50+AirYears

Chris, if you flamed anybody, it was probably only people who deserved it. For myself, I might have appreciated a good ARF or two when I was trying to raise a son, working 50+ hours a week, taking night courses at a local college, and trying to find time to squeeze in an hour or two a week building among other things like eating, sleeping, and the attempts my wife forced on me to have a normal social life. The quality of today's ARFs was only reached in about the last 10 years, if that. Those of us who bought ARFs in the late forties, fifties, and sixties have a tendency to spell ARF with a capital B as the first letter. Some of us still do, not from predjudice against something untried, but as an application of the saying "Once burnt, twice shy". Just like there are still quite a few of us who have trouble accepting electric power, not because the concept is foriegn to us, but again, as what you might call pioneering, been there, done that, it didn't work, wasted a lot of time and money. Everybody has his own personal priorities and life experiences, some of which match other peoples' and some which don't.

Based on what you submitted, I hope to see more like you enter this hobby/sport.

Buteos

We all have limitations in what time we have to spend doing things we enjoy. The point here is that no one has unlimited time to do nothing..even when your retired. The younger flyers have a chance to learn so very much and not all old guys have been flying forever. Take what you can learn..use it to strenghten not only your own abilities but also the sport. If you fly you need to know how to build...ARF or not, there will be a point in time when you will need to repair or rebuild and you may not have the funds to shell out to buy new.

Bob

Stickbuilder

Not an intention to flame, but Building a model airplane has never been an inexpensive hobby. If building as cheaply as possible is the driving focus to being in this hobby, then It's probably not working out very well for you is it? I enjoy building to the best of my abilities. I still enjoy the modelling aspect of this hobby. I believe that to be a modeller, you must be able to make one, not just buy one. While I cannot possibly build as cheaply as I can buy an ARF of the same model airplane (I already have well in excess of $600.00 invested (tied up) in my 1/5th scale PICA Waco YMF. I could now purchase this same airplane in ARF form from COX for under $400.00. So why do I still build them? It's simple, mine do not look just like the next one out of the box. Mine have details and features that cannot be replicated with the ARF. You won't be able to customize yours to the point that someone cannot still tell that it is an ARF (unless you totally strip the covering and rebuild the model)(then why bother). I like to have something that everyone cannot have. Therefore, I build it.

Bill, AMA 4720

50+AirYears

Someday, just for the heck of it, I want to take an ARF, use it as a pattern to build one from materials I have on hand, and compare the relative price. Granted, I won't have the volume prices for materials that a mass builder gets, but I think I can make a pretty fair comparison. I am confident that my finished price will be at or slightly less than the ARF, time involvement will probably be higher, but even now, the quality of worksmanship should be considerably higher, as will the emotional satisfaction when it gets it's maiden flight.

rcmiket

Stickbuilder, I own Arf's, Planes from kits, Plan built stuff. My point was we can't expect todays crowd to start like most of the older bunch.I once read a post somewhere on RCU about MAKING newbee's build a kit in order to play in our sandbox. The cold hard facts are that the new crowd buys AFR's some will hang around and try there hand at a kit or a set of plans but not many. As far as the money goes I chose to spend whatever on RC to have fun and enjoy. Here's a few pics of some of the stuff I have done. (Wish this thing would upload better) I started with a ARF and found I liked kits and plans. I'm sure there's a few more out there. As far as flaming no problem you havent.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Rcmiket, I see a bit of room in your 'workroom' for another plane or two....

Nice set-up....does it get hot in there during the summer months?

rcmiket

Ya during the summer but the AC keeps borderline. The front empty table is were I keep my GP Wagstaff. The other side is were I work when I can. Trying to finish up a Pica P-51 and a refurb on the 130. My wife actually wanted to put a car in there. I just laughed.

50+AirYears

There are philosophers who claim a clean work area is a sign of a sick mind. My wife claims occupation with model building is proof of a sick mind. I gues some of us have proof of sick minds one way, some have it another, and some have it both ways. I guess That's Life. Generally beats the alternative.

Right now I can kind of blame repair work on our laundry room wall for the condition of my shop. Still trying to think of future excuses for when that's done and the basement goes back to "Normal".

rcmiket

Know the feeling just painted the hallway here. Sure hope she likes the color ( she picked it out well.......you never know).

dmcmike

My Feedback: (14)

If you've been in this hobby for the amount of time that a lot of us have, when we all started, there weren't any arfs that were worth hauling home! You learned to build, or you just didn't fly! Sure, when I was young, if I had the choice of an ARF or a full build kit, i would've jumped at the ARF in a heartbeat! Now that i've learned that i really enjoy building as much as if not more than flying, there really aren't many kits around! So now, i'm setting out on stocking up on plans and learning how to build from them. No more difficult than building from kits, just a few more #11 blades to wear out.

Everyone is always saying we need to get more youngsters involved. The answer is to teach them how to build, how to enjoy the simple tasks involved in throwing some glue, balsa, covering ,etc. together, then going out and flying it.

Right now, i've got a couple of kits coming that i've found from various sources, since my grandson has more than expressed an interest in learning how to help grampa build and fly airplanes. At least I've got 1 out of 8 to come over to the darkside!

grab a kid, some simple, easy to build kit, show them the basics, teach them some skills, some patience, and let them get a bit of gratification out of the building process.

parrthd

Vader,

I expected a lot more out of you, I was hoping you would get at least half of your young ones to come to the darkside.......

signed, The Emperor


oh well, I guess we can't get 'em all...........LOL

Buteos

mcmike, this is what its all about, teaching someone to build, to have patience, self control and to respect others for what they can pass on. It seem like in todays world everyone grabs their money, runs out and pays for things that given some direction they could do themselves. My hat off to you sir!

dmcmike

My Feedback: (14)

we're working on 'em! and considering half of them are girls. well we'll see. One of them wants to know when grampa is going to "build one for me"!

Buteos

I would like to see more ladies flying and involved with the sport......here's your chance.....

parrthd

ditto

that's all you can do.

one of our flyers is always buying/selling/trading "kits" don't know why though, he's NEVER got farther than opening the box to show a potential buyer/trader, and he's had some really nice kits. he's currently got a graupner jodell robin - fiberglass fuse/sheeted foam wings/FULL hardware package/ tricycle landing gear with pants on all three tires etc.

he traded on it knowing that he'll never build it, for 175.00 i'm thinking of buying it myself.

Buteos

Some people buy just to be able to say that they have one. After the newness of it wears off they sell or trade it. Go figure.....