Where have all the builders gone
05-14-2015, 07:36 AM
#776
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: los angeles, CA
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First there are things I have done with this model that do not lend itself to ease of production. The manner in which the T-tail will connect to the VS and automatically hook up with the elevator. Also the fuselage is entirely carbon with honeycomb Kevlar core. Each side of the mold has to have vacuum pulled twice. I would do away with the honeycomb core.
The fact that my professional occupation is dentistry does not help matters in what I would value my time being worth.
So to answer your question, I would have to modify my product to make it even feasible to charge an astronomical fee of $4,000 -$4,500 and only in retirement when my time has less competing for it, The money would still not make me want to sell them.
The Germans and eastern block countries still can sell them for less.
A buildier name Invertmass was developing a F-14 Tomcat and I think he finally realized his love and passion for the plane and the project is just not enough to produce them for sale. It is a hell of a lot of work and money and then to assemble them takes tons of time that most people cannot appreciate., let alone the time it took to get the project to finish molded phase. He is building a real Tomcat, without the guidance systems and it is smaller. AWESOME AND CRAZY!
But we post our achievements here and take satisfaction that we have clawed through the trails and trivilations of development from scratch and some may even feel more satisfaction than what comes after twenty plus years of doing the same thing professionally.
The fact that my professional occupation is dentistry does not help matters in what I would value my time being worth.
So to answer your question, I would have to modify my product to make it even feasible to charge an astronomical fee of $4,000 -$4,500 and only in retirement when my time has less competing for it, The money would still not make me want to sell them.
The Germans and eastern block countries still can sell them for less.
A buildier name Invertmass was developing a F-14 Tomcat and I think he finally realized his love and passion for the plane and the project is just not enough to produce them for sale. It is a hell of a lot of work and money and then to assemble them takes tons of time that most people cannot appreciate., let alone the time it took to get the project to finish molded phase. He is building a real Tomcat, without the guidance systems and it is smaller. AWESOME AND CRAZY!
But we post our achievements here and take satisfaction that we have clawed through the trails and trivilations of development from scratch and some may even feel more satisfaction than what comes after twenty plus years of doing the same thing professionally.
05-14-2015, 08:45 AM
#778
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: los angeles, CA
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specs
The fuselage length is about five feet. The wings are made from the same molds that I made for the glider in this picture. If I remember correctly it is 142 inch wingspan, but a little less long as this fuse is narrower.
05-14-2015, 08:50 PM
#781
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: carmel,
IN
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Building a ultra sport 1000 from a kit and it is not turning out the way I'm expecting, kinda pissed , question: should I bail and start a new project or soldier through something that's not perfect.
Im open to any thoughts or ideas, I think I bit off more than I can handle
Im open to any thoughts or ideas, I think I bit off more than I can handle
05-15-2015, 07:29 AM
#787
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Location: Westerly,
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Building a ultra sport 1000 from a kit and it is not turning out the way I'm expecting, kinda pissed , question: should I bail and start a new project or soldier through something that's not perfect.
Im open to any thoughts or ideas, I think I bit off more than I can handle
Im open to any thoughts or ideas, I think I bit off more than I can handle
05-15-2015, 08:03 AM
#788
Lonestar that shouldn't be to much of an issue, Its best to avoid that kind of thing but it happens. I doubt it will affect flight noticeably. Just get things to match up well before finishing work.
I have bought a lot of half built planes with "ISSUES"...... It can be worked out. You can always tell yourself you are finishing someone elses plane and say..
"Dang ! What was he thinking ! " ;P
I have bought a lot of half built planes with "ISSUES"...... It can be worked out. You can always tell yourself you are finishing someone elses plane and say..
"Dang ! What was he thinking ! " ;P
05-15-2015, 09:45 AM
#790
You can get a short kit for many plans, like the WETech Goshawk I am building (a really fun build). I am using a short kit purchased from LimeyBob in the Dallas area. I just finished a build of a Zirolli PT
05-15-2015, 09:46 AM
#791
You can get a short kit for many plans, like the WETech Goshawk I am building (a really fun build). I am using a short kit purchased from LimeyBob in the Dallas area. I just finished a build of a Zirolli PT 17 from short kit bought second hand. Lots of interesting plans available.
05-15-2015, 09:47 AM
#792
You can get a short kit for many plans, like the WETech Goshawk I am building (a really fun build). I am using a short kit purchased from LimeyBob in the Dallas area. I just finished a build of a Zirolli PT 17 from short kit bought second hand. Lots of interesting plans available.
05-15-2015, 05:25 PM
#793
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1/16 of an inch? Seriously? On my first build on of the wingtips was off by 50% more than that. I just sanded the LE smooth, covered the plane and it flew just fine with no one the wiser.
05-16-2015, 07:52 PM
#798
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Well tommorow I plan on heading up to the AMA in Muncie to fly all day and wring out a new airplane, usually 5 flights gonna try some new moves and then run through my reg stall turns. Immelmann, Cuban 8 , and other stuff
05-16-2015, 10:09 PM
#799
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I grew up in the 50's/60's and everyone built, when I got back into the hobby I was so disappointed that no one I knew was building, it was all ARF's, that was in 2006. Fast forward to today and I see a resurgence in kit building and especially scratch building with more and more everyday that previously wouldn't think of building are now entering that facet of the hobby. What seems to have sparked the interest in building in this area is LHS owner and a club member are excellent scratch builders and turn out absolutely stunning airplanes from Warbird pylon racers to scale to jets and both are fairly quick builders. The LHS started classes and they have been very successful and everyone comes away with new skills in vacuum forming techniques, sheeted foam core wing processes, fiberglass mold/layup techniques along with the basic stick/sheet balsa and lite ply traditional techniques. Most of these builders are unlike myself and are young family men with a bachelor thrown in for good measure holding down steady jobs. As I said earlier, they all got their start in the hobby with ARF's and enhanced their enjoyment of the hobby by growing into build. I think it is safe to say that in my eyes, building is alive and well.
