trainermaster80

My Feedback: (5)

try the ama plans web site. You can scratch build several gliders for the price of one kit and they fly better also. Frankie the 89 year old modeler trainermaster80
try the society of antique models here you can find lots of good flying hand launch and rubber shoot em ups as well as many larger wingspan gliders. These tye are easy to construct, i am 89 and cand build one in about 1 hour or less. Good hunting & flying

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Check this site they don't list Berkely but they do have some nice FF stuff. I know I saw the Wag Tail glider on their site.

https://www.vintagemodelcompany.com/free-flight.html

bingo field

Those vintage kits are right where I wanted to be. The rubber powered stuff is ok, but not what I wanted to show them. Since I pay out of my pocket, nearly $50 per kit is rather steep. Maybe I get 1, and see who really wants to get involved. The school is on a bit of a slope, not enough to get into anything big, but a 24 - 36 in span could get good distance from a nice push, once trimmed out. If anyone runs into someplace that they can post that has something similar to those vintage kits, but is here in the states, please let me know. If I order now, they will be graduating before the kit is delivered....

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

If you like kits and don't mind downloading you plans from Outerzone or AeroFred Rob over at the Balsa Workbench has some nice low cost laser cut short kits. He does a lot of RCM plans. I just made a purchase from him and he got the order out fast and his work is spot on.

The Balsa Workbench | Helpful hints for building balsa RC airplanes, by Rob Reynolds

smkrcflyer

Laser short kits seam to be a good alternative to buying old full kits. Has anyone built a plane from D&L Design?

D&L Designs, Radio Control Model Aircraft Kits

foodstick

They used to sell an air foiled balsa sheet to cut wings from, and all you need is a few sticks , flat balsa sheet, and a bit of clay to balance with. Then you can make your own chuck gliders. A friend and I used to scratch build smaller ones to fly in a building at work when we had a couple spare minutes. I was shocked at how many odd planes we managed to get flying..

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Considering the cost of Balsa these days you probably couldn't afford a solid wing anymore. How big was the board?

GallopingGhostler

I suggest using foamboard instead. Dollar Tree sells 20"x30"x3/16" sheets for $1 each. Walmart has the sheets too in school supplies, about $3 each (but slightly better quality.) Hot melt glue gun or carpenter's water based aliphatic glue are sufficient to join pieces. Take for example,

,

substitute 3/16" foamboard, upsize the gliders to preferred size. There are several plans and I am sure that there'd be at least one of them or more preferred by students. With some imagination, improvising along the way I'm sure it would be a positive experience, and affordable, too. Plus, the kids have something now they could try at home.

If you leave the paper on both sides of the foam, it helps to give it rigidity, so you don't have to reinforce. Anyway, just a few thoughts.

foodstick

You used to be able to get a 3 by 36 inch sheet already air foiled,You just cut your wings to the length you wanted.. then you could always sand it for a bit different leading edge or foil shape. I imagine those didn't cost more than a couple bucks for a full sheet. I figured they might still make it? I will check and see if I still have a bit and post a pic if I do.

Not sure if I misunderstood the size of gliders being talked about.. But this product was good for a a 18-24 inch chuck glider I suppose?

GerKonig

The answer is easy google 2 of the biggest wood suppliers: "Balsa USA" and "National Balsa". You can check on line on their website what they have, or you can just call them. Be prepared to be ripped off with the shipping of your wood. I remember building some in the past (bout 20 years ago) for my kids. Had to airfoil the wood myself. No big deal using a good sanding bar... Many things changed, remember that:-)

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

SIG still has airfoiled sheets. 1/4 x 3 x 36 is $3.28 and 1/4 x 4 36 is $4.03. Two 18" HL gliders can be made from each sheet. Their shipping is usually quite reasonable.

I agree it is fairly easy create your own airfoiled sheet wood but unless you have the right tools (sanding blocks and razor plane) it might be quite challenging for those who have not done it before. These skills are fun to pass down to others but not necessarily easy to learn on your own.

foodstick

Though we only had a chance to fly those chuck gliders maybe 15-20 minutes a week at work.. My friend and I really had a good time.. Looking back I had forgotten how fun it was. The building had about an 18 foot ceiling, and some electrical conduit from the ceiling to the equipment.. So a good throw would roll out high by the rafters, and circle around hopefully missing the conduit. I can still recall a few flights that were dead on perfect and hung there in a nice glide for quite awhile.

Pork Chop

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks Mike and Steve for the info on Balsa Workbench and D&L. I never heard of either one and with all the businesses going under these days it's good to hear of a couple I wasn't familiar with. Thanks again.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Anyone want to speculate on the fate of Top Flite, Godberg, and Great Planes kits now that Horizon has bought Hobbico? I got this email today:Dear Valued Customer:As you may be aware, Hobby Services' parent company, Hobbico, declared bankruptcy in January 2018 and has initiated a sale process.We are excited to share with you that the RC brands and Hobby Services website that you have come to rely on over the years will continue. The Bankruptcy Court has approved the sale of Hobbico's RC business to Horizon Hobby, LLC. Horizon Hobby has been in business since 1985 and serves customers in the United States and around the World. Horizon Hobby also maintains a strong online presence and warmly welcomes Hobbico customers to its growing family. With this acquisition, Horizon Hobby looks to build upon Hobbico's great reputation for providing quality RC products to customers across the country. More information about Horizon Hobby can be found at https://www.HorizonHobby.com.As part of the sale, Horizon Hobby is purchasing Hobbico's customer databases. The Hobbico Privacy Policy provides that the company will not share any personally identifiable information with any third party without your consent. Under this Privacy Policy, you have the right to opt-out of the sale and the transfer of your personal information to Horizon Hobby, and of receiving future e-mail or mail communications from Horizon Hobby.

acdii

man, I was just thinking the same thing while looking at a recent HH email with all their foam planes.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I found a news report today it doesn't mention Top Flite but it does say R/C business so I would think it would be included:Horizon and Hobbico have served many of the same retailers and customers for years," Horizon CEO Joe Ambrose said when his company announced it would try to buy Hobbico's RC units.Horizon is buying Hobbico's Great Planes and Tower Hobbies divisions, along with its Axial and Arrma brands.Also on Monday, a bankruptcy judge approved a separate $7 million sale of Hobbico's Colorado-based model-rocket subsidiary, Estes, to an organization called The Langford Group.

The $64 question si what happens to Tower and the lines they carried but Horizon didn't and how will the lines be merged with Horizon's other subsidiaries?

GallopingGhostler

I think we will find out over time. Tower wasn't able to garner the sales needed to remain in the black with all the lines they were carrying. We'll probably see some of the kits and discontinued, just not profitable. We'll probably see some continue. Greatest issue is what is profitable and what is not. A company can't stay in business if it can't turn a profit.

Reality is reality. There's a lot of things I'd like to see return, but they are forever gone, like the local corner hobby store, along with all the mom and pop small shops that used to exist. It is what it is.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Heart breaking but true.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Well Top Flite just released their newest Giant ARF: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...TF-F6F-Hellcat

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

But a lot of that imported stuff they pay for upfront months in advance thru a third party broker who holds the payment.Then the product gets made and shipped from China, or where ever in container(s) to the US. At least it was that way when back in the day I was in the furniture business. It explains why a less brand chair would looks exactly like the chair sold under the name big price US brands, the were the same chair from the same factory they only change was the price and name on the box.

Try and find a listing of the whole airplane it is nowhere to be seen on the Tower or Top Flite websites.

Also I have seen a lot of press on Graupner's new 24 channel radio but try to find one in stock even the Graupner USA website shows it out of stock.

foodstick

I just keep wondering when we hit the day of so few builders /collectors that the old resale kit prices tumble...

I am sort of surprised it hasn't happened already.

I know I keep telling myself to quit buying more kits and just plan build.. or rebuild..
Heaven knows I have been squirreling away balsa !

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

There are a couple of kits I am still considering but I am so kit heavy, full and short, I want to save my money to build what I got. I made a commitment to purchase two fun scale short kits but that will end my kit buying for a while. I was looking at the TF Spitfire but then I got a deal for the plans and fiberglass for a Brian Taylor Spitfire Mk1A so I'll build it instead.

nhk750

I stocked up on some Top Flight and Great Planes kits last year when the news broke and I have noticed these kits haven't been available lately. I bet the shortage will continue for a while until the dust settles.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I like the P-40E but it is their worse flying kit. It was the Gold Edition that has not had an update. It doesn't look like that will ever happen now.

acdii

At the Toledo show everything that Hobbico would have had in the booth was under the Horizon label. They had all the displays all set to go as if it was a done deal long before it was approved this week. What you most likely will see is the TF ARF remaining, while the kits will go away, same with Great Planes. HH does not deal with kits, and most likely wont start now. They see where the markets are going, instant gratification, no one want to spend months or years building when they can pull it out of a box, glue a couple parts together and go fly.

Since TH was the US distributor of Futaba and OS, and HH is the distributor of Saito, and SPektrum, I wonder how well that will go down for the distributorship. The swap meet was really kit poor this year. A few old SIG kits, one or two older control line Top Flite, and some other old kits, but thats about it. There was a Bud Nosen P-51 and a Balsa USA P-51 kit, $300 each, and thats about it, everything else were ARF.

The Vendors were very sparse too, SIG was not present, speaks volumes. I was hoping the guy who was there last year with all the small parts, hinges, cnc milled parts, etc. would be there, but he was not. A lot of spaces were filled by people who would normally be on the swap floor, which tells me they needed to fill spaces.