hi folks,i don't mean any harm in this,it's just an observation of mine,with that said.....you know,in this hobby,unless your are richer than god,it is sometimes hard to buy everything you want new,so,it is this instance that used planes and equipment come in handy.i am sure at some time,we all have bought a,used,or,built and never flown,or someones unfinished project...........,but,how many of you have bought a plane 2nd hand,that,after spending say,an hour going over real good,came to the rationalization that,for the safety,and well being of this poor soul,and ANYBODY with in distance of him/her,is NOT for any reason attempting to assemble and/or fly another plane EVER,EVER AGAIN????????

More times then I want to remember. I have seen it at the field and wonder why someone is flying such a piece of unsafe garbage!!!!! :stupid:

A departed old flying buddy used to say that covering and or paint covers up a multitude of sins...which is why I never give away or sell any model I build...

I guess I've been lucky! I'm at the other end of the spectrum; my best planes have been those I've bought used. But I'd hate to spend money on an airplane and then determine it couldn't be flown, so I feel your pain!

I have bought some used planes that were lots of fun- for a while. The longer I have them, the more defects I notice. Most of th defects are minor cosmetic issues, like monocote that starts coming up in areas of the fuselage that are subjected exhaust or fuel. When I tack down monocote in tough areas of the fuselage, I always run a bead of CA along the seam; lasts longer.
Another common problem: firewalls and fuel tank compartments not adquately fuelproofed. With this defect, things look good for a while, but if any fuel or exhaust contaminates the wood, after some time the wood gets mushy.

Bottom line: don't pay too much for someone else's airplane!

WOW guys from your disruptions . I will never buy an ARF. Talk about unsafe, poorly assembled and short cuts made for the sake of money and or safety . I'm glad I read this thread.

Most ARFs are built better than your average kit built by a novice to intermediate builder. I, for one, am completely amazed at the quality of workmanship that is available for under $200. For example, I bought a GP Venus 40 ARF. The 7 color monokote job was beautiful. The trim was applied accurately and with skill. The airframe was light and strong.

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't thoroughly check every ARF and reinforce key areas like the firewall, gear/wing blocks etc., but at the end of the day I am constantly amazed about how intricate and inexpensive ARFs are.

On the used plane front, I have bought and flown many. Our club has a large auction twice a year and well over 100 planes are sold at each one. I've bought everything from older-than-dirt, crashed-and-rebuilt Astro Hogs to mint condition quarter scale planes.

When I buy used planes I ALWAYS bring a fish scale, incidence meter and little dentist mirror / flashlight. With a good inspection you can tell if it's strong and straight. On the rare occassion I buy sight-unseen, I stick to ARFs. Kits are too risky unless you know the builder does quality work.

Jason

Why would you make that condescending remark? The discussion is obviously about used second hand airplanes not ones professionally built.

To the original question yes I have, but never did what should have been best, putting it out of my misery. I’ve spent more time “rebuilding” than it probably would have taken to build one from scratch.

Ecuse me lighten up this is a hobby.
I have seen negative results of to many uninspected model aircraft over the years. It is the responcibility of each person to inspect and make safe any aircraft owned regardless of where or how purchased.
ARF's, kit built used or custom built safety comes first.

what i meant when this all started,for example,i just accquired a plane that was an ARF,(no signifigance),that a gentleman had assembled and said was ready to add fuel and fly............let's see,where to begin,well,the guy used all dubro servo horns,they were splined for futaba,the servos are JR! so,it looks like he took his trusty knife and cleared them enough to fit,had one screw in each corner of the servos,plane has retracts factory installed,had a standard jr servo on them,had hacked the plugs up and put in a battery holder with 4-aaa batteries for the recieverpack,dubro control horns,with one screw in each on the control surfaces,and,had plain old 4-40 screws holding the engine to the mount,but,did not feel nuts on the bottom of them was neccesary!i mean,think about it,this poor slob might be flying a plane near you right now! isn't that a little frightening? worst of all,the person made the statement that this was not his first plane,yikes!!!!

Well, I'm one of those guys that builds and, after several flights, gets bored with the airplane - not all, just some. I take them to the Swap meet and sell them at a good price - well below others so I sell out quickly while others wonder why. I think my planes are well built - better than most - and I use the money to buy kits or balsa and the cycle starts again.

I'm happy and the person buying the plane gets a real bargin.

I have friends that do the same.

RCPAUL

I, on the other hand, get to know guys like RCPAUL, develop a respect for their craftsmanship / attention to detail, and pick up their fine aircraft for a song when they lose interest. That way, I rarely lose money when I lose interest and sell it again.

Ok, you guys play nice. I've seen some planes at our field that down right scared me. I have to admit that I will, at times, bring it to the president's attention and he'll ground the plane. He's the kind of guy that will do the dirty work of grounding but will always help to get the plane in flying condition.