kits will be gone soon?
04-08-2003, 04:59 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: md.
Posts: 403
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
today at the lhs the owner said that the major supplier of kits will not be making more as all will go to arf's. I was so flabergasted by this I didn't inquire further. say this isn't so. maybe he was jerking my chain trying to start a rumor to move some kits. I hope this isn't true. I really enjoy the challenge of building and it would get boring fast if every plane looked the same,all arfs i mean.
04-08-2003, 05:21 PM
#2
Member
My Feedback: (4)
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Mooresville,
NC
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
Hold on...I'm gonna hold my breath while this happens........................................... ...............
.................................................. .......................
.................................................. .......................
.............pppppuuuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhh.
.................................................. .......................
.................................................. .......................
.............pppppuuuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhh.
04-08-2003, 06:05 PM
#4
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Bedford, UK
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
I guess that the Guillows, Flair, Estes, MicroX, Peck Polymers etc. free flight lines will close up shop too? (I'm not going to hold my breath).
I think that there will always be a market for people who enjoy building. What we've seen is an explosion in the sport plane ARF market. While kit sales at the LHS are down, overall sales are up in spite of a slow economy. The cheap ARFs have really brought people in with attractive packages that get you in the air without a lot of time investment. The fact is that your local hobby shop never made much off of a kit. The margin is higher on an arf, but what really supports the hobby shop are the accessories!
Ultimately, I don't think that many will mourn the loss of those kit built PT-40's and 40. sized Extra's, and I don't think that ARF's will ever replace the P-38's and Morrisey Bravo's that the builders buy. Too many people enjoy the art of kit bashing or turning a Piper Cub into a PA-18-1.
Chris
I think that there will always be a market for people who enjoy building. What we've seen is an explosion in the sport plane ARF market. While kit sales at the LHS are down, overall sales are up in spite of a slow economy. The cheap ARFs have really brought people in with attractive packages that get you in the air without a lot of time investment. The fact is that your local hobby shop never made much off of a kit. The margin is higher on an arf, but what really supports the hobby shop are the accessories!
Ultimately, I don't think that many will mourn the loss of those kit built PT-40's and 40. sized Extra's, and I don't think that ARF's will ever replace the P-38's and Morrisey Bravo's that the builders buy. Too many people enjoy the art of kit bashing or turning a Piper Cub into a PA-18-1.
Chris
04-08-2003, 06:24 PM
#5
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Canyon Country, CA
Posts: 656
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
I think you'll find that some manufacturers of kits will no longer make them. My LHS said that in a few months he had been informed that the Top Flight warbird kits would be replaced with ARFs. If you want to build I think you'll always be able to buy kits, just not such a large number to choose from. You can always scratch build or have a "kitter" make one up from plans, but this is undoubtedly expensive. If kits aren't making them money and ARF's are, they'll move to ARFs.
04-08-2003, 11:20 PM
#8
kits will be gone soon?
I've noticed a trend in advertising toward the ARF's as well. Manufacturer's push the ARF in magazine ads more than the kits. For example, when Great Planes came out with the PT-19 ARF, I never saw the Dynaflite PT-19 kit listed anywhere, yet it is still made.
What I miss are all the kit building articles in the magazines. Nearly all are on an ARF rather than a kit. OK, sorry, I didn't mean to perpetuate this subject which has been beat like a red-headed step child, I'll shut up now.
What I miss are all the kit building articles in the magazines. Nearly all are on an ARF rather than a kit. OK, sorry, I didn't mean to perpetuate this subject which has been beat like a red-headed step child, I'll shut up now.
04-08-2003, 11:23 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Spring Hill,
FL
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
I agree there will always be kits. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim now and it's only getting worse. You have to dig in the cracks to find those garage operations that make decent kits.
But.... if nobody made kits any more, you can always scratch build anything you want. Personally I prefer to do that anyway.
But.... if nobody made kits any more, you can always scratch build anything you want. Personally I prefer to do that anyway.
04-09-2003, 02:36 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Martinsville, NJ
Posts: 413
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
As long as there are people who want kits, there will be kitters.
Mace Gill
The Aeroplane Works
http://www.theaeroplaneworks.com
Mace Gill
The Aeroplane Works
http://www.theaeroplaneworks.com
04-09-2003, 03:35 PM
#12
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Somewhere in the west
Posts: 630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
Hey Elwood take it easy on those ARFs. It is a question of supply and demand. No self respecting scale modeler would mess with ARFs. The only area that concerns me is the new generation of kits like Aerotech that have so much scale details build into them that generates an unfair advantage in scale competitions, furthermore, little detail works like putting rivets will soon become a lost art . I personally think these kits should be judged in a new category. What do you think ?
04-09-2003, 03:50 PM
#13
kits will be gone soon?
Originally posted by FlyingPilgrim
What I miss are all the kit building articles in the magazines. Nearly all are on an ARF rather than a kit.
What I miss are all the kit building articles in the magazines. Nearly all are on an ARF rather than a kit.
There are still several ARF's on the schedule, but hopefully we should soon be lining up some kits.
04-09-2003, 04:40 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Spring Hill,
FL
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
Is RCU providing the kits? If so you can count me in.
Here's a sample of my reviewing capabilities:
Howzat? 
Here's a sample of my reviewing capabilities:
This kit is junk. The instructions are vague, the plans are wrong, the wood is crap and the parts don't fit. It flew right off the board because all my planes do that.
04-09-2003, 05:02 PM
#17
kits will be gone soon?
Originally posted by foxx
Hey Elwood take it easy on those ARFs. It is a question of supply and demand. No self respecting scale modeler would mess with ARFs. The only area that concerns me is the new generation of kits like Aerotech that have so much scale details build into them that generates an unfair advantage in scale competitions, furthermore, little detail works like putting rivets will soon become a lost art . I personally think these kits should be judged in a new category. What do you think ?
Hey Elwood take it easy on those ARFs. It is a question of supply and demand. No self respecting scale modeler would mess with ARFs. The only area that concerns me is the new generation of kits like Aerotech that have so much scale details build into them that generates an unfair advantage in scale competitions, furthermore, little detail works like putting rivets will soon become a lost art . I personally think these kits should be judged in a new category. What do you think ?
This same concern was raised about the Byron kits almost 20 years ago. A lot of people claimed unfair advantage and there was talk about enacting a penalty for fiberglass fuse kits. I don't know if it ever came to be, but it's not a new concern. But, look at the models in scale competition. Most, except for the jets, are scratch built. I don't think there is much to worry about. Scale builders are in it for many reasons other than just winning. Sure, everyone wants to win, but they also want to show off their skills to everyone else. How much pride is there in competing with a model where all of the hard work is done for you AND everyone knows it was done for you.
John
04-09-2003, 05:27 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Jasper,
AL
Posts: 837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
I agree there will always be kits. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim now and it's only getting worse. You have to dig in the cracks to find those garage operations that make decent kits.
Sad, but in these times of instant gratification and easy credit, it's easy to ker-plunk down the plastic and get flying with minimal effort.
Whatever flips your prop...
04-09-2003, 06:33 PM
#19
kits will be gone soon?
Its a bummer that some of the good kits are gone. There is one I liked that I looked for 10 years and never found. I put ads on RCO when it was alive and found one. Then they started trickling in on ebay. I now have 8 of them.
I am still looking for the old MK kit that circus hobbies sold for a long time. They were $99. It was the Zlin kit. Quite the plane. Would love to come across a couple of those.
You can still find most if you are willing to look. I have found a ton of old kits and have about 40 of them stored away for someday.
I am still looking for the old MK kit that circus hobbies sold for a long time. They were $99. It was the Zlin kit. Quite the plane. Would love to come across a couple of those.
You can still find most if you are willing to look. I have found a ton of old kits and have about 40 of them stored away for someday.
04-09-2003, 06:42 PM
#21
My Feedback: (11)
kits will be gone soon?
Originally posted by Jim Schwagle
...My LHS said that in a few months he had been informed that the Top Flight warbird kits would be replaced with ARFs.
...My LHS said that in a few months he had been informed that the Top Flight warbird kits would be replaced with ARFs.
The only Top Flite ARF models are the control-line Flite Steak and Nobler kits, which were just announced and displayed at the Toledo show.
If other Top Flite ARF kits are announced, they will be in addition to, and not instead of, the Gold Edition kit line.
04-09-2003, 06:42 PM
#22
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: An Iceburg in, ANTARCTICA
Posts: 6,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kits will be gone soon?
Originally posted by JWN
... How much pride is there in competing with a model where all of the hard work is done for you AND everyone knows it was done for you.
John
... How much pride is there in competing with a model where all of the hard work is done for you AND everyone knows it was done for you.
John
