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My Feedback: (1)

i will buid all the planes i can iam not so lazy that i have to buy ready to fly...i dont need to keep up with the jones

olnico

The answer is a big NO.

The reason is simple. Look at the generation of kids coming out of the school. Can they do anything with their two hands? Are they being given the taste for quality manual job at school?
The new generations are massively driven to the virtual world. They are educated in using "ready to consume" products.

We scratch builders are dinosaurs. Extinction is close.

sierratango

Indeed....you won't get flippers, but pretty soon you will need feet on top of your head..wait till you start working up under the instrument panel while laying on your back.

The base of the seat is digging into your back, the heat from the lamp in the foot well is making you hot because your head is down in there and your eyes are straining to see where you are trying to place that screw through the terminal. Then you drop that screw and it falls behind your head and you have to extricate yourself and try the process all over again. The concentration is so focussed that you forget about the pain you are feeling.

Indeed it looks familiar. Keep up the good work.

No flippers for you!

sierratango

Boomerang! That is cool!

Slick even before the fiberglass. Beautiful.

teebox11

My Feedback: (33)

I love building but age and medical conditions keep me from doing much any more. I try to give advice when the guys come and ask all the usual questions, and some new ones that I have to think about, and that ain't easy now! Then there is the fact that I have a boat load of kits collected in just planning ahead for rainy days. Two years ago I had to take an insurance inventory. Then I decided to count the estimated time of building everyone one of them. Well, about fifteen years worth. Damn! That's spending almost 40+ hours a week, then some tv time also. I have some really cool kits too. Then there are the arfs. When I get an arf, it has to be large. Know what I mean Vern? Something like the VQ P-61 Black Widow. A fine arf and kit at 90inches. I have three of these in the box and I would really like to do one of them. A KMP Skymaster that would really look nice, I think it's 90 also. Then throw in a couple of VQ A-26's with the tip tanks. I have in process a couple of TF 85 P'51s about 80% finished. And more that just might get done before I have to ride the shuttle to space. Really nothing like getting ca all over you, epoxy in the dogs hair, fiberglass the cat to the floor, and then seeing the fine, fine results of your labor. I do know two people that are beginning to challenge themselves with an attempt at building, I hope they keep it up. Knowing how to build also helps in repairing your plane should the time hopefully never comes, but you know about that. Personally, I wouldn't mind giving a class in building. Our club has the perfect facility for such things, to include putting together arfs, electrics and glows. Classes on all this stuff but unfortunately we have some people that think our facility should have nothing to do with the hobby. So Scobee remains a fine facility, to include a fine club house, but dare not bring anything into the club house that has anything to do with the hobby! Really contradictory to the purpose of a club and facility if you ask me. So if you have the itch, get a kit and seek out someone to help you, you will enjoy it and maybe do some more!!

Boomerang1

I cannot take the credit for the RV10, a school friend of more than 30 years is building it.
I'm sort of his assistant/electrical advisor/tool lender.

We met at school through our common interest - model aircraft. Now he has taken the next
(big) step. It won't be long now, it's in the paint shop.

One interesting point, he has been building the full size for less time than my scratch built jet
& it looks like his will fly first. No one said you scratch build to save time!

John.

alasdair

I agree, and have another practical reason. The complex curvy shapes typical of full size jets dictate that moulded epoxy/glass is the best building method. It lends itself to factory production, rather than one-offs, so the vast majority of jet models will be moulded ARFs.

In my opinion the very best model jets are the ones individually crafted, like the Comet and Gloster Whittle by Steve and John Rickett, the EE Lightning by Ted Alison, the Vulcan by Dave Johnson, the Horten by John Wright, Terry Mason's VC10 and so on and so on. These are the ones that impress me, but only a few people are even capable of building such models. I wish I could join them.

I will just continue to fly my CARF or JL scale and sport models.
But I still get a bigger kick out of creating my own design jet trainer out of flat sheet ply and balsa, and foam wings.
When people admire it, I can say with pride "I designed and built that",


instead of "it fell out of the box like that".

sierratango

John,

I have gone full circle. The last scratch build project I did took me four years to do with the sculping of the plugs for the fuse, main wings and tail feathers. I built three and flew one. I have two in perfect condition and ready to fly,, almost out dated radio gear inside of it. I plan on flying more when I retire.

After that, I remember wanting to build something that was of more value and usefulness to the family so I did the RV10. That took seven years and it was a quick build wing and fuselage. I did make a lot of custom improvements which added time and I took the summer months off from building to do full size cross country soaring.

Coming back full circle I started my current scratch project three years ago and I couldn't be happier. It is a strange feeling using what I learned on the full size and bringing it back to RC. It has also shown me the joy in what it means to build from scratch, design and implement and alter. There is no reason to do it, it is simply pure creation and obviouly more useful than artwork or a sculpture.

It does take so much time, but I think it is worth it, because it is the joy in the journey. Your balsa jet is absolutely beautiful! Photos helps to preserve it.

I know it is a lot more work, but I like to build in foam and make molds. I takes the pressure off only having one plane and the pressure off of flying and possible loss. I like to build a minimum of two because the first one is never as good as the second. The learning and perfecting is fun. Just make another from the molds.

Building from the molds is not as fast as one would thing either.

Honestly, the modeling is more fun that building a full size kit...a lot more fun!

Like you I have other projects I am ready to go on and I haven't finished what I am doing on my current one. Our form of ADHD.

I have some huge, thick foam blanks which I can see the shape of a large P3 Orion complete with red chalk drop mechanism for firefighting simulation. Aero Union colors. IT WILL BE ELECTRIC AND I WILL NEED HELP WITH THAT.IT WILL BE BIG TOO.



John Gonzalez

sierratango

That's what I am talking about.

But I won't build it unless I can make or have someone make realistic props. I do not understand why there is such a problem with this issue with all the Cad Cam CNC technology.

Johnny9390

My Feedback: (34)

I remember back in the days a builder would charge 2000-2500 to buiuld an Aggressor III or a bandit kit. Now they wouldn't get near one and charge the same to put together a BARF!

G4guy

My Feedback: (13)

I have scratched built quite of few of my own designed Tsunami/ Hurricane series of sport jet. Without any radio, retracts etc, I have about $250 to $400 in each jet. This is the latest Hurricane, almost ready for test flights.
98" lenght and 92" wingspan. 45# empty wieght, 50# AMT auto start Olympus. All PPG paints (I wonder why?��)
It can be done, if you have the time and patience and an Idea!

alasdair

Looks good. How are they made? Is the fuselage sheet ply with curved balsa top?
Are the wings veneered foam or built up and balsa sheeted? Do the plug in on a joining tube?

TUMBLER

My Feedback: (13)

I have less time than I used to but just don't enjoy flying as much if I didn't build it. Anyone can install radio grear and go flying. Been working almost 2 years in a scratch built F-100 about BVM size. Every part is molded except the wings which are foam core. turbines were banned at my field last year so will be electric.

toolmaker7341

Do you have buildable plans available?

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

G4guy; "I have about $250 to $400 in each jet".

Come on G-4guy U'll have more in the Servos than $400 Must mean Air Frame Materials only, Right?

invertmast

My Feedback: (23)

He said with out any radio, retracts, etc

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Originally Posted by HoundDog
G4guy; "I have about $250 to $400 in each jet".

Come on G-4guy U'll have more in the Servos than $400 Must mean Air Frame Materials only, Right?




He said with out any radio, retracts, etc
Sorry invertmast didn't catch that, Thanks for the clairfication.

scoobiemario

My Feedback: (8)

There will always be people building airplanes. That's because there are people like me and many others that do not want to fly yet another plane that every other guy at the field has, or at least they want their arfs to look different, so they tinker,recover, repaint etc

Is building gonna come back? I do not think so, because as someone said before, new generation isn't tought to be crafty, use their hands, reuse, repair. They just throw away and get new things.

But I do not think building will go away, cause of reasons mentioned above. That's only way you can stand out from the crowd. It's gonna be like custom car building. Kind of lost art that creates amazing models, that only some know how to do it.

i am getting into building now. I'm what I'd called in between generation, mid thirties, flying for 5 or so years.
On my wish list are
Travel Air Mystery Ship
IL 2 Sturmovik
Stuka
can't really get these as arfs
And other thing is I do not like plastic covering. Fiberglass is so much better, and is not that hard. Finish is way better, specially for warbirds.

sierratango

Tumbler....sweet!

Chris Smith

My Feedback: (2)

We're lucky around here. Especially in Nashville, the jet guys aren't afraid to build, and do. It's the "balsa dust bowl". I build at turtle speed. Oh well.

Of all of the hobbies I'm involved in, the RC jet sector is the most frustrating. High cost, virtually little to no customer support, long lead times, constant vendor bickering and one-up-manship. Poor product quality to price ratio, limited flying locations, mix of jets and full-scale dangers, etc. Did I mention realitively high pricing?

But, there's a ton of satisfaction in it just the same.

It seems guys have larger fleets and higher turn-over as well. I'll bet that has something to do with the ARF, pre-painted market. Not a bad thing. We might be hoping; that if we keep trying, we'll discover the greatest jet model out there. I doubt there is one.

On the other hand, if all we did was build, my guess is that our fleets would be smaller. And my fleet is already not as big as many. But, one thing I do know, I'm much less likely to sell a model that I built. Not likely ever.

Cheers

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

To each his own, that's what the world go around ... and It's Cheeper than BOOZE

Smokeyr67

I love to build, from kit or plans, but these days I generally build for others and fly foamies - I'm too scared to fly something I've put dozens to hundreds into

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Smoke: That's why they invented the BUDDY BOX. It's for us old Gezzers with Poor eye site and just plain "Chicken. I just spent 6 months of wonderful flying in Arizona took ten Planes with me and bought 4 more and didn't fly any of them My self. Long story but I don't mind flying others planes Instructing that is. O'L gezzers are hard to teach ... Gimmy a 9 to 13 year old and I'll having him flying in a couple days if he's good a couple of week ends if not. Anyways get some young Punk say under 60 and fly your own stuff again. U can always sell what U build, and build somethig else. Good luck with any new projects.