ratshooter

Thanks Turbo. The low wing plane was killed in a plane crash. I hit a Tee post on the far edge of the flying field. I never knew it was there. I hit it so centered that it boogered up the threads on the crank shaft. The engine was repaired to fly again. The plane was cleaved in half.

When I sold my stuff about eleven years ago the guy that bought it all said he still has the Pete. He said his wife threw some junk on top of a couple of the planes and he has no idea whats damaged. He has no idea what I sold him for a give away price or just how much work went into the models he got. It sorta makes me sad knowing the poor way they were treated.

AA5BY

Trend changes are inevitable. A free flight friend tells the story of a free flight contest in up state NY during the early '30s... a thousand contestants and ten thousand spectators. And... so trends come and go.

Lately, I've given thought to word 'pastime' and how it fits my situation. I've discovered that ARFs simply go together too fast with the result of simply too many planes in the hanger and no more hanger space to start another project. I've heard the same comment several times at swap meets, "I'm selling it to make some space". Without space, the pastime of having a project on the boards is thwarted.

My recent projected was conceived a year ago and started in earnest in January... a self designed scratch build sport plane and now three and a half months later it is nearing completion and will likely end up being a four month project. In that time, eight Arfs could have been assembled but I certainly don't have room for eight planes. Building just fits the need to have a project on the boards (pastime) better than ARFs do.

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

I brought my BTE Models Delta Vortex ( http://www.btemodels.com/vortex.html ) to a Club meeting last night. The plane is still in the bones and maybe that was the mistique? I had a lot of guys looking the plane over and I could see the wheels turning inside their head. I emphasized that this wasn't a good 2nd plane, maybe a 3rd or 4th plane if they had some experience with fast planes under their belt.

This also coincided with an upcoming Swap Meet that we're holding in the area. I wonder if some of those guys might go there and see about picking up a simple kit to try it out.

Just my $.02

Bob

mred33

I came back into this hobby after about a 25 year layoff and boy you talk about changes. Icouldn't believe what was going on. NONEof my favorite planes are left and the only way you can get any of them is to scratch build them. One plane Ijust LOVED was the Pulsair bipe and Ireally miss that plane. Wish Ihad another one, but can't find one anywhere and if Idid, Iprobable couldn't afford it. One thing Ihave found, is the laser cutters are making some of the old planes now and you can get full kits and partial kits. Building from plans is another way to get the old ones Iliked and they are pretty easy to build. Once Itake one out to the field, everyone comes running wanting to know where they can get one. When I tell them Ibuilt it, they look at me like Iam nuts. Why would Ibuild one when Ican buy an ARF?? Because they don' t have what Iwant and Ilove to build anyway. Then they walk opff shaking their heads thinking Ineed to be commited.

One young guy crashed his trainner and threw it in the trash, so Itook it home and rebuilt it. When I brought it back out to the field a couple seeks later, he wanted to buy it because he couldn't afford a new one right now and he just crashed his a couple of weeks before. Ifinally relented and let him have it and he went off thinking he got a great deal. Ididn't have the heart to tell him it was his crashed model that Irebuilt. Ithink Ihad $5.00 invested in that model not counting my time.

They don't even know a simple thing like using a cardboard templete to make the cutout for the engine in the cowel. Ishowed them how to do that and he just stood there dumbfounded. Icouldn't understand that since it is an easy way to make a good looking hole in the cowel in the right place. Idon't think us old builders are a dieing breed, but the call of the ARFis just to strong for most people. No way could you get a great looking model and build it that fast. In fact, it is better then a lot of builders could do even when they were building. Itried to pass on everything I have learned over the years and just couldn't do it very good, simply because we couldn't reach many people. We didn't have the internet and all these forums then and now that we do, a lot of the older builders are trying their best, but not that many people are interested. We need to get them interested first, then teach ehm how to build. When Istarted in the 50's, we didn't have a choice. Now that they do, most of them don't have the time to build. ARF's back in the 50's were the COX .049 control line models. Nothing like we have now and building is just to labor intensive for most people. To me the hours spent building are just as enjouable as the hours spent flying. I wouldn't trade that for anything and Iwill build to my dieing day. Imay not fly very good, but as long as I can build, Iwill. Most of what Ibuild now gets an electric motor, but that's OK too. They are still fun to fly and that opens up some really nice places to fly that are closed to glow or gas engines.

Ed

ratshooter

Thought I would post a few pictures of my latest build. And yes its a SPAD made from coroplast. Fast and easy to build and cost so little. You guys may get a posse after me for building a non traditional wood plane but I had everything on hand to make it except the wheels. It has a new LA 46 for power. It weighs 5 lbs on the money and has 600 of wing area. That works out to a 19oz wing loading. I haven't flown it yet. The winds have been 15-35 mph the last few days.