ORIGINAL: Avaiojet
I see referrals to ARF's all the time as ''Kits.''
I read this in ''Build'' threads.
If an ARF is a kit, then what is a Kit?
Are ARF's built or assembled?
The way I see it, from a design and manufacturing background, is that the term "kit" simply means two or more separate parts stuffed in a bag or box. For example, when I used to specify replacement components they could be a single item which was a replacement part. If several parts were already assembled and sold as a single unit, like with a hydraulic pump, it was still a part and not a kit. But if the pump was also packaged with some hoses, fittings, thread lock, tape, etc. that was sold as a replacement kit. Mind you that nothing required building, just assembly.
When model aviation was young and ARF's didn't exist it was probably fine to just call a box full of balsa and ply a "kit" because thats all there was. There was nothing to confuse. But the times have changed and since the, what late 70's, we have had ARFs but the generic name for that box full of balsa and ply has never changed. You'd think someone would have come up with a cool acronym for a builders wood kit by now and made it stick. I think Ive heard scratch builders call kits ARB's - Almost Ready to Build.
The point is that an ARF is a kit. Marketing just had to come up the name to differentiate them from ARB kits.
I do think ARFs are Not built because all the major structures are already built. Fuse, wings, tail feathers, etc. One just has to assemble the parts to make an airplane.
Cheers.