TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

So I'm in the driveway test running an engine. Its a scale model. The tank is mounted quite low because of a cockpit. The plane has some fuel flow issues and I've just installed a pump and I'm trying it out. When a neighbor sees me and comments how patient I am to spend so much time building models and working out the bugs they sometimes have.
I've heard this comment before, "I wish I had your patience". I've never really understood it. But this day I gleam some understanding. He sees all of this tinkering and problem solving as aggravating or frustrating. Its never occured to me as any such thing. Don't get me wrong, I try to build a plane that works perfectly right out f the shop. But most often some aspect of the machine needs some refinement. But, as in this case, I try the simplest fix first and then spiral outward to the more complex. This case required the addition of a fuel pump, ( which worked wonders and solved all my problems). But I've always enjoyed testing and refining. Locate the problem, isolate it, devise a solution, and implement it. Try to be eloquent and above all, keep it as simple as possible.
So , even though I would rather the airplane did work perfectly the first flight, I knew it may not. I fixed it. And now I will enjoy flying it. But patience isn't a word I would have used to describe the experience. I wasn't aggravated or annoyed. I enjoy these little challenges. And when I did finally understand why people sometimes use the word, " patience" to describe my hobby, I was shocked. For me, patience is something required of me only when other human beings are involved, not airplanes.
So, am I alone here? Has anyone else had people refer to them as patient? Do other modellers ever feel frustrated? Isn't tinkering with machinery fun ? I thought Americans were world famous for their uncanny ability to make machines work, at least in the early 20th century.

Ram Jet

You are perfect for this hobby - and probably a great husband too! They call me crazy because I buy a broken $50.00 aircraft and wind up investing $200.00 plus in it because I won't give up. Stupid or stubborn?

Bill

dignlivn

Your not alone.


Some younger club members looked at me
as if I was a Dinasuaor(spelling?) when I said I was Building
a Sig Kit this Winter. I love tinkering! and solving
problems with Planes also.


Bob

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

I was in one of the LHS's that I use and the owner was talking to somebody that was thinking about starting to fly. He was showing them one of the ARF trainer setups and told them that it could be ready to fly in about 6-8 hours. The shopper was totally shocked and outraged and loudly proclaimed that he didn't have 6 hours to waste getting a plane ready to fly!!!! [X(]

But then again, that's pretty much a snapshot of the instant gratification attitude that is becoming more and more prevalent these days.

Ken

vmsguy

We live in a McDonald's society. People are willing to Pay more and get less... IF they can get it faster...

'course.. The guy with the ARF.. he's the type you follow to the airfield.. because you know he's going to lawn-dart his plane, then trash the whole setup in discust.

WooHoo!!! Free plane!

tkilwein

There was a rich ??? person that came by the sepulveda basin many years back.
He did not want to build anything just buy it ready to fly.
He walked up to you and said how much for your heli and radio?
You reply $1500 to $2000 and he placed $100 bills in your hand.
He then tried to fly it, then crash it and walked away and you got to pick the pieces up and keep.
He did this 3 times that I saw.
That is no patience and money to blow.

Dsegal

My favorite statement on the right personality for this hobby is from the late, great Frank Zaic:

"Building and flying model planes is an art which cannot be achieved overnight nor
purchased with cash. If you like to work with your hands, enjoy solving puzzles,
building and flying model airplanes is for you."

abufletcher

Patience is one way to describe what it takes to build. When I was a kid building Guillow's kits my "little" brother use to try to build one with me. He'd get halfway through wing panel a rib or stringer would snap in half (as seems to always have happened on the Guillow's kits) and he'd yell and crunch the whole model up in a fit of rage. I just sort of soldiered on.

There's a certain "fiddliness" involved in fiddling with models.

But of course there's parts of modeling that I'm "patient" with and other parts that drive me nuts. For example, I'd got no patience at all with setting up the plumbing. And I don't have any patience (i.e. don't enjoy) turning engines or really doing any of the mechanical stuff. But give me a good scale building problem from how to replicate a wire trailing edge to lozenge fabric and I'll keep at it with an "obsessiveness" that others might interpret as patience.

Thinking of the "rich person" story, when I was working in Kuwait, there'd be Kuwaitis who would buy a $3,000 camera and then bring it back to the shop to have a new roll of film put in.

Clay Walters

You certainly are patient!

I find I have plenty of patience when things are properly represented to me and they go as they should. But I have no patience with being misled.

An ARF able to be ready in 6-8 hours should mean precisely that for an average and inexperienced builder with no special tools, jigs or building surfaces. It should also include all adhesive drying times. If is says "preinstalled anything" anywhere on the box or instructions; they should be. Included hardware should simply be the same you'd want if you went to the LHS and bought your own. None of the junk should ever be included or the box should clearly state "We give you some junk hardware that will do the job if you do everything just so, otherwise plan on getting your own locally."

Most would atleast be truthful if they blazed the following in bold letters on the outside of the box and displayed prominently in their catalogs and on their websites:
"Our ARFS and kits are competively priced because we skimp in every way possible. An experienced builder familiar with the challenges these models present should be able to assemble this model. Newcomers are well advised to secure the assistance of an experienced builder before tackling this project."

As you might imagine its something I feel strongly about.

Clay

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Patience?? When I was A kid I lived at the beach, I would surf in the morning then hang out all day soaking up the rays. It was just something I was good at, not the surfing part, I really stunk at that but laying in one spot and only rolling over once in A while to check out the girls. I called it patience, other people called it something else. Ever sense I can remember if it had an engine or you had to build/make it then it was for me. Nothing big though, I don't do hammers and nails all that well, I just don't like it. The 50s were A time of models, planes, boats and cars. I think I built about everything that came out. Was it patience or just living in Wash. state and it rained all the time?? When I was building kits and assembling ARFs for people they always stated there lack of time?? I don't get it, they are as retired as I am?? I would just take ther money and keep myself in stuff, we all need A lot of stuff. That patience word came up then and today quite A bit and I never undarstood that. Have these people never fished? Hunted Ducks? Soaked up rays on the beach? I don't get it but I see it all the time. I have people stop by all the time when I am working on A plane out front in the street asking all the normal questions but I get A lot of requests to buy my stuff? I'm more then willing to help someone get started in the hobby but I tend to run out of patience with people that just don't have the time to get involved! And to get to the question, yes, I think this is still A hobby that requires patience and desire.

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

my dad always said it to me of course he has no patience do the stuff i do with my models. i am relatively new to this hobby so its not something with newer younger people i am only 30 for instance. I am about to embark on my first scratch build. some people no matter how much time they have may not have the ability to sit and work on something for long periods of time. i don't discount them for it either.

carrellh

I find it's easier for me to be patient (or whatever word someone might use) when solving problems related to things I like compared to solving problems related to things I do not like.

The same person who gets frustrated trying to figure out a fuel system issue might be an absolute wizard at debugging a computer program.

I have a good friend who runs an auto shop. Computers drive him nuts but he will spend hours working on car parts. Like Ram Jet, he will sometimes spend more time fixing something than the cost of a new part. Even though he ends up doing a certain amount of work for free because of this, he says he does it because he can. There is a huge difference in the skills of a "mechanic" compared to a "parts changer."

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Persistent and determined come to mind. You're not stupid or stubborn.

Stupid AND Stubborn is the guy who shows up on the first day of flight training, sometime in early May, with a 40 size P-51 Mustang. He insists that he can fly, but has been out of the hobby for 20+ years. Despite every bit of coaxing from gentle nudges too outright orders from volunteer instructors at the club, he's decided to forgo the trainer and jump right into the Mustang for his first flight into RC and his first flight with a model airplane in 25yrs. He flew .049 control-line planes back in 1962 with no throttle stop and polyhedral wings. Why wouldn't he be able to fly this RC Mustang today?

STUPID ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now, despite all the warnings from club instructors, he insists on flying it with a buddy box. "You just take it off and trim it out for me. I'll do the flying. You land it when I'm done."


Okay dumb****. Whatever you say.

So we find the best instructor in the club with the fastest thumbs. We dial the throws WAAAAAAAAAAY down so this Mustang is gonna fly just as gentle as a rubber band powered free-flight model. We dial in the buddy box and make sure all is set up correctly. Take it off and get it flying hands-off.

The instructor hands off control to the new "student" and he promptly rolls it inverted and pulls back on the stick like he's trying to break it off the TX. The instructor has no time to react.

WHAM!!

He cusses at the instructors. Goes home mad. Comes back out the next week with it all rebuilt and 2lbs heavier. Then he asks somebody to buddy box him.

STUBBORN!!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I can't STAND this instant gratification mentality. And you can't blame it on the youth. I'm 37 and I LOVE to build kits. I'm a spring chicken to some of you guys. But I've seen guys from 12yrs too 65yrs of age with this instant gratification mentality. It doesn't discriminate with regard to age.

Somebody mentioned fishing. The worse day of fishing is always better than a productive day at work. It's called FISHING not CATCHING. It's been said many times that the Earth is 90% covered in water......... Gods intentions are clear. Ya know, if you quit smoking now and fish at least 100 days per year, you'll live forever?

If one more jackass shows up at the field with a snap-together BARF that runs on AA batteries and asks me to test fly it for him, I'm gonna toss it under the wheel of my truck and back over it!!! [sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif] When he's done cryin' I'll take him to the LHS and buy him an LT-40 kit and a new OS 46AX.

Campgems

What field do you fly at and how what day are you there? I think I can find one of those battery planes and I'd love to make that trade. Is there a limit of one to a customer?

Don

RevGQ

On Dec. 6, 2008, I'll be celebrating 22 years of marriage. My wife calls airplanes, helicopters and fishing the other women in my life, and she still loves me!

[img][/img]

dignlivn

Rcpilot,


Care to tell us How you really feel.

RevGQ,

All my planes,dog and Guitars are my
girl friends. Been married 25 yrs. last week.

Bob

foodstick

I have a little different look on the hobby than most..

I like my arfs for what they are, but its really about the building. The real change as I see it in the hobby is this... When it was tough, build it yourself or pay A LOT to have it done for you... the group was different. People that flew all had one thing in common, this burning addiction, almost obsession with airplanes. No amount of crashing or anything else will kill it. Sometimes you have had enough and need to step back ..but in that group of people its still there, but they might quit the hobby.

Many newer fliers are looking for satisfaction... thats why the plane is unimportant and can look exactly like everyone elses..as long as it GIVES them that satisfaction. I think the reason 3D is popular is that its like juggling, it has no real value or seemingly reason to exsist...but it is still very satisfying to hone the skill ..on some basic level it pleases you enough to want to improve and take it to the next level...It definately teaches your hands and brain to work together almost like a musicians...


I know many will disagree with me on this, but I think you have to let some people crash to learn, only the fire or lack there of will determine if they stay with it..

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Well, I didn't really mean for this to get into the ARF vs. kit discussion so much. The "us vs. them" society sub-sets I was referring to were the RC hobbyist vs. the non-RC hobbyist.

Do we, the RC enthusiasts, have some trait or gene that causes us to enjoy tinkering with mechanical things when the rest of the population seems to view such challenges as unnecessary and unpleasant aggravation? Thats the impression that I got from my non-RC enthusiast neighbor .

And to take it one step further, I never considered that my neighbor was part of any "instant gratification" generation. He is well into his 70's and he still works. I wouldn't frame my conclusions by finding fault in his character, but by exporing my own. Why am I different then him ? What is it about me and my RC buddies that makes us the way we are ? Why can I fall asleep at night thinking about an airplane ? Why can I sit in the garage smoking cigarettes and racking my brain to solve some problem ? What is it about us ? I don't think we are in the majority or dare I say, the norm.

Alex7403

I’m in this hobby because I need to build beautiful stuff, flying it just comes along.

if the "instant gratification" people knew that 97% of the time is spent fixing and sanding and gluing etc’ and only 3% flying do you think they would stay?

Do you remember the days before ARF’s? one servo cost $30, futaba 4 ch $200 yeah those dollars.
Let them buy a new ARF every weekend, this hobby needs to grow so I can afford to build my kits and enjoy the hobby the right way.

At our field there is a guy that has 4 beautiful RC Jets, between 15K – 25K each, when people ask him how much they cost, his answer is 8 hours a day every day.

Something my father is saying to me:
“are you crazy? If all people would know how to work and do things accurately and good it would be impossible to find a job…�

Alex

Clay Walters

And Thank Goodness!

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Some guys return to the music store to have their guitar restrung!

I had an old Cortez doubleneck, the 12-string nut was split right at the heavy bass E string. Took it to a local music store and they carved & installed a new nut for me. Looked great, tuned great, played great afterwards, they charged me something like $30 and offered to restring it for me.

I just sort of looked at him, and said the repair looks great, does anyone actually bring their guitars in to have the strings changed? Oh, yes, he said.

I guess nothing should surprise us.
Dave Olson

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

...and they bring their drums into the drum shop to have heads replaced. Those types are not "true" musicians, but hobby types who just like to "noodle" on their instrument. ...or parents of kids who whine about a "broken" head or string...the parents really don't know how to do the job and are indulging their child.

dignlivn

Scar and Bax,


I know what you mean, they usally can't
tune them either. Well back to sanding my
astro hog, is it Spring yet lol.

Bob