I don't understand how we couldn't afford the hobby without ARFs?? My last big project was a 90 inch plane and the total cost was under $100.00. Even the cheap ARFs from Nitroplanes were more then that. The advent of the ARF has brought in a lot of new people to the hobby that wouldn't have gotten involved without them. Gear and equipment prices had gotten cheap enough for younger people to be able to afford in the 90s and with places that sell the lower priced items from China have kept the prices way down.
Building a plane in the 50s and 60s was dirt cheap as long as it wasn't RC. The price of RC gear was the stumbling block until the late 80s and 90s.
Even with all the cheap planes and gear RC can't compete with a computer or smart phone so seeing anything but middle aged people flying is pretty rare.

Beard o'l buddy ... Looks like U answered it's the ARF's and RTF's and Electric that have kept the price of model building from sky rocketing and kept the Hobby Shops in business for the most part ... The largest Hobby Shop that has everything not just RC in the Milwaukee area is closing the doors be cause mostly because of mail order. They have lost 70% of sales from 7 years ago. The Owner want's to sell but can't find a buyer so it just going to be liquidated.

Prices were low long before ARFs or I would have dropped out of the hobby long ago. I gave up my main hobby/sport when I was priced out of the market. If no one has noticed the ARFs have gotten more costly every year. There is one ARF I would like to have but I can build three of the same plane for the price.

I can afford anything iwant I just HATE GLUE and Balsa. Never ever wanted to build a full scale either ... although I have 2 lines of Epoxy 22' long just 20" apart on my basement floor where My father and I built the original version of the volks powered Dragon fly ...

No matter the task there are always differences. One item that misses herein much of the time, especially for new pilots in RC. Spinner Nuts have their place. In various models the Spinner can well be the choice. Many folks have trouble with Spinners. Here is a trick that has been around as long as I have flown gas/glow engines since about the late '40s. If you use a nut, then a spinner back-plate will most probably not be what you will use. OTOH if you wish to go the Spinner route (A P-51, Spitfire, and such looks rather out-of-place with a "Prop Nut".) The desired Spinner is what looks right. Here is the solution that may need some redoing after one makes a number of flights over a period of 2 months or more. Between the Thrust Washer and the Spinner back-plate place a circle of the black wet/dry sandpaper with sanding side against the Spinner plate. Easy, simply fold a piece of the sandpaper , cut a half moon for a tad larger than the Thrust washer, and a small hole for the prop shaft.
Now goes the prop on and the Spinner nuts along with whatever system your Spinner uses to stay where you put it. Certainly tighten up those things that need tightened and go fly. Always check things before a flying period. That is just good airman-ship.
I do not take credit for this because I had problems many times. An old buddy ask me if I had not figured out how to keep a Spinner from loosening up, one day
when I was having trouble. Cut some black finishing paper and BEHOLD the problems were long gone. I'm dumb but a few things an Old F_rt like me can learn something. OTOH I was not very old when I learned all that!

And if you use a wood prop tighten it up before the first flight of each flying day. The wood compresses and will loosen up. I use wood on my big planes and have to remove the spinner to get to the prop nut but it's worth the trouble.

+1 on the above, but to NOT Tighten and crush the prop I have found with the wood just remove it, that also helps avoiding nicks and such, as the coast of good wood props has gone through the roof so to speek.

Just another old Fa$t thoughts.

cheers Bob T
3

Good reminder Bob, I remove the props on my gas engines but don't bother on my small ones. Truth is I don't often use wood on my small engines, I use APC but my smallest engine I have been using is a .91 in two strokes and all my other engines are 1.20 FS. I have a small Fox .40 for my new Up-Roar and will be doing prop testing and will give several wood props a try. These are only 10 and 11 inch props. For break in and trim flights all I could find were MAS, they will get me started.
My prop testing usually lasts a complete day and has taken up to a weekend just to locate that magic prop for the engine plane combo. I at least have an idea of what/how I want this little plane to fly.