Assembling an ARF
 

I'm currently putting together a GP DR1 ARF. It is my very first ARF after nearly 20 years of kits. Somethings that are bothering me are:

1. Hardware quality is definitely cheaper than I'd like to see. I've been replacing clevises, screws, hinges etc with better quality DuBro and even GP stuff pretty consistently.

2. Some of the shortcuts they use are well....buckshee. Joining together two pushrods with a wheel collar? Not this cowboy. Too much money in the kit for that, so I'll wire-wrap and solder.

3. Part fit has been less than I expected as well. Wing holes for the dowls were drilled to inconsisent depths, the landing gear block channels weren't wide enough for the landing gear to fit in, even the dowl holes on the fuselage had to be reamed out a bit with an exacto knife to get the dowls to slip in. For some reason I expected better than that.

There -- done my rant. Anyone else's experiences similar?

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Once you are a scratch builder or kit builder, ARFs are never of satisfactory quality! Trust us ... it works. Hehehe ...

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Actually, I'm pretty sure you're the only person on RCU who has ever in history voiced a concern about ARF parts fit or hardware deficiencies.

Any of you other guys ever hear of such a shocking development? Has the press been notified? Shouldn't we form a committee to look into this?

Appalled,
Dave Olson

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Do I sense a touch of sarcasm there Scar? Thanks anyway for your input. I'll take your response to mean that poor parts fit, etc is pretty much the norm.

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Yup, just about all ARF's need a little messaging here and there. And the hardware is usually junk. Good luck!

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

I've had different ARF planes by the same company that were different as night and day. One will be great quality and good hardware and the other crappy all the way around. I ask around and do a lot of research on the particular plane now before I buy it. I wish I had time and a good workshop to kit build all my planes. I'm not knocking ARF's. I've had some really good ones, but with a kit you always know exactly what you've got.

WCB

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Believe it or not, Harry Higley's book 'ARFing' might make us all better 'assembliers' of ARF's! (IMHO)....

Jerry

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Ye, you have to dremel, ream, re-iron, reglue, cut, slice here and there just to get everything to fit. Most ARFs are made in assembly lines in Asia, China mostly. When Henry Ford invented the assembly line, he made sure that different parts were made by different people (called specialization). Even a single piece is not made by one person, a guy (or gal) has to take a break sometime... so in comes the next shift. Perhaps one shift had a bad day and was amiss by a millimeter in setting the lathe machine, not according to specs. Then comes quality control. It's next to impossible to determine if all the pieces of the airplane laid before QC fit together, unless they try to assemble the ARF themselves. But then, they won't be selling ARFs now but RTFs. I agree, the hardware included are cheap that you end up replacing them and have a lot of junk on your hands. But some companies sell ARFs without the hardware so you pretty much can choose what you wish to bolt into your plane. That said, I still think ARFs save building time, even with modifications, by 90%. You get to spend more time flying rather than building.:D IMO.

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

What you have their is the "Canadian Version" of the kit.:D Good thing you do not live in the US. What they do here is this. If you purchase a combo set here which comes with engine, plane and radio and you live in high elevations, they do not consider this. So your stuck with a .40 size engine with the power of a Cox.019. Crazy world we live in.

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

I don't know what ARF kit you got you're hands on but it must of been made in the 70's.[sm=lol.gif]
I have thrown together many ARFS in the last 2 years and NEVER had one that you had to join 2 pushrods with a setscrew.
As far as some guys throwing away the hardware that comes with the kit..never had to here and NEVER had a crash because of a clevise failure,plastic breaking,structural failure,ect.,I have purchased expensive "suppose to be great" LD and they were crap.
Maybe had a faulty fuel tank here and there.
Companys included in my experience are...World Models,Kyosho,Phoenix,Seagull,H9.
Just my 2 cents;)
Let me add though,some pushrod wire was junk...try to put a Z bend in spring steel like the instructions say and it will break everytime.[:@]

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Seems like every ARF I have built which uses two pusrods for the elevators shows them held together with a wheel collar and "setscrew"... This includes GP and WM.... I find the collar comes in handy to hold the position on the rods as I wirerap and solder them...

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

As in life, we get what we pay for in any ARF. If you guys are that negative about ARF's than try to scratch build or build a kit. Maybe then you will appreciate the amount of work that has already been done for you. Spending a few extra hours modifying/upgrading any ARF is time well spent. I always take extra time assembling my ARF's and I always find something that I need to change, modify, reglue, etc.

In today's world, everyone is "strapped" for time. That is the purpose of ARF's. The companies have realized this trend and have designed/built planes to fit our needs. Who cares if you need to change this or that. At least you're not spending 1, 2, or 3 months assembling your plane from a box of sticks.

If you can't appreciate an ARF for what they are intended for, than build a kit. I have had good and bad experiences with the hardware in an ARF. I chalk it up to experience. I usually replace the hardware now, but I do not complain about it. Do us all a favor and quit crying about this and build it. I know that there are some horrible ARF's out there, but that is usually the exception and not the rule.

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Perhaps if more people “cried” about it the manufacturers would do something about it…
Myself I am grateful for the complaints here on RCU.. Helps me avoid a lot of problems
From the gitgo….. Not all ARF’s are created equal

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

No one ever said that all ARF's were created equal. How are we judging them anyway? There is no industry standard by which to grade them by. As I said earlier, too many people are too busy griping about the ARF they purchased. You get what you pay for. Any ARF that has a price too good to be true, than it probably is too good. That is precisely why we have forums like here on RCU. If more people would do their "homework" and research the plane they are looking for, then maybe they can make a better educated decision before the purchase is completed.

The ARF industry has really changed the way we do business. Whereas it used to take months to complete a project, we can now complete them in weeks or even days. By choosing to purchase an ARF, we have to learn to accept the compromises that accompany it. Yes, some ARF companies are exceptional in the product quality they offer. The downside is that you are generally going to pay more for that particular product. Others are not quite up to par and therefore cost considerably less. But just because a product cost more doesn't necessarily mean it is better. I recently read a thread about a high priced ARF from a company and there were many complaints concerning the completeness of the plane.

All I am trying to say is that we should be thankfull for the ARF's we have today. These companies go to great lengths to try to make our building time as quick as possible. I have seen a few people rush through their ARF and didn't take the time to thoroughly inspect all critical areas. After a few flights I have seen these planes come apart. Is it the companies fault? I don't think so. I think the builder/flyer should take the time to thoroughly check out the plane before, during, and after assembly. It is foolish to think that an ARF should be "perfect" out of the box. There always be a compromise somewhere.

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

I think I would be dissappointed if I didn't get to " improve " or " customize " it a little bit. It's enjoyable to take a little extra time to do it up right.

Hey, you might want to check the glue on the firewall when you're finished with the clevises.;)

RE: Assembling an ARF
 

Robotech,

I agree with you. I enjoy the building experience, even with an ARF. I like adding my own personal touch. If I had the time, I would rather kit build. I have one kit just sitting around collecting dust. But like many, time is a very precious commodity that I never have enough of.