RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS  
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Kit Building >> RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS
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RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 9/1/2006 6:03:16 AM   
mmattockx


 

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From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: blw

Mark,

I know what you mean. I've seen a couple of good flying aerobatic ARFs fly but didn't want to buy them. There are some things about the construction that I don't like, such as the wings breaking off, etc. I actually found plans for one of them that a couple of people took the time to do great jobs on. One is so detailed that you can't tell the difference between his and a manufacturer. I plan to build one before Christmas.


The Showtime really interests me, it is a great flying plane. But I have seen enough build issues with it (and it's a "very good" ARF in terms of the quality) that I am very wary of buying one and seeing what comes out of the box. If I could buy a kit or plans, I would be building it right now... It may be the plane that makes me break down and try an ARF, though. Hear that Hangar9? One Showtime kit customer waiting right here! Just send me the box of ARF parts and the plans I will sort the rest myself.

Care to share the plans with a fellow scratch builder? PM me if you want to keep it private.


Mark

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RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 9/2/2006 9:41:16 PM   
blw



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Joined: 3/15/2004
From: Auburn, AL, USA
Status: offline 		Mark,

http://www.rcblueprints.com/ has plans for the Funtana. The Sukoi plans are some of the best I've seen, but these aren't from an ARF. There are plans for the Katana referenced here on RCU if you do a search. These are excellent plans too. I can email those to you if you PM your address.

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RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 9/4/2006 12:51:12 AM   
NCIS


 

Posts: 2864
Joined: 5/28/2006
From: Janesville, WI, USA
Status: online 		Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback good or bad, it's all great to read. Keep em coming!

Gibbs

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       Post #: 228

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/5/2006 9:13:13 PM   
NCIS


 

Posts: 2864
Joined: 5/28/2006
From: Janesville, WI, USA
Status: online 		Well I did it!!!. I broke down and bought another ARF. The Funtana X 100. Had to have it. It's not available in kit form so I bought it. Waiting for it to get here. From the manual I have to say there is a lot of building to be done once I get it. The instruction manual is 40 pages. I am also building a GP 60 size Cub kit. I have to say to those people I bashed about ARF's, they do have a spot in this hobby and some take a considerable amount of building so I guess I have to say you are builders too.

Gibbs

(in reply to NCIS)
       Post #: 229

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/5/2006 9:56:56 PM   
airbatic


 

Posts: 391
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Airbatic here,

I think ARF quality has improved over the years because the supervisors are allowed to beat the workers who work eighteen hours a day building your airplane in those poor countries like Malaysia or Mali.

Kraus

(in reply to Bob Laine)
       Post #: 230

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/5/2006 10:00:03 PM   
RCKen



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From: Lawton, OK, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: airbatic

Airbatic here,

I think ARF quality has improved over the years because the supervisors are allowed to beat the workers who work eighteen hours a day building your airplane in those poor countries like Malaysia or Mali.

Kraus


18 hour days!! Boy they sure are going easy on them now!!!! The next thing you know they'll have sundays off!!!

Ken

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       Post #: 231

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 1:55:52 PM   
airbatic


 

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Status: offline 		Kraus

< Message edited by airbatic -- 10/6/2006 3:28:48 PM >

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       Post #: 232

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 2:03:57 PM   
RCKen



Posts: 15040
Joined: 7/10/2002
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Status: offline 		Kraus,
I know the economics of how/why ARF's are so cheap. I was just making a joke off of what you said about it.

If you want to know the truth, the amount that these workers are paid to assemble ARF's are some of the HIGHEST salaries in the countries that they are produced in.

Ken

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       Post #: 233

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 3:27:47 PM   
airbatic


 

Posts: 391
Joined: 12/14/2002
From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
Status: offline 		I see. I thought you were trying to serious about my first comment.

Make that a big nevermind.

Kraus

(in reply to RCKen)
       Post #: 234

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 3:38:19 PM   
Jim_McIntyre



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From: Claremont, ON, CANADA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: NCIS
I broke down and bought another ARF. The Funtana X 100. Had to have it. It's not available in kit form so I bought it. Waiting for it to get here. From the manual I have to say there is a lot of building to be done once I get it. The instruction manual is 40 pages.
... take a considerable amount of building so I guess I have to say you are builders too.


Yeah right.


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       Post #: 235

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 4:11:29 PM   
50+AirYears


 

Posts: 1164
Joined: 7/29/2004
From: Lorain, OH, USA
Status: offline 		I just bought my 5th RC ARF a couple weeks ago. A Goldberg Skylark 56. Overall, a much better quality overall than the first couple Oriental ARF imports I've had. Better glue joints, better fitting joints in general. Even looks like they used a real wood glue and not some kind of hot melt. Still didn't like the threaded wire for the pushrods, although the clevises seem to be of higher quality than I've had in the past. The clevises actually screw on tight. Almost very other ARF I've had in the past, quality control was so bad, the threaded clevises could slide on, or were so brittle they broke while trying to install them into the control horns. The wire was so brittle, I broke three of four at the 90 degree bends. Luckily, a LHS stocks metric sized DuBro threaded rod, which is much better.

In less than 7 hours, at no more than a 1.5 hour working stint, and lots of 15 to 30 minute bursts of effort, it is ready for it's maiden flight, hopefully this weekend.

I still don't foresee my throwing out my collection of kits, balsa wood, and plans, or buying too many more ARFs. Although I've wanted a Skylark for a number of years, actually since the first version was introduced, I think I would have had much more satisfaction building from a kit or from the original plans, than I got from assembling this ARF. I am still a bit concerned about the relative softness of the plywood. Still, the Chinese builders did a pretty good job on this plane.

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       Post #: 236

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 9:32:44 PM   
carlosponti



Posts: 1083
Joined: 5/14/2003
From: Moore, OK, USA
Status: offline 		one thing i do hate is when manufacturers include better accessories with the arf than what is availiable for the kit. Goldberg Ultimate Bipe is one example. the kit has wire gear and abs plastic cowl and wheel pants the arf has fiberglass cowl and wheel pants and aluminum main gear. tell me how hard would it be for goldberg to have those included in the kit. or atleast have two versions the standard and the pro versions one comes with the abs and wire gear and the other fiberglass and aluminum.

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       Post #: 237

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 9:36:25 PM   
NCIS


 

Posts: 2864
Joined: 5/28/2006
From: Janesville, WI, USA
Status: online 		Jim,

OK,you got me on this one. I guess I just want to build my Cub and not have to spend to much time on the Funtana. Although there are many more things to put together on the Funtana than most other ARF's! Your photo was a little unfair. Check out the manual and then tell me theres not much to do. Besides it does take some building experience to put together these ARF's so I guess I was unfair when I started this thread calling the ARF builders lazy. Do you have any ARF's, be honest?

Gibbs ( In response to Jim)

(in reply to 50+AirYears)
       Post #: 238

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 10:14:35 PM   
mmattockx


 

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Joined: 4/28/2005
From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: 50+AirYears

Although I've wanted a Skylark for a number of years, actually since the first version was introduced, I think I would have had much more satisfaction building from a kit or from the original plans, than I got from assembling this ARF.



50+,

Check out Early R/C:

http://www.earlyrcmodels.com./

You might find something else to build in there...


Mark

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       Post #: 239

RE: AFR'S WHY NOT KITS - 10/6/2006 10:37:09 PM