ORIGINAL: MANFRED
It is amazing how we berate these shoddy suppliers yet continue to order plane after plane from them because the price is too hard to resist! If you desire quality you will have to support quality. That means buy from a reputable quality controlled manufacturer and boycott the crap. If people would stop supporting the low end, shoddy, poorly enginered and unflightworthy Arfs out there that market would dry up. The Chinese FULLY understand the market they are pitching to. Americans cannot resist a bargain no matter how much grief they have to deal with after the purchase.
Fortunately there are some decent quality Arfs being produced in the Asian countries. The quality of the Top Flite and Great Planes offerings is very commendable. I have also purchased several ESM birds that are fantastic. There are many other quality ships out there as well. BUT if everyone continues to buy the $79.00 Cubs and such, that market will continue to flourish with no respect to quality or customer service.
Bingo! You are right on the money with that statement, I couldn't agree more.
ORIGINAL: noveldoc
Looks like ARFing has become a total crapshoot. Prices are way down but what will you get? Assembly okay? Decent wood? All the parts?
Thanks to an old crash, I have a Seniorita wing but a busted fuse. I got a fuse kit and plans. But why not kit bash? Am definitely going back to building. I am planning a winter project. Will convert the plane to a low wing sportster much like the classic Telemaster based Funster. Should be fun to fly.
Hate to cover but have the some guys in my club doing custom building so could job that out if I want to.
Tom
Buying ARF aircraft is a crapshot. I was a hard headed died in the wool ARF person who discovered the hardway that kit building most of the time is cheaper than buying a ARF in the long run.
To be fully honest, out of 8 ARF aircraft I have bought in the past, only 4 were fantastic out of the box, but I still had to reinforce the critical areas.
Again, we get what we pay for.
Pete