Guys, just thought I'd bring this to your attention.... I came across this in a thread at rcgroups.com…… ( email responce to inquiry by Ed DeBolt re: availability of plans or kit for Rascal 110)


copy of email received on 9/14/2010


Dear Ed,

We are presently working on a full kit version of the Rascal 110. Hopefully it will be out around the first of the year.

The problem with the supply of Rascal 110's is not with Sig, but rather the Chinese. We are experiencing serious problems with the supplier there. Consequently, we do not anticipate that we will be receiving any ARF kits or ARF kit parts in the foreseeable future. Should that situation change, we will place a notice to that affect on our web site to let everyone know they are available again.

Sincerely,

David Falkenhagen

Sig Manufacturing Co., Inc.

[email protected]

Well, I hope they can pull off making a large Rascal kit, but they haven't been able to deliver a lot of their current kit line for some time now. The 'balsa shortage' problems are nearly a year old now (at least that I'm aware of), and that is a loooong time to have to endure an extended cash flow crunch and continue to make payroll. We'll see, but I do wish them the best.

Any one know any new news on the Rascal 110 kits?

I talked to the guys from Sig back in Toledo. For right now the Rascal 110 kits are on hold and won't be released any time soon. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Ken

<font size="4">I'm a little confused with your term 'kit'. Do you mean built up from plans or ARF assembly?

Last Thursday (9/29) I called Sig to inquire next availability for 110 Rascal ARF, and they said two production roll-outs are coming; one in late October 2011 and another for December 2011 for red and blue ARFs.  Due to the high demand of this product, I asked if there was a notification list - yes there is, and it's filling up!

All I had to do to enroll was give my name and phone number, I also added my email - there was no fee or down payment.  However, the nice lady taking my info could not tell me the price!!! She honestly did not know if it would be more or less than previous list price... my guess is more. Its funny how the rc hobby business is booming while the economy is going down the toilet. I guess while more people are out of work, they still need something to do.

Anyway, back to the point - what is a kit, I'm old school and to me kits and ARFs are different projects, although I am beginning to see a trend here where some of our suppliers use 'kit' as a misnomer for ARF.

John</font>

A kit is just a box full of wooden parts un assembled with a roll of plans and a build manual. You have to glue it all together and build it from the ground up and then cover it. An ARF is a box with the completed plane in it, you just need to bolt a few things on here and there and its pretty much ready to fly.

Thanks but, I know the difference between the two definitions. What I want to know is WHAT or WHICH definition of KIT is being referred to here in this forum?

If I'm not mistaken, I believe all of the above afore mentioned to mean ARF or ARF/kit? If not, please inform me. As I mentioned in my post, I contacted Sig and they said ARF's will be available.

Not trying sound over-reactive. But if a KIT is ALSO going to be available, I would be interested. Either way, I've got to get one of these. They are perfect for tug - towing.

John

I think the plane was going to be sold as both an ARF and a kit... However the KIT seems to be frozen in time, no dates or confirmations in awhile ...

Since rcuniverse has an ARF/RTFforum (www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_75/tt.htm), I think that this Forum is for discussing kits that start with a box of precut and stock lumber with plans and instructions. There are short kits, full kits and really full kits that are discussed in this forum.

A lot of people dont seem to know the difference which adds a lot of confusion.

jess

The thread started a year ago so if SIG hasn't said anything about producing a kit by now I'm sure it isn't going to happen.
Writers in the magazines started calling ARFs ARF Kits a couple years ago for reasons of there own?? They now speak of building them instead of assembling them??I'm thinking it is more of an advertising ploy but I have noticed it's working. People are now thinking they are building something?
You are seeing more and more people posting here in kit building when they are assembling an ARF. New people to the hobby no longer know the difference so it's up to builders to inform them. Not rudely but just let them know there is an ARF forum where they can show the other can't do people there newest pride and joy.
Most of these people really don't know the difference.

LOL

All right, a have a followup question then. If there are only kit building and scratch building forums, where should a plan builder post?

and, +1 for the Rascal 110 kit, SIG. I hope you produce it one day....

Right here or in the plans/scratch building forum. I build from plans and post here. All plans building is just cutting a kit and building it without instructions and using your own wood. I tried doing a short thread here, Kit Cutting 101 to tell folks how easy it is and not worry about kits no longer being cut. It turned into a poop question though and people fixated on what type of glue to use for gluing down the templates. I don't think they were quite ready for plans building if they had to ask. That thread is either on page one or two but it went over like a fart in a space suit.

I read it and lost interest at the glue part as well.

I like ordering the short kit anyway. I've cut one myself once, and while it is a lot cheaper, I just like the building part better.

Well, see there, if someone else cuts it for you then you don't even need to think about what type of glue to use for sticking on the templates. Simple crap sure runs away fast on RCU.

I want an actual full kit for my next build anyway. Too much stuff isn't quite worked out on a plan build. I end up cutting a bunch of weird parts anyway.

A Rascal 110 would've been nice. I'd love to build a Venture as well, but neither of those are available. You can't even get a Telemaster kit anymore unless you want it real small.

I remember when using an Xacto seemed like cheating after using the razor blade. Time files, din't it?[&o]

jess

Update from Becky at Sig Manufacturing - person in charge of orders and back orders, etc;

A return call to Becky has informed me that Sig has NOINTENTIONS to release the Rascal 110 kits because they have found, bound and purchased ARF assemblies from a company a while back.

As I previously mentioned, first release is in late October 2011, second roll out in December. This should not have any snaffoos or any more delays because they have been inundated with people ready to purchase - in quantities that give incentives to businesses to fulfill.

Greybeard was correct as I also assumed that from the birth of this thread, a year's time is a good indicator the ball got dropped. The person who started this was also correct (at that time) that Sig was not only considering a line of 'kits', they evem started in production - until a very favorable company entered into a contract for 'ARF's'.

There you have it. Sometime soon I expect this thread will have to end and hopefully be replaced with the advent of the NEW 110 Rascal reviews and 'builds.' (yes, I know - even ARF's have to be built, assembled, small mods, etc., but they're MUCH faster than glueing all the pieces and covering)

This sounds so unfortunate... I've bolded the above for emphasis...

Not that a particular kit isn't getting produced, but that an ARF contract may specifically exclude it. It's bad enough that kit production is in a downward spiral due to changing demographics, but to kill a kit just so it won't compete with an ARF is really unfortunate. A double whammy...

Sad indeed. I had gotten excited at the idea of a Rascal kit but have no interest whatever in an ARF.

jess

Agreed, but there are lots of other things to build! - especially when you include short kits.

Sorry SIG

Krikey!
For you Hobbiests '"sp" out there, you can have your Rascal ARG. Most likely now made in Vietnam and prices much higher. Notices the recent jack up of the Sig kits prices. I only wish my pay check would keep pace of everything else. A year ago Sig announced they were going to "Kit" the Rascal and I was getting in line to purchase two kits. Never happened. Oh well, for the assemblers out there enjoy! I will pass

Have you guys seen the retro trainer in the 72 inch wingspan size from Balsa USA? It does seem to be from the same sort of era as the rascal ..looks wise. Maybe with enough motivation they would sell a larger version...I know for a fact that they seem to listen to demand ... :P


i don't recall was the rascal ever sold as a kit in the smaller sizes? or only as arfs?

As I recall the first Rascal was a kit-rubber powered free flight.

jess

Yep, and there were was no die cutting in a lot of kits, the wood was silk screened with a pattern and you cut it out with a single edge. The Rascal was my very first Free Flight kit. About 1959? They started life as a 1/2A kit, solid sheet, no wing ribs, well two under each wing so it gave the sheeting an air foil shape. There were a couple formers in the fuse and a fire wall. That was a great little plane. Looked just like the big new 110 but the wing span was under 36 inches.