How many of us would not be in this hobby today if it wasn't for arfs?

I sure wouldn't.

Its either Arf or buy a kit that was built. I just cant build no skills with wood

I wouldn't be.
I tried to build a kit when I was young and got frustrated. I started flying because I could buy an ARF and get in the air quickly.
But now that I have a few ARFs under my belt I really do want to build. Flying has stimulated my interest in building.

Hmm.. thats a new thought [8D]
Building is fun and rewarding especially if you are not in a hurry to get it into the air.

I like this topic. I love to build but the choices of ARFs now make it easy to get what you want in the air quickly. Building is a large part of the hobby for me and I will always build. I will always buy ARf's as well.
When I learned to fly, you had to build unless you had enough money to have someone build a plane for you. I am very glad it was that way for me, but the ARFs have expanded the number of modelers that otherwise would not be flying. I feel that right now is as good a time as any to be in this hobby. We have so much available.

I'd probably still be in the hobby. I just wouldn't have so many planes.

At least half of the people I fly with are only in the hobby because of ARFs! I am still in the hobby because of ARFs. I built about 10 before the ARF era and only 2 or 3 were as good as what comes out of the box, already built, today. I admit it - I LOVE ARFs!!

ARFs are a fairly recent addition to my hangar. I like them because they are cheap and you can be flying a few days after buying it. But I feel that I can build a better model with better quality materials than what comes out of an ARF factory.
I usually have a scratch build going while I fly afrs.

Here's something to ponder. How do ARFs enhance our hobby experience?
In my case:
-I get more flight time with a bigger variety of planes
-I have more time to do flight instruction
-I'm at the field more, so I participate in more on site activities & maintenance
-and there are more participants, so I don't have to be an officer / mower / organizer
-and, of course, some of that extra time I can spend on a building project, without being rushed.

Win/Win situation.
Dave Olson

i too love arfs, i probably wouldnt fly as much if it werent for arfs

who cares, stop stirring the pot[:@]

I wouldn't be.

But, I used to race cars and build tehm from kits, when they started releasing kits RTR I wasn't impressed, but now see how it has helped people get into that hobby too. I've had some great ARTF models and always get good comments at the field. The Seagull PC9 Pilatus for one with a 52FS in it.

Agree

*shrug*

I'm a "builder" and I'll own up to it...wouldn't be in this hobby if it weren't for ARFs. No WAY I'd have given a kit a try at first.

As it happens, I gave building a try and love it...but I'd have never known that if it hadn't been for ARFs getting me in the hobby in the first place.

I dunno. I believe fliers are born, not made. If you have the affliction, once it's triggered, you do what it takes to "fly". If that means build your own, then that's what ya do, even if you don't have the skills, etc. So far, I haven't met a person who was born with the skills. If you can "fly" without building, then that is what is done. I started building model airplanes a long time ago. Stick and tissue with rubber power. At age 12, I had a good understanding of how airplanes fly, how to balance and trim for free flight. But then, so did most of the kids that age. It was the culture of the time.

So, while I find great satisfaction in building, and I find the convenience of ARFs also appealing, I do both. The purpose is to fly! I can't help it, it's not my fault! [)]

I'd be inclined to agree. For me, it was the environment I grew up in, saturated by aviation in every form imaginable.

It wasn't until "recently" (call it the last 5 years or so) that I had both the opportunity AND the wisdom to take advantage of it. As it happened, past experiences in other hobbies suggested I would HATE building, and I saw no need to test the presumption. ARFs were there to "feed the bug", and off I went.

I'm glad for ARF's however I'm leaning towards building kits this winter. Some ARF's out there are so horrible with the quality and ease of finishing I'd rather build a kit and be in control of my own quality. So far, Hanger 9 I've been most pleased with, and I would have still would have been in this hobby if there weren't any ARF's out there. I used to build Gullow kits when I was a kid. “Remember the tissue and Dope? lol

I think some of the ARF's has made me lazy in some aspects, but I do like having something to fly when I need to.

Remember folks, when they say an ARF takes only 10 hours to build, it takes me 10 days!

Also when I crash an ARF... it doesn't hurt as bad. When I crash a plane that was a kit, I'm ready for therapy and anti-depressants.




Luftwaffe Oberst
Radio Aero Modelers Club
AMA # 856404
Pulaski NY

Supporter of RedNeck R/C Fulton, NY

ARFs have really opened up the hobby to a lot of new people. It's a good thing for our hobby and will only increse the interest in and diversity for all of us. Many have argued that ARFs will kill the kits, but I don't think so. The same argument was made in the archery business (which I was in for 20+ years) when compound bows became all the rage in the late 1970s and 80s. People said the longbows, recurves and wood bows will not longer be made or offered as kits. That never happened because there are so many different types of people in the sport/hobby that still loved traditional bows. The compound bows just got more people into the sport and offered new people a way to get started easier. Sure compound bow have taken the majority of the market, but traditional bows are still as strong (actually much stronger) than ever. I think the ARFs will become the same thing and kits will still be there and will be even better with the new technology and materials that will be developed by the ARF market.


Jeff

Arfs for me have made this hobby possible due to time restraints with wife and kids, other family obligations. It would be much more strained if I was to have to build a kit. Mainly because I fly all giant scale. I would have to change everything.

So true... Some of us start out on ARF's and add alot of detail, then go on to build kits. Here is a picture as an example Jeff.









A video of her last year. Ready to take a ride?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALg1EIFsGME


Luftwaffe Oberst
Radio Aero Modelers Club
AMA # 856404
Pulaski NY

Supporter of RedNeck R/C Fulton, NY

ARF's have gone through a "sea change" in recent years. I'm an old timer, been involved in r/c since 1974. I have seen ARF's go from blow molded plastic fuselages that had balsa wings with blow molded wing tips and center sections to what we have today which is none other than and true builders kit that has been pre-built at a factory.

What was once a garrish, ugly, nowhere near true to life looking ARF today are beautiful scale models in many cases. The work I see coming out of the boxes from China and Viet Nam are better than most of the average "builders" work I have seen at the flying field over the past three decades. And in particular, the covering jobs. Sorry, but it is true. There are of course the highly talented builders but the great majority of us are not, we are just "average".

I love ARF's. I love the variety we have because of them. I love the convenience and time savings we have because of them. I also love the fact that your "heart and soul" are not re-kitted at the same time as your ARF when it crashes as opposed to a ground up build that took months.

yes i would.


ps i believe what alot of people in this hobby overlook is what people did before there were arf's who didnt like to build. a. had someone else build for them b. buy used airplanes. there are guys i used to fly with in a club that most bought used airplanes, a few new arfs and acouple bought kits and built them.

I know what i would have done , started a magizine, asked women to pose , been successful , purchased a manshion in beverly hills and really missed the RC hobby completely

not really...i'd just buy them pre built from a friend, swap meeting or a fun fly
half of the models i have arn't arf...but i didn't build them either.lol

Starting out it was ARF. The only other way I would have tried would have been buying a used plane already built. I now like building but also like ARFs.