Tower makes more money on arfs. They don't want anyone to buy kits. So raise the price of kits to force people to by arfs. My opinion only. Sounds about right.

Hello my fellow RC'ers. I too am shocked by the price increases for kits. I have bought a decent amount of kits from tower hobbies over the past several years. Overall, I have about 40 airplane kits in my collection. But, I would have to be desperate to buy kits from TH at these prices. Now, I agree that balsa is being used for other things than airplane kits. I know that it is harder to get balsa, but it is not impossible. I can understand that the overall cost of balsa is higher. But the price of balsa has not increased so much or that it is so difficult to get that kit prices go up $20-$40 dollars overnight. I could see prices increasing $5-$10 for some kits. Heck, I would pay $5 more to save me the time of cutting balsa for a plane. It was said that SIG increased their prices and they have, but only by about $5 per kit on average. I see that being the true cost to do business. As far as I can tell, Balsa USA has kept their prices the same. Back to SIG, they are known for selling airplane kits. That is their main business. So, to see such a small increase and somewhat consistent across the board on their kits tell me that a small increase in price for TH's kits would be understandable. But really, $40 increase for an Ultrasport 60?? Now for anybody that has built any size Ultrasport kit, there is alot of wood that goes into that airplane. I believe that TH is either trying to get out of selling kits all together or they are trying to make a bigger profit off a niche part of the hobby amidst talks that balsa is being used for so many other things (wind turbine blades, floatation in ships) and figure that we will go along with it because Balsa is almost impossible to get (which it is not and probably never will be - Balsa trees are considered weed trees because of how quickly they grow). I think that I will probably not buy any kits from them in the future (except I might pick up two more Ultrasport 40s - they did not go up in price) and start spending my money on buying balsa in bulk and build from plans (after I build some of my kits). The nice thing about building from plans is there are so many planes to choose from that are not available in kit or ARF form and you would have a show piece at your club for people to look at and talk about.

Happy flying and soft landings!

It's the obuma dosen't care health care issue!

Yes, the new low cost balsa tongue depressors...

I was going to place an order yesterday when I WOW about the new prices. I stopped the purchase I was decided to do. Now, I am thinking on alternatives. It is a good thing that I placed an order for five plans out of M.A.N. with 50% discount. I also bought five engines from HP on their special Magnum sale on June. I hope Tower can have limited time sales like other online sellers are doing from time to time.

There is some truth to that but most people that have built about three kits should be able to build from plans. As a kid I used a piece of pine for a building board and an exacto knife to cut the balsa parts and a coping saw to cut the ply parts. In my shop today I have a scroll saw and a sander that I have been using for about 12 years to cut my kits. When I moved here 6 years ago it took me a while but about two years ago I started using the wood shop to cut and sand.
As for the lack of instructions you are very correct, some people can't build without the step by step instructions. With plans you must look at the LD numbers on MAN plans. When you are looking for a new build you just find a plane you like then look at the LD number, LD2 is pretty easy and you or most people should be able to build it, LD3 you should have several kits plus a few plans/scratch build under your belt. It get's easier after you have done it a couple of times. Once you get the hang of it you will not bother with kits unless you find some good deals at auctions or swap meets. Kits are almost a thing of the past, you may as well give plans a chance.

For a lot of years I have been on a soap box telling people to make templates of every part in your new kits, save your plans and instructions too. I have been trading these items with friends who build for several years. It's just another way to keep building planes that have been discontinued over the years. Looks like now people may want to think about doing it with kits that are still being cut. Kinko's makes large copies!

GB, I've done that for a few years and it's amazing to build a kit that hasn't been available for 15+ years, and it's quite easy. I also take notes when I find a 'gotcha', like a mistake in sequence of a build or an easier way to do a part. 

Fantastic advice. I was aware of this wisdom for years, but regrettably, never followed suit. Why? Laziness perhaps. But laziness is never a good excuse.

Anyone reading this, take the advice, and make sure you can rebuild any kit by keeping templates, plans, and instructions! I will from now on. Those skyrocketing kit prices are my impetus to do so.

I have to agree with Gray Beard on building from plans after a couple of kits. Building from a kit, the instruction manual walks you through building each area such as the rudder, the wing, the fuselage, etc. The instructions also tell you how to attach these areas together and what to look for. Now, after building several kits, wouldn't one build the rudder in a similar manner and build wings in the same way? I have only scratched build a Super Kaos. It was not easy and it was not hard. Cutting the pieces was easy, but visualizing the individual pieces to cut from the plan was much harder. What helped me was that I built an Ultrasport 40 and 60, which is almost the same plane as the Super Kaos. Reading plans can be a bit tasking for some because you are trying to visualize a 3d object from 2d plans. BUt, we all do this without knowing it. The best example is reading a map. It is a 2d plan of a 3d object. You learn what all the symbols and lines on the map mean. You know where things are in relationship to other things. It is alot like reading electrical schematics to build circuits. The schematics are no different than a map with all its symbols. I think that sometimes we pysche ourselves out by saying that we can't do it because we try to take it all in at once. It took time, but I learned what the symbols meant. I then looked at how two symbols were connected and how parts were connected to other parts. Before long, I could read schematics and actually build the circuit. Building a plane from plans only is the same way. Now, I have seen some plans that are hard to decipher in some places and I just say that these are poorly drawn plans or they need additional drawings to make the complexity easier to understand. I think what we have is a lack of a knowledge base in general building of airplanes. One thing that I have done for my club is to buy (mostly from EBay) RC Modeler Magazines, the older MAN magazines, plus many how to books from MAN and Harry Higley that discuss building techniques. I have taken these books and scanned them all as PDFs and have allowed people to read them from a thumb drive and give me back the thumb drive when they are done. I see this as being no different then handing them a book to read and asking for the book back. Now I know that they could just copy the pdf file, but they could easily copy the pages of the book too. Sometimes, I have sent articles from these magazines to other RCU members who ordered plans from RCM. If you haven't ordered a plan from RCM, all you get is the plans and a typed article (with no pictures) to build your plane.

Happy Flying and soft landings!

I have a question about building from plans.

Where do you get the cowl, canopy, wheelpants, etc for planes that are built from plans?

Combatman, that is the one problem that has many possibilities. Sometimes, you can contact the original designer of the plane and they might have the parts made or has the molds to make some for you. As far as in cowls, Fiberglass Specialties is one company that makes cowls for various kits and ARFs. For some planes, you have to look for a similar plane to get the parts you need (such as a canopy from an ARF or wheel pants). Finally, you will need to make them yourself using various techniques. Sometimes when you build a plane from scratch, you are making all the parts from scratch.

Happy Flying and soft landings!

previous margins were to low to support the current lower market volume. related and non rc related mfg's and distributors have raised pricing to stay alive. take it or leave it.

Top flight kits haven't increased in price for at least 15 years. A $60.00 price increase spread over the last 15 years works out to be $4.00 per year or less than the 3% inflation number. Factoring in the labor and advertising costs, they had to be losing tons of money on those kits in the past few years.

I guess they figured they would rather make money on the kit or not sell it at all. To me, that's completely understandable, and the only way to stay in business.

Look at it this way, you can finish it with Chinese made products at 1/10th of the price you could 10 years ago, so in the end, it's still less expensive!

No. They increased their prices by $20 about 5 years ago. Below is my order history from Tower on 6/19/2007.
TOPA0300 Top Flite Cessna 182 Skylane Gold Ed Kit .61-.91,81" 1 149.97

EDIT: It also looks like they raised the DC3 to around $220 even more recently. This order history is from 10/30/2010.
TOPA0500 Top Flite Douglas DC-3 Twin GE Kit .25-.40 (2),82.5" 1 189.96 (now it's at $269.97)

Just for grins goggle fiberglass specialties web site and look around. They have a lot of cowls and canopies plus landing gear for old kits and plans. If I'm building something like an Edge or Extra then I look around at ARFs of about the same size and but replacement parts from them. I have also taken the time to learn to make plugs and then make my own canopy or make a glass cowl. Very easy to do. I enjoy working with resin and glass, something you don't know until you try it.
Some kits today are almost the same price as they were in the 70s and 80s depending on the plane type. I do not scratch build these planes. Go look at the Blue Jay web site if you want a nice trainer kit of if you are looking for any of the old Bridi design pattern planes. These are fantastic sport planes by the way and something like a 60 size Kaos or Dirty Birdy is about $100.00, they also come with the LG and canopy.
There are a lot of places to buy kits besides Tower!! When I have a new student I used to have them shop tower for there gear. Tower was never the best prices but they were a one stop store. These days I will help a student locate there stuff and let them know tower is not the best place to shop. Look around, everyone here has a computer, quit pissing about tower and start goggling around. There are other places to shop. Anyone ever heard of Hobby Horse?? That one just came off the top of my head.
Tower swallows!!!!!!!!!!

Their P-40 has been at $149.95 ever since I can remember. I ordered one in Nov. 1997 and paid $149.95!

I have to admit it is purely my fault! I got into racing cars and within two years everything seemed to double. It would cost me less then 2 hundred to build a 6 point cage then it went up to over 4 hundred to build a four point! Play darts for fun bought my first set of M-3s for under 60 bucks and now they are over a hundred. Shoot black powder in compitition first gun cost under two hundred now the same one is nearly six hundred. None of this had a lot of time in between either! Now I am seeing every thing from fuel engines, ARF's and kits etc. go through the roof. Not happy with the price's going up so much and so fast! Maybe I will stay in it or maybe just fly less? not sure right now!

I don't see that. I just looked and they're prices are the same as Graves which they have had in stock for awhile.

Maybe there is more to this Tower/Sig divorce than meets the eye. Don't get me wrong, I use Tower a lot, just not for kits anymore.

The demand for balsa has gone up drastically do to the production of wind mill blades you find on those huge wind generators. The cores are made out of balsa. The balsa crop can't keep up with the demand, thus driving the cost up which is seriously affecting our hobby.

Well if SIG brings out the 4*120 ARF again, I'll bet you wont be able to get it for $275!  Glad I found one when I did.

Well, i JUST checked Sig website, and the 4*120 is listed at $166.99

SIGRC65 SIG FOUR-STAR 120 KIT $166.99 EACH

www.sigmfg.com

I was able to add it to my cart as well, does not say out of stock!

Bill S>

EDIT: Sorry, did not note the ARF part...

I used to buy all my balsa from lonestar till it burned a couple of years back, can you imagine how fast it went up

Back in 1999, a Tower Trainer ARF with shelf paper covering and plastic wingtips was $139. Today, that same ARF with iron-on covering is $109.

Remember 2 years ago when Horizon increased the price of the RTF Hanger 9 Alpha trainer with 2.4 radio from $299 to $399. Then several months later the price dropped back down to $299. These kind of price swings are not due to just balsa prices.

Balsa is also used by the military, in ships, boats, and of course windmills. BUT there are some good news. Eventually they will use bigger blades (you get power from lower speed winds), and there the balsa does not shine anymore. So, as price goes up, it makes itself less atractive, and new techniques allow the use of other materials that are better suited for the windmills. But power boat manufacturers and also sail boat manufacturers are still using a lot. Even transport vessels, pretty much if they have fiberglass construction, they use balsa. Again, there are choices, and cost will drive the use. The current blades are huge, I saw them being manufactured in Fairless Hills PA, but the newer ones are gigantic.

Gerry

TYCOR W combines glass fibres with closed-cell, low density foam in an engineered architecture and has been used in the wind industry for two years. One blade manufacturer using the core material in place of balsa experienced an immediate weight savings of 325 lbs per blade on a 45 m blade. Blade manufacturers are also finding the composite core offers other advantages not normally associated with core material such as:

design optimisation;
yield optimisation achieved with kitting partners;
improved infusion;
better fit of fewer, larger core pieces; and
improved uniformity due to fewer core gaps.