Nitro models planes
 

does anyone know if these arfs are pretty nice ?I know there supper cheap so thats whats scary.Also what is a sheeted wing with foam? and are they okay?

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Nice? Almost all ARFs look nice.

The price of an ARF is like the odds on a horse. The longer the odds (lower the price) the less likely it is to be a winner. If you have a specific model airplane that's available from two different ARF mfg's, the more expensive one is less of a gamble. They're both gambles. One is just more apt to be a winner than the other.

BTW, I think there have been at least a couple of threads in the last month that ask this same question. I think if you'll do a search, you'll find the issue has been rehashed a couple of times.

There is a construction technique for wings where the wing is cut out of a block of foam in it's final shape. It is then sheeted with wood. The wood provides the majority of the stiffness/strength. It's a quick way to produce an accurately shaped wing. It usually produces a wing that is heavier than a rib/spar/LEsheeted wing.

RE: Nitro models planes
 

RCP,

I personally contacted several members from this site that had bought ARF's from AK or Nitro, the P51 in specific, and none of the people I contacted had completed buiding the ARF, so no flight input was given. I can tell you this, the models from AK or Nitro are mass produced in China, and the quality is ~~~~~~~ so so. I purchased a Extra 300S and it came with a damaged canopy. I returned the canopy and never received a replacement..... So, the plane is just sitting on the racks in the garage for the past 4 months.

Bottom line, you usually get what you pay for, and I will gladly pay a little more for a Hanger9, Seagull, or whomever for a better quality plane..... Greg

RE: Nitro models planes
 

I have built and seen several. Most of them I have dubbed "Builder's ARF's" (A play-on-words of the term "Builder's Kit" )

The manuals are terrible and you'll need to modify or replace most of the hardware.

If that is worth the savings, go for it

RE: Nitro models planes
 

ALL ARFs are "builders ARFs". Some just require more "builder's art" than others.

I've been pumping out ARFs for the last year at the rate of one every couple of weeks. I've seen mostly the more popular mfg's but have assembled a couple of bargain "you get what you pay for (or not)" ones. I've yet to build one that I didn't modify something that needed it.

Back when everyone built from kits, plans or scratch, everyone expected to learn from each model. They learned what wood worked where, how thick it really needed to be, what didn't hold up day-to-day.... etc etc. Noone with any experience built their next plane without looking long and hard at it's design and construction details. Everyone looked for weakness as they built. As far as I've seen in the last year building ARFs, that hasn't changed one bit.

I've yet to build even the most respected mfg's ARFs without having to fix what I'd consider a flaw in design or assembly. I just dissected a "perfectly good" airplane to see what else was wrong with it. It wasn't worth bothering with anymore. I'd discovered that the aft fuselage sticks were all balsa. No way the sucker was going to live very long if I continued to fly it the way I chose to fly it. The top sticks were already compressing under flight loads. And I discovered a couple more "toy mfg making ARFs now" problems. And the ARF was from a respected top-name ARF mfg.

Expect to learn from every ARF you assemble. And what you learn, apply to the next one BEFORE you finish it. Things haven't changed much since the old days before ARFs.

The more expensive ones simply have a higher probability of being flaw-free. The cheaper ones have a higher probability of having flaws. Heck, some of the cheaper ones look like they were made with the flaws on purpose to test your patience, or convince you to buy some other brand next time.

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Well, let me expand upon my earlier comment...

When I do a product review, I try my best to make NO changes to the product. This way, if the manufacturer supplies bad hardware and the plane crashes, well, better it happened to me than to you.

The Nitroplanes P-38 that I reviewed last summer [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=765](P-38 Review)[/link] had a manual that was rarely useful, and much of the hardware could not be used - Period. I don't mean that I would recommend changing it, I mean you could not fly the plane with the supplied hardware (Such as Landing gear that was made of soft metal that lasted 2 landings before being bent so bad that the props were touching the grass)

But, on the plus side - After re-engineering a few things here and there, I have a P-38 for $250. Any other P-38 in this size range is around $600.

So it's up to you. (Read the review for a more detailed look)

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Must be nice, where we fly its a dirt runway, and you have your TX in one hand, and a stick in the other to keep the rattlesnakes away... lol

Greg

RE: Nitro models planes
 

I've built 2 of the Nitro Models, and they havent been too bad. There is a bit of work on all of them for me because I build electric only. So no matter what I do have to do a couple of weeks to get the right.

They all have come out of the box in good shape, and go together pretty easily. The parts fit where they are supposed to, and they fly as advertised.

The manuals are pretty bad. But after building a few ARF's, you can see pretty well what to do.

I have spent a lot more for some of my ARF's, and the products are pretty similar. The same work that it takes to get a $399 ARF completed, and just about the same construction methods as well. On almost every one you need to CA joints again. On every one, you need to remove wrinkles in the covering, and on occasion may have to replace some covering to get it tight. Again this has been the case for me on all the ARF's I've built.

So the bottom line for me is that if I can get pretty much the same quality, same time to complete, same overall prolems with conversion to electric and a good flyig airplane when I'm done, the Nitro Planes are great for the difference in price.

Their small Electric Yak, 54' for electric is half the price you pay for the nearest competitor. No names mentioned, but there is a similar electric Yak and the price tag is $179. I have one of them, and had the nitroplanes Yak been available when I got it - it would have een an no brainer which to buy. The one I have flies great, but when replacement time comes I surely would buy the $85 Nitro Yak rather than the $179 one I now have.

I think it's like Li-Po's. I know for a fact that 3S 1500MAH 15C batteries coming in from China cost the stateside retailer Wholesale $24.26 each, but you'll pay closer to $60 over the counter. 900 MAH 10C 2S (Foamy Batteries) Wholesale - $6.17 you'll find it hard to find the same pack at less than $30.00 retail. Even with shipping and handeling, the markup in well over 200%. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy directly from a company in China for the past year, and these are good quality batteries. Unfortunately they have now become supplier for a US Hobby Consortium, and can no longer sell in lots less than 1000 pieces.

The planes are being built for a pittance, and here they are marked up way above their Wholesale cost. Nitro seems to be willing to sell at a lower retail, and count on volume to make their profit. It might work - we'll see. For now I'm one satisfied customer.

RE: Nitro models planes
 

I just test flew a Nitro Models Super Stearman for a friend, and it was a royal nightmare ! Im surprized that I was able to get it down in one piece. I think the wings are rocked back way too far in relation to the horizontal stabilizer. My Kyosho Super Stearman fly's great, and the lower wing and the horiz stab are visually at the same angle, but there's major difference on the Nitro Models plane. I bet it's like 10 to 15 degree's difference between the lower wing and the horiz stab. Something ain't right... No throttle, full down, and still climbs ! Yikes ! I managed to get er down safely, but im not sure how. I shook for 5 minutes afterwards. lol

RE: Nitro models planes
 

I just got rid of my 1 and only CMP Extra 300S as mentioned above this past weekend. The plane cost me over $125, and after all I went through, and it sat in the garage for months...... I sold it for $25 this past weekend at a swap meet.

I now only have planes in the 1/4 scale range, and from "reputable" mfg's. A plane MAY look nice, but bottom line you get what you paid for. I'd gladly pay a little more and have a nice plane, than try to go the cheapest way and have nothing but trouble, and heartache while at the field...... Greg

RE: Nitro models planes
 

i flew my nitro models stearman and it flew grate i can do rows and snaps preety good i have the blue and white one dint have to trim it to mutch it fly nice the olony thing i had to do on it just make the landing gear stronger rather than that it flew good and it eaven dose inverdedflat spins its a good model

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Didn't know this thread was still alive. His plane fly's great now ! He had the freeking cabane struts reversed ! lol I've got my little Pitts just about finished too. The Saito 56 should pull it nicely...

RE: Nitro models planes
 

The saito 56 will be perfect power. I have the 65 in mine and it's a little overkill. i fly it at 1\3 throttle most of the time. I would recommend changing out the landing gear to something a little wider or you may find the props you go thru will use up any fuel savings!

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Bkr, how is their shipping to canada. I live in Saskatchewan and would love to get thier Zlin 50. Also i had the same little pitts that you have but i bought it from peakmodel in New Zealand. It was 127.99 CAD shipped to my door at that time but i see that they have raised their prices a little bit. I built it and then sold it before i got a chance to fly it. Did you have problems with the supports for the top wing not being bent properly. I had to really bend mine in order for it to line up. Also the noted outer supports did not line up on mine either. Other than that it was a really neat little plane.

Flyboy76

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Huh ? Whats wrong with the landing gear ? looks fine to me. I'll be running an 11x7, and I don't think it will be too close to the ground. Im used to tiny short coupled biplanes, so this will be a mid size Pitts for me. I find anything that handles any better on the ground very boreing. Even my little Super Stearman puts me to sleep these days.

RE: Nitro models planes
 

A while back, I read a post where someone mentioned that his stopper in his Pitts fuel tank melted from the nitro fuel. Im gettin close to having mine finished, but I just remembered that post, and wondered if I should stop at this point and get another fuel tank and stopper. Has anyone had a problem in this area ? Dennis

RE: Nitro models planes
 

I hope the tank stopper is going to be ok. My friend Greg (taught me to fly in 2002) who has a 1/3 scale Pitts, did the first flight and trimmed it. He did a few landings and I could see that this was no floater. Anything below half stick, and it gets goofy. It does not like to fly slow at all, and it needs to come in really hot or it wants to tipstall. I tore the landing gear off on my third landing when it got away from me and it went off the pavement. The mounting block was not glued in good at all, and came out cleanly, so we simply 6 minute epoxied it back in. No other damage to the plane at all, so it was back up for more landing practice. After about 15 or so landings, I got to where I could grease em in every time. This little Pitts is a blast, but ya gotta hold your mouth just right, and be quick on the rudder stick to land it and roll out smooth and straight, and I have a feeling that this is going to be my main flyer. With the Saito 56 on there, it gets good mileage, and it's the most exciting plane I have ever flown. Greg said if I can land this Pitts, I should be able to land just about anything. I won't put the wheel pants on until I can land it in my sleep. Yep, this one has full wheel pants, and solid wing struts, and has no brand name anywhere. lol

RE: Nitro models planes
 

Due to my stupidity, I had a downwind deadstick landing last night, and tore the landing gear off with the wood still attached. lol Now it has a serious piece of plywood down there, and the gear is attached with sheet metal screws. I put the screws in, then hardened the threads with thin ca before attaching the gear. It is torqued down read good, and that wood won't be coming out any time soon. Now I just need another Hitec HS81 servo for one aleron (got stripped in the ordeal), and a small piece of red monokote, and it's ready for action again. The plane fly's great, but it sure don't like anything below half throttle, and it has to come in pretty hot, but im gettin the hang of it. It sure isn't a boreing plane to fly, thats for sure...

RE: Nitro models planes
 

I've got the Cessna 41" for $70 and it went together well, quality build, I'm totally happy with it. I also had the E-flite Cessna $70, it's foam as opposed to Balsa/Monokote. I would say the Nitro is 3 to 4 times better then the other plane, at the same price.