ahicks

My Feedback: (2)

Guys who want to build kits still can. Why the carping? As far as cost to do that, I'm pretty sure the dealers would much rather sell you a piece at a time vs. a package deal. Imagine Ford or GM selling a vehicle a piece at a time, what something like that might cost? Does anyone do that, or do they buy a Ready To Drive vehicle? How often are people criticized for doing that by the people whose hobby is building a kit car?


Bottom line, to perpetuate our hobby, we need to see guys out flying. What they're flying, and how they got it, well, why should that make a difference? Does anyone have the right to criticize decisions made by others that end up with another plane in the air?


Cost, when it gets right down to it, is market driven. What we'll see, is an increase/decrease in the number of "newbies" as those costs fluctuate. We all know this hobby as we know it today wouldn't be here if the price to fly hadn't been chopped big time recently with the flood of Chinese imports.


Regarding the balsa in wind turbine blades, wasn't aware of that. But if that is the case, how long do you think its going to take the people building/buying these to figure out what the boat builders (who also used a ton of balsa at one time) learned a long time ago? The right grade of foam/plastic works just as well (or better), is more consistent from a materials and design aspects, likely doesn't cost as much when purchased in any kind of quantity, and there's never a worry about water intrusion or rot.

toolmaker7341

Grandpopa Its economics not cheap. You must have money to waste. Oh by the way I have this bridge down your way that I think you should buy

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)

Yes Sir, I do have money to waste ! I'm on Social Security and the working class are now paying their taxes to support me and for me to stay home and enjoy the hobby !

Hmmmmmmmmmmm let me check my holdings . No I don't have one yet. Now just exactly where is that bridge located ? LOL

Tony Iannucelli

My Feedback: (193)

2015 ... Dirty Birdy, $300 - $50 coupon, free shipping. Everything in the box including a fiberglass fuselage professionally finished, hardware, tank, fixed gear with wheels, spinner, engine mount, pushrods, completely covered with Monokote, everything except retracts. Great flying plane, really nice. Average salary in America about $58,000, more than $1,100 a week.
1979 ... Don Lowe's Phoenix (5, 6, 7) $200+, no coupon, you pay the freight. Fiberglass fuselage, bare, unfinished, unpainted -- straight -- if you are lucky. Foam cores for wings and horizontal tail, stack sheet balsa for covering those parts. No landing gear. No hardware, no hinges, no wheels or tank, nothing else. One sheet for instructions, along the lines of "assemble parts". Average salary in America, about $28,000, about $538 a week.

I'm happy to be here in Florida in 2015, flying 12 months, and no time spent standing at the bench in my basement up north. I've built about 100+ planes myself, and now I just assemble parts. Nice parts, I might add. There's a lot of reason why things are the way they are now in the hobby.

I love the folks at Horizon and Tower, and many others. They need to make a living, no? The money is in the foam toys. And make no mistake, many of the products are toys. I guess we can define our larger planes as toys too, but I'm pretty sure you know what I mean.

Dealspeed

My Feedback: (17)

I think bigger has always been better, and as much as I would love to buy bigger i can't afford to pay nearly a grand just for an ARF not to mention the cost of servos and motor when you go large there is a lot of company's making mid sized planes still, I just think its to bad that hanger 9 isn't among them any longer, hopefully in time they will start to make more 40-90 size ARF's again

Dealspeed

My Feedback: (17)

I still have a V1 twist 40, a Twist 60, an original Funtana 40, a brand new Funtana 100x that's still in the box and a Tribute 36 profile built but never flown, I think that's all my Hanger 9 planes, I would have loved to have gotten the Katana 50 but wasn't active in the hobby the short time it was for sale .
I also really like Great Planes ARF's and it's nice to see that there product line has remained un changed over the years, oh and as far as Kits vs ARF's I would rather spend my time flying not building, with 2 kids and a wife I don't have any where near as much time as I would like for my flying and building.
thanks for all the replys, it's nice to see lots of opinions

rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

well guys my 2 penney's worth I am an OLD geezer and been building from age 6 been there done it but I am still learning new things, Nothing against Hanger 9. Now ARF's I have 2 currently 1 I got off flebay and it is a piece of crap my bad. but if flies. The last one from my LHS and of G/P origin and it is a 100% better but no cigar, what I have found in all brands is minimum glue joints or no glue, and the grade of balsa used is lacking. But I have also found that what you pay may determine t what you get.

Cheers Bob T

Dealspeed

My Feedback: (17)

Yea I learned with ARF's you have to check any major stress points in the fuselage for proper bonding, not much you can do about the wings but most the issues will be in the fuse

Fontanooch

My Feedback: (42)

Buy the 40 foot container. If things get tight you can store your planes and also live in it at the same time.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

It does not seem that designs survive more than one container. By that I mean, that is why so many ARF's discontinue so quickly. They basically only place one order. Then the next order are new models, to keep up with trends. Again, so is the ARF world. The great thing about building, is the planes last longer, so they do not need to be replaced. Especially if they are built and flown correctly.

The ARF market is interesting to watch. I know there would not be as many warbirds out there if it were not for the ARF. But it looks like ESM is going away. It seems that maintaining quality on such complicated models is being difficult, along with increased prices. On complex models such as these, I can easily build one to ARF stage for far less than the $800-1000 price tag they are now commanding.

toolmaker7341

your a good guy LOL Have a great day

Granpooba

My Feedback: (5)