I think I finally found the mold I fell out of. I am cool with a good arf. My son flies a Super Stunts and I have assembled a few for the LHS. But my stuff is usually built.

I love to build. To me the most satisfying is to turn over an old set of plans, draw my own plans, build the plane and then see it fly. I have nothing against arfs, I have had a few. But, I didn't keep them very long. I see something I would like to build, so I sell the arf to finance a new project!

Steve

Kits teach you abot the guts of the airplane. what it consistsof on the inside (structurally and the design elements of the plane). Also, if you ever crash one, youl have more knowledge when it comes time to rebuild. iTS A GREAT SATISFACTION TO SEE WHAT YOUVE ACCOMPLISHED

These are all things that i beleive in and what my fellow club members have said

Umm, what about that GP F-15? Sheesh, Vic even manages to get his wife to pay for half of it!

I'm new to RC and am on my second kit. I did buy an ARF trainer to learn to fly. I built my 4 * as a second plane and am currently building a Top Flite Spitfire. I enjoy working through from concept to design and implementation of a modification or added details. I have lots to learn, and enjoy the learning. I already have a lineup of kits. A TF P-51B, 5 Royal/Marutaka kits A6M5, F4U, P-38, B-25, and Cessna Skymaster, and a 1/5 scale SBD-5 Dauntless from DP Systems. I've almost completed turning my garage into a workshop.
Building is the aspect of the RC hobby I enjoy most. I enjoy flying, but not as much as I enjoy building. Satisfaction is the main reason. Starting with a box of wood, and ending up with a completed plane that has a combination features and details that are unique, gives me lots of satisfaction.
I See ARFs having a place, in helping progress my flying skills, or even for sport flying. But flying an ARF warbird, to me, would be like taking a pay check and turning it into a paper airplane and playing with it for a while. It might be somewhat fun, but wouldn't provide me the satisfaction of building it myself. Once I have gained the skill, I'm sure that I'll find scratch building even more satisfying and enjoyable.

Scott

3 words: Hot Glue SUCKS

Bhole74,

The models I show are made from K&W Models distributed by 3 Sea Bees. Those models are truly ARFs as they were assembled at the factory, then disassembled for packaging. Everything is bolted on. I own four and I am still in aw of them years after I bought them. They have their own balsa farm in the Philipines. They are the world's authority in WWI and pre WWII ARF manufacturer, bar none!!! Prices range from 700 to thousand of dollars pending on the type of details (ARC, normal or Museum quality). If you have the money, buy a few because I am sure that once the company is no longer in bussiness, their models will be highly sought after. The reason why they are able to survive so long with their line is that they are catered to other European countries who have the money to buy their products. Not many people can afford 700 off the bat here in the States. DP

I like to build, to make things and make them work. ARF's fill the "right now" impatience on my part but have no soul. Kits can be covered differently or added to but I like scale and there are just to many Corsair's, Mustantgs etc. I like my planes to be somewhat unique. A short kit or plans allows me to pick the balsa which for me is the most important point for building. I have yet to detail much of anything but I do like to make a pretty build. I'm currently building a kit Zero and replaced some of the balsa. I have gotten wood from a kit cutter which was nice but I don't see the need to be in a hurry now. I enjoy the total process of the build and solving problems along the way. Each build is an experiment for me, sliding canopy, retracts, flaps, making a canopy or cowl etc.

Carl

DP, that is a lot of money considering how small it is in comparison to the ones I just built. High wing loading as well, 32 oz./ft. compared to 20! Thats why I prefer kits!

P.S. I have the money, but I think I will pass up the offer. Thanks. B

I get a lot of satisfaction watching something that I built from a box of wood leave the ground and fly. I think building kits adds to your long term enjoyment of the hobby. Just my gut feeling but I do not think a large percent of arf only guys will stay with the hobby for many years. Flying is fun but the enjoyment of building and flying what you built is the ticket to long term enjoyment. I do however think arfs have a good place in the hobby, sometimes I just want something that is simple and quick to get into the air. I wish most of these arf only folks would do both arfs and kits I think it would enhance their fun in this hobby and open their eyes to the fact that it is more to this than flying circles at the field. I currently have a couple arfs in the hangar but 4 built kits also. Learning to build is just as much fun as learning to fly you have the same frustrations and satisfactions when things go well.
Brad

Bhole74,

Your SE5as are outstanding. I do have great admiration for people who built kits especially biplanes. I am buillding an Albatross DIII (see it in Scale thread) kit and there is lots of works especially if you scale it out. I personally prefer ARF if they are good enough for me in terms of scale outlines, otherwise I will built them. Recent offerings from YT International ARFs such as the Hurricane, Spitfire and upcoming 109 really raised the bar on the prefabricated planes. Check them out! DP

It is unfortunate, for those who don't have time to build, that all ARF manufacturers don't follow suit. I've seen to many major mishaps from lousy construction of ARFs, even from some of the more reputable companies.[:'(] I have met a few guys that fly nothing but "custom built" aircraft, but lots of $ involved there.

i could start counting all the good things that i have just read with all these posts, but i dont have that many body parts!

as far as kits go i am building my first one. it is the fourth plane i have bought and one of the first three was an electric. i love it, it is a sig astro hog, but it doesnt look like a hog. even though its my first build i decided that i was going to bash that kit a little bit, with a balsa cockpit, squared wing tips, balsa cowl, rebuilt tail surfaces and theres a few more little things but when i started i had the idea that it was going to look like a crop duster. i was having second thoughts about how it would look untill that day that i had the wing built and the fuse built, then i set that wing in there and i changed my mind in one fast hurry.... this was last winter and im still building it i am finishing up on the cockpit and then its getting covered.

someone posted about being "afraid" to build, i haven't heard that one yet but i get a lot of the "i don't have time to build a kit" i laugh every time i hear that, im 17 i go to school, i have a job, i play drums, work on cars, and i like girls this list could go on but yet there is always time to build, even if it is 30 minutes some nights, unless you are racing a clock you will always have time.

if you don't already do it, give it a shot, you might end up like me and not think about getting another ARF....

Well thats simple... Building is the hobby. Flying is only the sport.

Just give me a pile of woods....

I'll agree with most of whats been said here. I just plain love building. I like the feeling of accomplishment knowing that I did it all myself. Also, There is not a plane I've owned that I've been completely satisfied with stock - building a kit makes it much easier to make the changes I want to do.

Now, Im not completely against ARFs either. As Ive become a better builder Ive started to get into scale and its usefull to have one or two arf sport planes to fly while you work on that 2 year scale project. For instance I have an ARF profile that I use to practice aerobatics and 3D while Im building other planes. Its great to have a practice plane you dont care about - you learn riskier manuevers quicker.

But while I fly that ARF Ive got lots of builds going - a 30% Edge 540 (arc), FunAero Albatross D.III (kit), Sig 1/5 clipped wing Cub (kit). Planning to start a Skyshark 109G and later a TF giant Mustang once those are completed. Thats probably 3-4 years of builds planned so I need an ARF just to stay in the air!!

I love to build, I won't have it any other way. I have about 14 planes, 3 are AFRs, 2 are still in the box, of the 3, two I bought, one I got in a prize drawing, nothing against ARF's, but I like to build my planes, there are 2 AFRs that I'm eyeballing though, WH Mini Edge and the Aeroworks 27% Ultimate only because they don't come in kit form[]

Joe

I like what a lot of people here have to say. I'm in agreement with all those who love to create something from flat stock. The bottom line is "creation". People do things with their free time to express their need to create something. It's also a combination of a few other things. Creativity plays in two forms: The joy of tangible results, and the choice of unique style and taste of one's personal vision. The other aspects appeal to all those who have a technical thirst for introducing variations of (once again) personal expression in the design/construction. There is a lot to be said about this particular hobby that sets it aside from others of similar nature... such as making fine furniture. For many, including myself, this involves a performance aspect for the completed project. A pretty plane is only a fraction of the satisfaction. Performance in operation is another. This is still very different then say... Model boat building, and that requirement states: The plane has to fly!

For this reason alone, much more comes into play when a builder pulls up to the workbench with a fresh new set of plans or a new kit. In the end, the modeler will defy gravity.

Dang Chuck, That really hurts![X(]

Especially since you got paid in hush money.[&:] She thinks I got the F-15 for $50 and you pulled it from overseas. After 18 years I gotta have an angle somewhere.[sm=bananahead.gif]

Stay in the inner circle man![8D]

I agree with all the above. I strive to build better airplanes than the next guy or to better my last project. For me the ultimate rush is building an airplane and have it trim out and fly perfect. Most of the time the people that ask "why do you build" never have and dont understand the satisfaction. Besides flying is only about 1/3 the hobby. 1/3 building 1/3 people 1/3 flying. If your only doing 2/3's of it your ripping yourself off. LOL

Wow, now I like that description of what I/we do?? Mind if I use that?

Ken

help yourself.

I think thats probably how most of us feel.

I too like taking a box of sticks and making something fly.I started in FF and CL when a buddy said to me Heck I can fly a brick out there at the end of those lines try this.meaning rc and I was hooked many years ago.I am kinda with the more building than flying.

I build because ARF's are very difficult to repair. I crash. I might get an ARF if I don't have anything to fly and I want some stick time. ARF's don't last. If I build I can repair almost any damage even if it means rebuilding the whole plane. In a major crash even some components survive (especilly the tail). I like knowing everything about the models construction and most times when I repair/rebuild I can improve on the design or add things that will improve peformance. Building is cheaper in the long run. I have a long term outlook regarding model aviation. I can't just keep buying ARF's every time I have an attack of "dumb thumbs".

Maybe they can build an ARF better then you can build A kit?? The next ARF I see built better then I could build myself will be the first.
I build kits for other people but for myself I like to build from plans. I can choose each piece of wood and use the best glues and as much or as little of the glues as needed. Everything is straight without warps and I can make any changes I choose as needed.
I own one ARF, A 1/4 scale Extra. I'm the third owner and couldn't pass up the deal. It flys very well but things have been known to fall off of it at some strange times when they shouldn't have??
Could I have built one better, you bet. Would mine fly better?? Yes!! Do things fall off my planes? Nope!! Is my covering job better?? Yep!!
Will I ever own another ARF?? Probably?? It's A lot cheaper to buy then to build and if all I want to do is fly then that's OK with me and it doesn't hurt too bad if I do something stupid.
{{ Been known to happen}}
I'm just getting my stuff ordered for my winter project, A Sukhoi 29. Sukhoi ARFs are all over the place and I have looked at some and they are nice but I bet mine will be nicer. JMO

Wow, that 4/3rds, so I guess those of us who build really do get more than 100% (133.33% approximately) out of this! LMAO.