Originally Posted by Gray Beard;11964479[COLOR=#b22222

]I don't understand how we couldn't afford the hobby without ARFs?? My last big project was a 90 inch plane and the total cost was under $100.00.[/COLOR] Even the cheap ARFs from Nitroplanes were more then that. The advent of the ARF has brought in a lot of new people to the hobby that wouldn't have gotten involved without them. Gear and equipment prices had gotten cheap enough for younger people to be able to afford in the 90s and with places that sell the lower priced items from China have kept the prices way down.
Building a plane in the 50s and 60s was dirt cheap as long as it wasn't RC. The price of RC gear was the stumbling block until the late 80s and 90s.
Even with all the cheap planes and gear RC can't compete with a computer or smart phone so seeing anything but middle aged people flying is pretty rare.