Does anyone assemble ARFs for someone they fly with , and how much do /would you charge. The reason I am asking is because someone wants me to put some together. How much ? There is 40 size , 60 size , and 120 size. I know some kits are more labor intense than other but how about a ballpark figure.
Tim

I know decent guys that have built ARFs for $60. Average I've seen is $200 to $400. It takes me at least 60 hours to do an ARF to my satisfaction... I've built a couple for money. One for $600 and one for $1200. That's still working for peanuts, but considered extremelyl high in the hobby. The problem with trying to make money building models for modelers is that modeling is part of the hobby. The money is in building ARFs for guys who are not modelers... but they tend not to stay in the hobby for very long... unfortunately.

Point is... IMO... you gotta enjoy building to build for someone else at "standard" prices. If you're doing it for the money you're better off getting a job at McDonalds.

The build for buddy system:

A kit such as the Sig Four Star 40... the person who wants you to build it buys 2 kits, all the covering and glue for one kit and the builder's fee is the second kit. Scrap covering goes to the builder, but if there's more than 1/3 roll of a single color... it goes to the person who bought the kits.

This works GREAT for someone who likes to build planes. And can act as a guide in appropriate compensation when a FRIEND builds a plane for you.

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Pro building service... Too expensive to mess with really. Again using the Four Star 40:

Passable speed building will take appx 15 hours of labor. That's about $150. An average modeler's quality workmanship will have the builder spend closer to 40 hours on the plane... $400. A true professional quality job will have up to 80 hours of labor.

And the Four Star is a SIMPLE kit.
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Assembly of an ARF and installation of the radio can take over 6 hours... for a simple .40 size trainer. There are some ARF trainers out now with the radio and engine already installed... and can be prepped for flight in less than 2 hours. (not counting charging the batteries overnight.)

More complex ARFs... can take 30 (or more) hours of preparation and modification to meet the requirements of some modelers. Even though I had my Fokker Dr1 ARF flying 3 days after I bought it... I continued working on details and now have over 50 hours of work in changing the model from the original ARF.

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If you are contemplating oing this on a semi-professional basis... you'll find you have to charge too much for the customer to afford, or it won't be worth your time.

If its for a friend... Just ask him to buy you a can of gas, for assembling a simple ARF.

Thanks Both ,
It's not really the money we do it for , is it. I agree Joe . I to would find myself spending too many hours on one plane. That's what I do with my own and that's what someone would want you do for them. And that is why someone is asking you/me to build for them. So , I 'll charge accordingly. If they want it to look like one of mine , pay this much $$$$. If you just want it put together as it comes out of the box , then pay this $$.
As for the kit for a kit idea , that's also a good idea.
Thanks both
Tim

I'll build ARF's for others. My time is worth $15.00/hr, and I will fly the first flight for them, if they so chose. Unless it's for the Boy Scouts or some other youth, charitable, etc. group, why would anyone do it for less? Also, why would anyone expect to pay less for something they don't want to do?

The pay rate in some countries such as Taiwan can be VERY low. there are areas where $1 a day is still considered a good income.

Of course... in areas where the income is that low, they tend to live in little huts with no plumbing and no electricity... The US standard for "poverty" would be considered as a very wealthy lifestyle in many other countries. Only the very lowest level of our homeless even come close to thier AVERAGE!

I just bought a Great Planes J 3 cub it says built in USA I hope so I was pleased with that!

ARFs are made so you can build them yourself!

Ok, this is off topic from what was already being asked at the beginning, but I see the thread already got off topic at least once [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

It's about building a Kit vs ARF. I just now got into the hobby, and have yet to fly a single plane (besides a 4 minute buddy system flight with an instructor). When I was looking at what to buy, I was told that it was cheaper to buy ARF, and even better because you could get into the air as quickly as possible. The thing is, I'm not really excited at the idea of just buying a nearly finished plane and flying that. I'm currently building my kit, and it's taking me ages, but that's the great part. I'm really enjoying the building aspect!

Yes, a kit might be more expensive, especially since you still need to spend time to build it, but for me, I find the ARF to be more expensive in a certain way: You lose the enjoyment of having to build it from scratch!

As for the original point of this thread: I like that idea: building someone a kit and charging him a kit. It's original!

Typical ‘buddy building’ cost would be about $0.50 - $2.00 an hour.
I typically charge the kit price for bare bones building, and have separate fees for covering, radio set-up and installing, etc.. But there are exceptions. There are always exceptions…

For an ARF, I would charge half the plane price. Try not to go over $100. $50 - $75 is plenty for setting up an ARF. Bargain if you have to.. And that should include setting the control throws, pulling the control surfaces (to make sure they are glued), fuel proofing if required, running a tank or two through the engine, packing the radio compartment, and finally balancing the CG. The plane should be ready to fly, pre-inspected and all.

I know of one person up here (Montreal, Quebec Canada) who’ll charge $150 for ARF set-up. That’s robbery!! But when you get naïve first timers, some take advantage.

As for building vs. ARF… The ARF will get you in the air faster, but they all look the same. Building, you KNOW how the plane went together, and how to fix it when it does crash! It just takes some skills, a few tools, and most of all, time. Some people just don’t have the knack for building. Hence why ARFs are becoming more and more popular.

I TRY to sell my ARF's for the 'street price' - and have a very difficult time doing so! That's even if the plane hasn't been flown - ???? - don't know what some guys are thinking!

Jerry