ORIGINAL: abuckner
Thanks for the advice, guys. One day, I will shift my focus to becoming a good builder. Today, however, I'm focusing on becoming a good flyer with what little time I have. Traditionally, you had to learn to build first and then fly. I've heard the same story over and over how someone spend months building a plane only to crash it the first day. Many of these are no longer in the hobby. With RTFs and ARFs, we now have more options for new flyers like me. My philosphy, after observing the hobbiests for about a year, is that I want to learn to fly really well first so I don't have to "learn the hard way" - by crashing my hard work before their time.
I began with an electric 3 channel RTF. I know it's heresy, but it got me hooked on flying which never would have happened if I had to build one first. Then I built a foam ARF aileron trainer. Then I bought a used balsa stick plane with glow engine (sounding more traditional now). Now I'm graduating to an introductory pattern plane. My goal this year is to place (if not win) a Sportsman pattern contest. Why? Because that forces you to fly well. Interestingly enough, half the guys at my field that have been flying for 20-40 years can't fly the basic pattern. In fact, I beat half of them in a contest last year and I had only soloed 6 weeks earlier - and I had the only non-pattern plane out there! But they are great builders... I'm learning to build as I maintain, repair, and upgrade my planes. That makes it easy to swallow - just one new thing to learn at a time. Remember, my father isn't teaching me to do this - its just me and advice from other flyers.
Yes, this is totally backwards from the traditional way, but it seems to make a lot of sense. We all learned to drive a car before fixing them, right? And driving them well is more important, right? Once you get good at driving cars, then you can think about tinkering. Why not do that with model airplanes?
Besides, flying is my "release" and enjoyment. Isn't that the purpose of a hobby anyway?
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I would use the strategy of putting the job of assembling the ARF out to bid.
Those interested would have to agree to do things your way - or not do them at all, i.e., do not accept the job if they are not willing to comply with your specifications, for whatever reason.
Make it very clear that you will provide all of the materials needed and that you require the return of any left over materials that you paid for. I once got screwed out of several rolls of Monokote, which were replaced with some funky Black Baron covering of allegedly the same colors. Never again.
Be specific on the types of linkages that you want/need. Do not leave this open for interpretation by the assembler, or you may be sorry. I had to sell a model that I paid to have constructed because there was no simple/practical way to straighten out the elevator and rudder linkages. The builder's argument was that he did what was specified on the plans (Goldberg Ultimate Bipe - nuff said).
It is your business whether you wish to build or assemble a model to fly. Other's opinions are irrelevant in this regard.
I've had times where I've worked full time and played music part time. Between work, band practice and gigging, I was lucky to squeeze in a couple hours a week to fly. Of course, the fact that I had been designing and building my own models from scratch the previous fifteen years made no difference. All the complainers saw was the last ARF I brought to the field. Fortunately, playing in a band thickens your skin very quickly. There's always someone complaining about something you are doing, so you get used to it. <G>
No offense intended to anyone, but some folks loathe and despise building and would rather pay someone else to do it. I'm just as glad to have them join the club I am in at the moment as I am to have an old salt that builds everything himself. Different types of folks have different skills to contribute, all of which come in handy at one time or another.
Ed Cregger