Carroll-RCU

My Feedback: (43)

Carden has increased its price by $100.00. I just bought the Cuda a couple of weeks ago for $499.00. Now It's $599.00. A 35% Extra or Edge will cost $899.00 plus shipping which brings the cost to nearly $1000.00 for a 35% kit.
I have two 35% Carden aircraft and I feel they are probably the best kits on the market, but $1000.00 for a 35% kit is getting a bit pricy for my pocket book.
I'm a big Carden fan, but the price increase will certainly have me looking at Aerotech or Hangar 9 ARF's in the future but not ruling out a Carden 260 kit.
Carroll

BBW Walt

My Feedback: (11)

The new 260 and soon to be seen Yak 54---$1199.00

jneesy

just an opinion but your buying a name

DaveMiller

Hello,

Well they were overpriced when I bought them a few years back. I went to Aerotech after the first purchase and Im on my fifth. Both have good kits. Carden IMO has nothing on Aerotech from quality of the kit. Im not slamming them but they have people that will continue to pay it and to each his own. Im not a supporter of one company just a fan of kits and the Aerotech by far is the best value and flying is on par with any company wood or composite. My 42% Velox and 42% Mid wing Extra 300 are simply awesome.


Happy New Year


Dave Miller

CDignition

My Feedback: (9)

I agree...900 bux for a box of wood??... With CNC lasers, price should be droppin not going up...My Comp ARF 35% cost 990 bux, and it was ready to go in 3 days,lol...

EJB

ONE GRAND for a 35% kit is outrageous.Dennis & Caroline can keep their box of wood & foam.
It's too bad AeroWorks no longer makes kits as they were /are great flying planes & the price was right.

I've got a 35% AeroTech Yak kit on order...for $650...should be here in few weeks.
They're on the third run & they're selling like hot cakes.

Hooked-On-RC

My Feedback: (16)

Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Gentlemen,
You can thank the man in the White House for his "rule the world" policies for the increase in prices. It is simply the fact that the American Dollar is becoming weaker on world market exchange rates and as such the US dollar no longer buys the same amount as it used to. I have to admit is great for us Canadians as with the increased value of the Canadian dollar and wider range of products available throughout the US, we get a better deal than we can get here in our own country.

lightningman40

My Feedback: (40)

Hi all, I just got a Carden Extra 330S 40% size. I am having Jim Short building this airplane for me. Its alot of money for sure but what isnt. This hobby can be as cheep or expensive as we want it to be. Happy New Year all

Robotech

My Feedback: (9)

And you can thank the man in the White House for covering your backside and allowing you the freedom to rag him.

The price of kits are determined by many things, least of which may be the current value of the American dollar. If your theory were correct all the " cheap " ARF's from overseas would be getting more expensive not less expensive like they are. Supply and demand are what determines the fair market value. If you want a Carden you will pay a premium for the prestige. It's your choice.

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

The problem is the supply of balsa wood this year, it is killing the fullscale boat industry.

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

More reasons to buy a composite plane

IanB

My Feedback: (1)

I loved my carden edge and I will love my carden extra.............but $900 for a 35% kit................i cant go there again................add the cost of glue , film and paint............I just cant do it....sorry carden.

kindest regards Ian B

XpastywhiteboyX

My Feedback: (5)

im with john...... 2.6 composite arf! 990 bucks for a high quality arf!

AEROSHELDON

My Feedback: (99)

I agree that supply and demand is the main culprit here. It seems that at the low price Dennis was always behind with a waiting list. Which one of you guys in your businesses would not like to be caught up more, get a higher price per unit, and make more money? If you're always behind at a set price, it makes sense to me to raise the price--if it's too high some will not buy it, but then he won't be be behind all the time. The comp arf (or any other arf or kit) will always be a choice, and thank goodness we have choices !! But I own a Carden and look forward to getting another some time, because it will last for years and fly beyond my abilities. I really look forward to building one.

tommy157

My Feedback: (1)

Well said RoboTech...our neighbors to the north sometimes forget that we are not the enemy..

as far as the cost of planes..what you choose to give for a plane is your business..If you build it good enough some will buy it at any price..(Paraphrased from "Field of Dreams")

DaveMiller

Hello,

I agree. Thank God for options and companys like Aerotech and Carden for kits. Everyting has a cycle ARF's ARC's kits etc. Yes I agree the pricing is too high but you don't need to sell as many to make the same margins. Just be glad options are out there for us as hobbyist.

Thanks
Dave Miller

Kevgofly

My Feedback: (2)

You can not compare a Comp Arf to a Carden. Apples and Oranges. Set your 6 month old comp arf next to my 3 yer old Carden and compare the two. Not knocking Comp Arf, I love them, for what they are. It's a quick way to get in the air for a good price and they fly good. Carden is a kit for those of us who like to build, with quality wood so you don't end up tossing half of it. They hand select the wood for you. There's almost no room for laser cutting in the Carden's (the way they are built which is a proven method) so that's not really an option to cut cost. I just finished an Aeroworks plane for another guy. Not even in the same league. They fly good, but open structure on a 40% is not the way to go in my opinion. I wouldn't even speculate on why the prices have gone up, but from a guy who likes to build his planes, it's still worth it.

Kev

Desertrat

My Feedback: (2)

... and now he's charging a higher price, and still behind. Count me in with those who will spend the money.. and wait for round 2 of the extra 260's. Here's hoping some potential first rounders read this and change thier mind so I can get my 260 a few months earlier

Roger

jongurley

My Feedback: (29)

Now if Comp-ARF will get a fancy airbrushed 2.6m Extra under or at $1000 dollars they would hurt alot of company's, I believe IMO that Carden's are high priced I have recently been looking in buying a 35% something I like Carden's but If I buy one it will be RTF less receivers in good shape, I rather fly than build, I believe that Comp-ARF's will only become more popular, and Carden will continue to sell top shelf kits , but I personally can not buy the kit $965,1300 dollar engine, covering, servos,receivers, etc,etc, you are talking about roughly $4500 or more and that is you building it yourself, that is high priced, and people can say what they want to about G.W. Bush blah blah blah blah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but it is a simple branch of supply and demand, as someone already said, and hey if they raise prices that much and people still put that much money into a box of wood than that is there preference,,, and lastly does anyone really think that Dennis and Caroline really walk around and hand pick the wood for a kit,,, NO< they are contracted with one of the northern Balsa suppliers and they have a set of standards of grades of wood to send them(basically they say don't send us any junk), and they have them on there stock shelves and just pull the needed pieces off and throw them in the boxes,,,,, so anyway Comp-ARF or Carden's or whatever buy what you are happy with and fly,,,,,,

Holton50

Yea i agree with jneesy, you just buying a very prestigious name. Carden is sure making a killing on every kit they sell. although form what i have heard they are really really good planes.

quist

My Feedback: (198)

After receiving my Carden Extra last month I disagree that he is overcharging. even though this is a kit there is a ton of work that has gone into making everything fit perfect. His glass work is all top notch and you get full size plans which are not cheap. there is a lot labor that goes into producing a good kit. It is American labor not out sourced labor.

mu2driver

My Feedback: (15)

It never fails that people start compairing Cardens and Composite-Arf....

Apples and Oranges, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so lets no start knocking brands here, I have looked very close at a Brian Huff built Carden and they are REAL Nice when completed like he does.. As far as the Best I bet any TOP pilot can take "any" plane out there and SPANK most of the people whining about Bush and Cash...if you dont like it, dont buy it, plane and simple....

"If you cant run with the Big Dogs, then you had better stay on the Porch"

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

I have always wanted to buy a Carden, but again, situations and their price hike eleminated it for me.

As far as the Comp-Arf that I own, after a decade of aerospace composite work, there is no way I could build the airplane that I own for that money. The people that have grown up building kits have no idea what is involved in building a composite plane. If you did, 90% of modelers would quit! Once the molds are made it is easy, and you can fix it with less experiance that it takes for a redneck to fix his bass boat. (I am a redneck btw)

I love my kits, but when I dream of the perfect process to build the perfect plane, it always ends with the controllability of composites.

The reason composite planes wear, is because people don't look at what prevents kit planes from wearing, they haven't added that flexibility of monocoat surface to the points that contact. (eg... A microscopic layer of dried contact cement on the wing root will prevent fuse/root wear)

Doug Cronkhite

My Feedback: (34)

It's very simple.. if you don't like the price, don't buy it. I can honestly say however that I have not flown an airplane better than my Carden 40% Extra 330S. I'm probably going to build an Extra 260 as well. I've been flying Carden airplanes since 1995 and I see them get better and better every year. The one thing nobody has been able to touch Carden on is airframe life. A well build Carden kit will last for thousands of flights.

As for the increase in cost, Dennis is in business. He is not a philanthropist just giving things away. This is his living so he has the right to do it how he pleases. It's a simple fact that it is more expensive to do business in this country today than it was a couple years ago. Materials cost more, packing costs more, shipping costs more, and so forth, so the end result will cost more. There is also supply and demand to deal with. When your demand is far greater than your supply, a good way to balance things is to raise the prices. Simple economics. Bob Violett did much the same thing.

You can vote with your wallet if you think it's acceptable or not.

luv2flyrc

My Feedback: (6)

They've gotten too expensive for me. I've built two Carden's, a 30% CAP and 35% Edge is in progress right now. It's not a matter of being able to afford it ( because we all know what $ goes into these planes), it's a matter of being able to justify spending that much for some wood and foam.

The Carden kits are very nice quality but, with the exception of the foam parts, they are practically a scratch build. There are very few cut pieces of wood. And contrary to what other's have said, I think the glass parts leave alot to be desired.

I just can't see spending $599 on a Cuda for example, plus accessories and (in my case) a year to build it , when u can get an EF Yak for $650.

I'm a guy who really enjoys the building end of this hobby and even I can't justify it.

I wish Carden the best as they are great people.