It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool. Than to open ones mouth and erase all doubt.

If Imeasure myself on the fact it took me 5 hours last night to line up 12 holes on my current ARF, Ishoulda started my first kit 40 years ago. It must be one of those "builders" ARFs

I've got one season in this hobby under my belt. I have 2 ARFs and for the sake of keeping the peace, "assembling" my third ARF. I will do a kit someday, heck, maybe one of those fancy dandy glass fuse kits. But Ireally don't understand the snobby attitudes. In one season I have truly seen some awesome kit planes, and I have seen some kit builts never make it off the ground before they were "rekitted." Ironically, the kit guys who were not snobbish about it were a great help when a corn stalk severed my second ARFhalf way between the wing and tail feathers......about a dozen popsicle sticks, CA, kicker, razor saw, exacto knife, wire cutters, Z bend pliers, sand paper and some clear tape and it was a couple inches shorter, but back in the air 45 minutes later. Other than the missing covering, couldn't tell a difference. The "snobby" kit guys said, "It's an ARF, might as well pull your servos, engine, battery, etc. out of it and burn it, it'll never fly right again."

I'm truly thankful that the cool "builders" were able to help me out, and teach me a few things that afternoon. I'm glad the snobby kit builders were too busy....just like I will be when their precious masterpiece goes down in the 9 foot corn this coming season.

for kits Iwould fly at competitions and for arf aircraft Iwould just fly for fun

LOL. I've sen that ad too, selling for $40 (I think) [X(]. I'll bet 98% of the folks here can make the same rails for themselves... for a total cost of $3.

What was on the menu before that??... Numeric engraved clothes pins for the old 72 MHz frequency pins @ $14.99 each?

NCIS-Get a life dude![:@]

I've been called a lot of things, but Snob is a new one.

Bill, Waco Brother #1

Where is the guy who started this mess?   Must be hiding under a rock.......</p>

The guy who started this is a rock...

I had 54 teenage kids out to our field last summer, they were all in a summer program put on through the university. By the end of the day we got every one of them up flying on the buddy box. I gave a lecture on our hobby and all the different aspects of it. They had lots of questions on "where we got our planes". I explained to them about kits, arfs, rtfs, scratch builds and so on. I showed them that they could do any of these things themselves. Find out what you like to do and go for it. Maybe building from a kit is not your cup of tea but an arf is. Nothing wrong with that at all. They were amazed at how flexable our hobby is and all the different options available to them. The points I wanted to stress to them was to be safe, and to have fun. And thats what we did that day. As most have already stated here, dont label, quit worrying about what everyone else is doing. Just do your own thing and have fun with it.

Archie

Exactly. This thread is remarkable. Wake up. We are all in the hobby. If you can't enjoy the people that share your interests, how to do you get by with people you have less in common with? You didn't learn to fly on an advanced plane, you learned to fly a trainer. Starting with an ARF is fine, fewer quit that way. But no one should judge a scratch or kit builder if you have never done it yourself. It's fine if you want to stay with ARFs, it's your choice. If you feel compelled to insult another just because they do enjoy kit building (grow balsa trees, mine ore, horse=glue, labeling them snobs...), maybe you're taking life's frustrations out on your keyboard.
Maybe instead, you can objectively create a Pro/Con list. Builders aren't fools. It's not all about getting in the air the fastest.

I remember when I started in a trainer, some pattern guy was flying his Webra powered pattern plane far beyond my flying capabilities. We were alone. I was refueling and bumped my elevator, breaking the clevis off, ending my flying day. The pattern guy saw me packing it in after one flight and maybe thought it was odd, so he came over and introduced himself. In a minute he was digging up a spare clevis he brought in his flight box, installed it for me and allowed me to get another hour of flying time in while he was in the air with me. He also checked my CG and added more tail weight. I really started to like that plane after that! He scratch built his pattern plane, could fly 100 times better than I could, and shared his airspace with me, he was the farthest thing from a snob.

Dave Platt lives only 1/2 mile down the road. I've been to his house watching his Jaguars sit in the driveway and his Spitfire build occupied his garage. He's got a nice display case of diesel engines he made himself. It's great to talk to him owning some of his manufactured kits over the years. He's not a snob either.

well, here we go again! har har har har

Pete

Maybe between the Trollish starting of this thread and the "I have your answer around here somewhere but cant be bothered to look it up for you" response in another thread, its time for us all to put NCIS on the block list for a while.

BUILD - verb (used with object)
1. to construct (esp. something complex) by assembling and joining parts or materials: to build a house.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superiority_complex

sit boy sit arf arf arf roll over boy arf arf

Gentleman, I have deleted and or edited many post in this thread. While I may not agree with how this thread was started, but it does not violate RCU rules. The same can't be said about some of the replies. If you feel the starter of this thread is only trying to stir up controversy. Then you are only granting his wish by making it so. Please refrain from personal attacks and name calling.

Thanks, David

I'm surprised the official jet thread RCU rule breakers aren't in here doing their thing since most of their jets are really nothing more than over glorified ARF's.

Seems like almost everyone wants to condem my Thread and attack yme personally for previous statements/posts. I posted this thread. You chose to read it. I can't help that. If you disagree just give your opinion of what I posted not attack me. I just stated my opinion. Last I knew this was a free country and we all have freedom of speech.

Barry

Yes, it's a free country, and there is a such thing as freedom of speech. On the other hand, people know when they are starting a feud, which is exactly what this turned into. Not too smart, but definately not surprising, as anybody on here can do a search of your posts and see this isn't the first time you've stirred up trouble.

Yessirreeee, you're free to do/say whatever you please. Some people just don't know when to keep their mouths shut, this meaning when starting crap. But, you can't start crap and expect everyone you offend to keep their mouths shut.

Again, people can do a search on you and find out what you're all about!

Oh, and Mr. Moderator, I'm not attacking him.

You must just not be a builder. It's OK the ARFS are out there for you to buy. Plus you must not have anything better to do than read my threads so you can ***** about them later.

Barry

Barry, Being I'm building a plane from scratch, from enlarged plans, having to cut every piece of wood, and I will have to make my own cowl and canopy molds too, means that you and I are better than those ARF assemblers. Why do they even bother to show up at the field. [:'(]

BTW My plane's going to be bigger than your's. [X(] So guess that means you are below me on the totum pole. Dang it's lonly here at the top.

BTW ARFs are the best thing to ever happen to this hobby!!! Like'm or not

Even the best of the jet kits are a lot of work, and it had best be done properly. ARF's? I don't think so. If you haven't done one, don't put down the ones who have.

While there are now available ARF jet kits, both for ducted fans and turbines, Making everything fit properly, and have it all working as it should, is not for the new guy to the hobby. A 150 to 200 MPH model costing thousands of dollors cannot afford to have any type of malfunction. Novices need not apply.

Dash

Thunderbolt,

No matter what size I might be building now doesn't mean that I can't go bigger. Just what are you going to build and how big. Must be the 144" P-47 that ram3500 is building also. So you are not at the top alone. If thats not it what is it and how big. I'm happy with mine because I'm not talking about it I'm nearly done with everything but the finishing. Then onto the 180" Corsair. Top that and then you can have the totum pole forever because I have no desire to go bigger than a 15 footer. There is a limit to being sensible. After that it is just an overkill.[X(] I GUESS THATS WHY THERE ARE REAL BUILD SITES LIKE RCSCALEBUILDER.COM THAT DON"T HAVE ARF'S and you can't post your opinions for free. You have to support the site unlike RCU!!! Thats a real builders site not a bunch of whiners like some of you that must feel like you have to defend what you are unable to do. I will take back the fiberglass guse statement but not the completion of ARF's. I'm sorry I ever started this hornets nest of a thread that would bring out the little old ladies on RCU in some of you.[:@]

Barry