in winter, building season in the extremely hot July-August months when AC is my daily environment.

Bundubasher

Who makes the best car on the market today?
Perhapsone needs to be more spesific in as much as what price and model/dissipline category. Each of the traditional kit manufacturers have good and bad kits -In general I'm voting forCarl Goldberg but Sig, Mid West, BUSA as "traditional" balsa kits are also ok - all depends what plane I'm looking for. I have a particular soft spot for Proctor kits - qualityand design is just something else..

There appears to be a worldwide move to smaller kit producers, and in some cases individuals producing extremely high quality planes - they offer that personal touch in quality and service which the traditional kit manufacturers just cannotalways match. I've seen some amazing quality and craftmanship planes, especially in epoxy/composite fibre models.
But then they cost more and is a bit of a "word of mouth affair" - and you should know what you are looking for or you can buy a "pig in a poke". But they propably offers the best quality planes available.

It could be thatthe "traditional kit" businesslandscape have changed forever as society are changing.

I'm open to be corrected, but have not seen any good quality kits on par with above from the Far East (except Japan). Maybe one day....

Bundu

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

Topflight has been great kits to me build nice and fly nice! But am glad thia thread came up because running out of Topflight kits to build and need to find others! Checking out some of the sites!

dragonov3

My Feedback: (3)

[sm=thumbs_up.gif]

[sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Bundubasher

Yes, I agree, they also have nice kits and there are other more as well - I guess it comes down what money you want to pay for what spesific plane type in the end....

Quality kitsand cheap price are on opposite ends of the scale....

Cheers

BelAirBob

Hey Rambler....how are the Hobby Hangar kits since they come from Melbourne.....

I built a Top Flite Contender a few years ago. I was bad.....some of the sheets were die crunched sideways. And they gave balsa sheets to make some parts from the plans. I also remember it was an exercise in sanding.

The worst kit I ever had was a Coverite Jeep. It was a Henry Hafke design. I saw him at a show and asked why it was so bad. He said parts were oversized so the builder could sand and cut to get them to fit correct. Give me the laser cut anytime.

One thing I like about Great Planes kits is that they give a small set of the plans in the manual. It saves a ton of time when looking for parts fit or whatever. A minor addition, but a real help

bob

opwan

My Feedback: (2)

I've been extremley happy with Precision Aerobatics ARF planes. Quailty is amazing and they are not more than 20 to $50 dollars more than any other comparable ARF. They are built VERY strong, I do alot of 3D flying close to the ground and had a few mishaps and haven't damaged them one time. The combination of ply and carbon laminate they use is very strong and very light. Got 2 of their "kits" now and will have one more when Santa comes to my house. I also have a Composite ARF Yak-54 with a DA 50cc that is first class, little pricey but they are very light for a 50cc airplane. E-flite makes a pretty good ARF but Precision Aerobatics is top on my list for a smaller ARF. Been a long time since I have built a kit airplane, just don't have the time but would like to get back into it when I retire from UPS.

Konrad

I'd have to say that for the most part the cottage industry laser cut kits are great. They can be very specific to their target market. I for one like the short kit concept in that I don't have to pay for hardware I'm likely to not use. I have to say that the kits from the big box distributors are often lacking in design (too heavy) and in wood selection again too heavy, often the wood is a closer kin to oak than balsa.
http://www.stevensaero.com
http://www.mountainmodels.com
http://www.manzanolaser.com
http://www.aerodromerc.com
http://www.patscustom-models.com

As to ARFs I like wood ARFs as I know how to repair them.
http://www.3dhobbyshop.com
http://www.flitonstore.com
And yes I even like E-Flite wood arfs as far as arfs go.

All the best,