kerrydel

My Feedback: (2)

The 4* is not really a "trainer" per se, but a good "second" plane. And if you do some simple mods (like removing 1 wing bay, and making the rudder larger) it is capable of most aerobatics. I guess it depends what you're looking for. It's not a 3D plane, but I can knife edge mine from one end of the field to the other.

Kerry

RCBOZO

My Feedback: (1)

kerrydel Thanks for the input. I guess I have progressed into mostly 3D planes and I am not sure the 4* could make me happy. I really need a 10th. plane kind of build.

kdheath

I really like the site. Easy on the eyes and no need to think hard about how to use it. I have a'couple of OOP kits that I'll get you the data on in the near future. Need to be sure to add Bridi and Nosen, among others. I wonder how cooperative the manufacturers would be with supplying data-especially the smaller ones with limited ad budgets. Or are you only using public data?

Wazmo

It would be nice if you could search/filter on wingspan, wing loading, and/or weight.

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

I'll be adding more search filters on those parameters.

I'm trying to balance my time right now between the programming and the input. The data entry is a bear. lots and lots of models! Great planes alone had around 30 obsoletes.

What have I gotten myself into?

in the mean time, you can filter for type or manufacturer, whatever, and then sort the column for wingspan, weight, etc. using the links in the title row.

kerrydel

My Feedback: (2)

D&L Designs is a company that doesn't get much press (at least I had never heard of them). They offer plans, kits, ARC's, and ARF's. They're about the only one I could find that had a small Edge.

I'm in the process of finishing one of their 60-size Edge 540's. It is definitely NOT a beginner kit, but it builds into a nice plane. I did an online build here in the Kit Building forum.

Here's the D&L designs link: [link=http://www.dldesigns.net/index.htm]http://www.dldesigns.net/index.htm[/link]

Kerry

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for the link. I'll be sure to add them.

His website almost wants to make you buy something. I love how the plans and wood are available individually, and the whole site looks like a lot of time was spent.

vicarh

My Feedback: (1)

Your site looks like a great idea. I would like to suggest that you add to each listing a place for "comments" where people could share their experiences with a specific kit. Like you said in another post, a kit maybe easy for one person and a nightmare to another but if we can read their comments we might be able to weed out the "fluff"...

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

I'll add that to my list, thanks.

Need opinions on this:

I have been reluctant to include so called "kits" that have balsa covered foam wings, and proprietary plastic fuse parts, etc.

While the mfg labels them as kits, their assembly times fall fairly close to ARF times, a bit longer, but much less than full builds. I really hate to leave out a person's favorite plane, but I am of the mind, if you can't readily buy the materials to build it from scratch (balsa,ply,etc) it doesn't qualify.

What do you think?

vicarh

My Feedback: (1)

You have made a clear statement of purpose, your database is dedicated to list KITS. In my opinion, and based on your goal, they do not belong in the database. A kit is a product that you must build from a box of sticks (as my building mentor used to say) if there are prefabricated parts it is not a kit, in the strict sense of the word...

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks,

That's the line I was going with too, but sometimes its a fine line.

For instance, if I were to leave out every kit that had a ABS cowl, there wouldn't be a lot left!

vicarh

My Feedback: (1)

I guess I did not think of items like cowls or wheel pants or windshields. Take the case of a Four Star "kit" which comes with an aluminum landing gear, do you leave it out? The line is VERY FINE and you are the only one than can define it.

My sugestion is to include ... I don't know ... the more I think about it the more blurred the issue gets... the 4* kit should ... err ... should not ... YOU DECIDE!

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

This is interesting.

I have at least a dozen emails out to manufacturers asking if they'd like to supply information on their products for inclusion in my "mother of all kit databases", and I have yet to hear from a single one of them.

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

I posted in the manufacturer's support forum that I would be happy to list their products in the database, and did they have the specs in a table or delimited format, and here's what I got:


"We had to delete your post from the suport forum because it did not belong there. Per RCU rules, advertising or product announcements belong in another place. Also, we ony permit questions about kits of the different manufacturers we represent."

Thank You.

--Top Flite Kit Support Forum

*sigh*

No good deed goes unpunished.

edygert

My Feedback: (12)

Lots of kit reviews and specs: http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/KitReviews/

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks!

I have most of them, but they might fil some spec gaps. Outstanding.

225 in!

Whoa. OK, maybe I DONT have most of them

Prop Nut

My Feedback: (3)

Wow, you really did bite off a huge hunk of work for yourself. A really nice thing to do. Here are my extra straws for your back

One of the most common questions you see on a forum is "I have X-Size engine, what plane would work for it?" Have your database searchable by engine size also. This leads to one problem that I noticed. You do not list gasoline engines for most planes. If you do have gas listed it is simply that "gas" and no specs. 25cc-150cc etc. All your BalsaUSA planes are listed by 2stroke or 4 stroke glow when Balsa USA itself lists thiers by gas CC size. Most people fly larger planes with Gasoline instead of glow (many do use glow though so please do not take that off)

Thank you and good luck, if you would like, I could go through the airplanes that I have and submit the specs to you this winter, maybe we all could do that to help you out. I really think this is a great idea. I have spent weeks searching the internet for a manufacture of a kit that matches the specs I was looking for, often with no results. A "Mother of all databases" is a great idea.

Another thing, someone mentioned that a kit should only be something that you can build from wood laying around...........um............that would be scratchbuilding. A kit is a set of materials that you purchase in a group, I am afraid that includeds ARFs and ARCs (I am not a huge fan). As to foam parts covered with balsa sheeting......Jack Devine Models makes several dozen kits for IMAA scale that are foam cores with balsa sheeting, the foam simply replaces the formers and ribs, this does not mean it reduces the work even a little bit. You get raw foam cores and then you go to work. I have one of thier P40 Warhawks (very old version) and it is more work than a Topflight Non Arf kit would ever be (ok, I know people would argue that but it was put forward as reference). I think that if you are building an RC airplane database, leaving any type of plane out would be a mistake. It would no longer be "The Mother of all Databases".

Just my .02 cents.

David

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Would it be worthwhile to add a separate category to your database?

I'm thinking of someone who is scratch building. You could list the anything that has just plans, and whether a semi-kit is available. I'm thinking of, say, Ziroli, Palmer plans, etc.

Or, would that be complicating things?

Bob

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

That's what the column that now shows "KIT" is for. It will change to plan if not a kit.

And, for now I'll be staying with kits only. ARFs come and go so fast I'd do nothing but update my whole life away. Even this is a heck of a lot of work for one person, but kits seem much more stable with some being around now for decades.

RCBOZO

My Feedback: (1)

I found this link over in the ARF section. He has a ton of airplane kits on his site for sale but maybe it could help you with something you need for your site.

http://www.kitcutters.com/index.htm

pgitta

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for the link!