Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Where have all the builders gone ?

Hell, that's not a hard one to figure out. We are snowbound in the Northeast !

Side Note: Building is Therapeutic ? Can not agree with you more.

Got away from ASSEMBLING and BUILDING this winter. Bought some supplies and started making wooden ball point pens. Doing a really nice job on them and people love them.
BUT !! Its still not the same as assembling a model airplane. Thus, I will start building my Balsa USA Eindecker in a couple of days.

cubcrasher

My Feedback: (6)

I wanna see one of them there pens.

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

You're right about that. I'm currently building a TF giant scale P-47 kit. I bought the kit cheap at $225....the ARF version is $650. But, by the time I by the glue, covering, accessories, etc I will probably have close to $500 in the plane and it will consume months of building time. But, when you're retired and it's wintertime might as well be building.



SGT Popkin, I believe?

GerKonig

Yeah, are the pens electric or gas? Can I hand launch one:-) Are they RTR (ready to rite)

We heard Granpoopa is going to build a Eindecker. I wonder what the rest here is building and/or assembling this winter?

1) Last week end I just bought a Giant Stick 60 ARF at a flea market, new in box al 1/2 price. Since I have all the parts needed (to make it electric), I went for it, will be done next week. W/a E-flite 46 (on shelve) it will be a moderate airplane for when I leave my Giant Stick Electric at home
2) Giant Rascal 110 just got all the parts together. Purchased new but w/some parts missing at a market. Sig did a great job at supplying all the missing items. Electric 1.6 motor on 10 cells 20x10 prop. A rocket. All parts in.
3) Finish electronics on a Giant Low Wing Stick (Midwest kit, finished covering recently) Not decided about power, looking at one of those electric starts on a DLE55. they look very cool...
4) Once done that, back to finish the Balsa USA DVIII, all built except the leading edge of the wing and the ailerons

A real shame things like work, family, illness, friends (of the non-rc kind), and weather can interfere with the hobby. Not to mention other hobbies...

Gerry

Redtail_Customs

Picked up a DLE 20R and sig four star 60 . For my first gasoline engine project. Do a little kit bashing on this one

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Pens are to be made in October and November then given as gifts at Xmas. My wood club has three lathes and in those two months you have to wait to get on one. After that you have no problems.
I just got back from the field, Burrrrrr!!!! It was closer to 80 then 70 with zero wind until about 11. Then we finally got a bit of a breeze. Yes, I'm a building snob!! I had three plans built planes with me and the other 20 guys that showed up all had ARFs so I let them know what true low lives they were. Seriously, how long do you think I would be welcome at the fields if I down talked the guys that fly ARFs?? That's about the dumbest thing I have heard in a while.
This thread is about builders though so other then the French what else would we be talking about. Too old to be talking about girls and cars now. Well, I really do like looking at girls and cars though and Vegas is a good place to look at both!!

rye

My Feedback: (10)

hi i am still here i been flying since 1999 here i am with my son ,he thinks hes flying the plane ,thats the way i was able to keep him still ,since my wife work nights a span of 10 years on and off flying hes on his own and 6 years later hes building and fly gaints himself ,i had to learn early on how to repair now i only scatch build , i am hoping he carrys on with it when he has a family ,ps the hole feild use to like to have himstand next to them when they flew ,when he was little guy .

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Pens made in October or November, then given away as XMAS presents ? Heck, looks like everybody I know has gotten an early XMAS, as I have given away most of the pens I've made thus far.

Yes the pens are Ready to Write ! Just like the RTF. LOL But if anybody is interested in what they are really like and the kits offered, you can find all of the information that you care to at " Penn State Pens ".

Most of the pens I have made thus far I've put the medical insignia clip on them and passed them out to quite a few doctors that I know. Have also given quite a few to friends. But now I am starting to make them for our local sporting clubs, which will have a " rifle & scope " clip on them.

Yes, it has filled in some of my time this winter and being retired and you retired fellows know that we have a lot of time on our hands. But truthfully, I am looking forward to getting started on my Eindecker. Hopefully it will be complete by spring time. That's if Ole Mother Nature ever remembers to forget about just handing us winter storms.

geoardsog5

My Feedback: (31)

A new generation of builders, is waiting in the wings,once they get bored with their ARF'S. John R.

Krumpel

For folks working a job and raising a family time is the main constraint to building. With the quality, variety and pricing of ARFs improving all the time, for someone that doesn't have a bunches of spare time they make sense.

For those of us that are retired and enjoy a hands on approach to model airplanes, building is the answer. Keeps the hands busy as well as the tinkering and problem solving that keeps our tired ol' brains from ossifying.

I retired a couple years ago and got back into the hobby after a long hiatus. Have foamies and ARFs and now back to building with balsa. Reminds me of when I was a kid and dad and I built models together.

sensei

Scratch building, kit building, or assembling an ARF is all good therapy, and flying any of them is a blast, but finding time and making time is two very different things for sure.

16 years of making time Find all attachments by sensei

Bob

I-fly-any-and-all

My Feedback: (1)

your link to download is void and non existing. it is simpler to upload to RCU a "file attachment" and not a link.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Worked for me Bob??

Redtail_Customs

Worked here. We're do you build and store them. Really good looking planes

Telemaster Sales UK

70-80 degrees! Try flying in 43 degrees or 6 degrees Centigrade!

I also went flying yesterday. There were only five of us at the field and two of those, both flying ARTFs, soon whimped out in the conditions! Despite the temperature I heard skylarks singing and as there was very little wind it was a flying day! You have to grab your flying days in a British winter! Strong winds are forecast for the weekend so I'll be getting on with renovating the Chris Olsen Uproar.

Picture attached of my friends Alan Ayes on the left, and Kit Davidson with their SLEC Fun Flys which they built from kits. Alan flew his maiden flight yesterday which was a bit hairy at first until he got the hang of it. Alan's model is the earlier version with a foam veneered wing and is powered by an OS 35 SF. Kit's model has the current built-up wing and the engine, a Thunder Tiger GP42 would not run reliably until I diagnosed a loose carburettor and inlet pipe. With those problems attended to the engine ran perfectly. I cannot praise the Thunder Tiger GP 42 enough. Very unsophisticated with its air-bleed carburettor and plain bearings, once it's set it's set! Smooth, reliable, excellent throttling and unless you want to go racing , adequately powerful, I wish I'd not donated mine to the club!



I flew my WOT 4 powered by a Thunder Tiger 54, covered in film of-cuts and pictured here in warmer weather! Oh and I also flew my ARTF Magic Fun Fly but that's now going into store prior to emigration and we all know what one of those looks like!

sensei

I build them in my garage and store them there while I am flying them, but to make room I must sell them at times, in the case of the 70% Staudacher... I gave it away.

Bob

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Certainly would hope so ! But, thus far from what I see of every new generation, they all want things that are easy and handed to them. Not to mention free and handed to them ! And it does not seem to be getting any better.

Was reading a NEW car review the other day. Person stated that they did not like this particular vehicle and would never buy one only because it did not have a " USB " port.
What ever happened to just driving and enjoying the vehicle ?

Telemaster Sales UK

I can't see it happening either! In fifty years time I doubt that anyone will be holding events for vintage quad-copters or collecting old electric motors and a hobby which gives us so much pleasure will be the stuff of history.

No, it's an important fact gentlemen that after us only a few rugged individualists/sad saps will be building wooden model aeroplanes. As King Louis XV didn't say, "Apres nous, la fin!"

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

On weekends once in a blue moon I see a younger person at the field that doesn't have gray hair, not often but it happens. I'm lucky enough to have two grand kids that fly. They don't build but that has a lot to do with there dad not building sence he became an adult. He built most of his own items when he was a kid though but now even has me assemble any of the more sophisticated ARFs he buys.
Centigrade I have to go to my conversion chart for but it does get into the very low 20s here usually and it snows every couple of years.This has just been a really odd winter and very warm? I didn't even wear any of my winter clothing. This warm this early is very odd but I LIKE IT!!!! We usually have high winds too, well over 60mph with heavy gusting but we haven't even had that yet? Today is another perfect day to be outside. I'm thinking of going to the indoor pool for a work out then laying out in the sun to dry off, it's that nice!!

smkrcflyer

Both of my sons fly and the one is starting his first kit. He said arf's are getting boring, so there is hope.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I just spent three hours out in my shop. I took apart a plane I didn't like for different reasons so I could use all the gear in it on another plane then spent the rest of the time separating all the parts I gang cut for the two kits I have been cutting. I use a spray glue to glue the wood together then use a heat gun to get the glue to release.
Now my mind is at rest so I will enjoy the book I'm reading all the more.
Best deal was I discovered I had four good digital servos in that plane that I will use in my new build.

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Good God, I truly hope that their is hope !

acdii

What do you clean the glue off with? I used spray adhesive to bond two pieces of plywood together to cut my wing center parts, and now have sticky wood.

BazH

I've just finished a scratch built 1/7th scale Spitfire Mk IX, mainly to try and learn building, fiber glassing and painting skills. It was a lot of effort and I know I could have bought an ARF and get flying sooner. I just wanted to learn! I agree with the comment about not seeing very many kits.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Nothing, I just leave it a little tacky, it tends to dry/set up on it's own. If the tack bothers you a bit of acetone will take care of it without warping the wood. Just put it on a rag and wipe off the glue. You may be using a different type of spray glue too??