john_s3

My Feedback: (1)

How Long Does It Take You To Build A Kit?From Unrolling the Plans To Covering.
i Figure For A 40 Size Sport Kit it Takes Between 300 to 400 hours."If All Goes Well"
Thanks
John

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

It depends on the kit of course but on average if I have all the equipment, hardware, and supplies on hand, about two weeks of evenings to bring it to RTF condition. I estimate that to be about forty hours but, I have around fifty two years of practice.

FlyingPilgrim

My Feedback: (26)

All winter, for me. I have done two in one winter most. I'm slow, days off between action. It's my hobby, not my job. I've had planes I start one year, finish the next (at longest). If I had to count hours, it wouldn't be fun for me.

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

The main thing is make whatever you're doing fun. If it takes all year to finish one model as long as your having fun, who cares.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Check this out:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3566766/tm.htm

I started on Nov. 18, 2005 and here we are almost 2 months later.

I just started covering the wings tonight. Finished the wing, but still need to do the ailerons and the fuselage.

Tail surfaces are covered and ready to glue on.

Still need to add turtledeck stringers, finish mounting the engine, install servos and linkages. Final sanding on the fuse and then cover it. Put the wheelpants on the LG after I paint them.

Probably be another couple weeks if I hit it every day. I guess I build slow.[sm=bananahead.gif]

SST

My Feedback: (2)

!! That's 8-10 Forty-hour WEEKS!

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

The fastest I have ever built a kit was one week.

300 to 400 hours is a bit high. You can actually build a real airplane in about 700 hours. Most kits take well less than 100 hours. But 100 hours is much more time than many people think.

Expect a fairly simple, entry level kit to take anywhere from 2 weeks to one month. Scale ships can take about 6 months if you stay with it. Longer if you work like I do.

But the trick to building a good airplane is "do not rush". Take time to completely understand the plans and instructions. Try to make the parts fit as well as you can. You want your plane to be strong and light. Parts that fit properly require less glue and less glue means a lighter airplane. Build a kit properly and fuel proof the engine and fuel compartments and you can expect that plane to fly for 10 years or longer. Try to make it a mechanically reliable as a Honda. Be careful to insure that the control surfaces move freely and that pushrods move freely. Take the time now while you are building and you will save yourself time later.

flyranger

Some times I hit a "wall" where I don't feel confident in moving forward with a kit or a scratch build. Usually, though, my builds and rebuilds take a couple of weeks.

krossk

My Feedback: (27)

And I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I spent 9 years on my Tiger 2 (including an 8 year break for marriage, grad school, family) and am just finishing my Somethin' Extra after just over 1 year. But then I work in small segments and am very particular. I fully expect my CG Sukhoi to take me 12-18 months.

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

I build according to my work schedule. I work about 2/3rds of my time on days and 1/3 on swing shift. On days I have 2-3 evenings a week that I can devote to a plane and usually about half a day on any weekend. On shift, I usually only work on a project when I'm on day shift. I'm too tired on midnights and if I try to work on a plane I end up screwing something up because of it. If I work on a plane on afternoon shifts, I end up getting too involved with the project and the next thing I know I'm late for work.

That's in the winter, and a good snow will have me out cross-country skiing on a day off instead of building. In the spring and summer, there's flying time (power) flying time (slope), folk festivals, vacation trips, camping, canooeing, and days just to be with my girlfriend. I have no idea how long it takes me to finish a kit. There are too many variables.

I finished a S.P.A.D. stick in 2 evenings. It took about 3 weeks for my Mosquitobiteplanes T-Rex. It took 2 months for my Yankee Clipper Old-timer and a year for my BUSA Nieuport 28. It really depends on the complexity of the build and the time I'm willing to put into it.

Bottom line - I don't care about time when it comes to building. I'm having fun and that's what counts.

papermache

Connery

Like the other have said, it depends on many things. How much experience you have, how often you work on it, and the complexity of the kit. My first kit build after getting back into the hobby was a Golberg Eagle II trainer. It took me about a month to get it RTF. My next kit build was a Sig 4*40. It took me about a week to get it ready to cover, and then another week to cover it. The next one was a Sig Something Extra. It was ready to fly in a week. The quickest build was a Tower Fun-51 profile which took about 3 days. The longest so far is my Top Flite P-47. I started it about 10 months ago, and got the fuselage completed in about a week, and then the wing built to the point of being ready to mount the retracts took about another week. Then waiting on the retracts, my kids getting me hooked on playing HALO online and loosing interest in the build, plus the normal flying season REALLY slowed down progress

bhole74

Depends on the kit and experience, for example:

1st kit, Seniorita: started Oct- finished Feb
Hog Bipe: started Tuesday- flew it the following Monday
Twin 1/4 scale SE 5a's: started July 29-finished Oct 22nd (this year)

I can usually scratch build one of my Ultimate Obsession 3D planes for someone in 48 hours, RTF.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I have a Jemco PT-19 that I started and built the fuselage. In 1978. Still waiting to be finished.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

My record was box-to-maiden in 1 week (But that was a week off from work)

My longest was 2 years.

But I would say that an average sport plane - working on it for an hour or two (Or 3 or 4) each night - should go from box to field in 2 to 3 months.

CRFlyer

I usually build one plane per year during the winter months. Start in October and try to have it ready by April. However, some times it takes longer.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

I have built quite a few in a night, box to covered and ready to go. Granted the harder the kit, the longer it takes. I don't think I have ever spent 300 hours that you claim on even the hardest kits. If it took that long, noone would do it.

I would say that the average sport kit may take an average builder 30 to 50 hours at the absolute outside. Most will finish it in well under that.

Blue_Moon_

Actually i really dont want to know how many hours ive spent on a model, because sooner or later it will come down; hard.


I also try to build one model per vinterseason.

horace315

My Feedback: (15)

until its finished...

tuwood

I started my SSE on 12/23 & just finished covering it last night 1/13.
This was my first kit & I have probably spent approximately 40-50 hours (wasn't keeping track)
I probably have about 2 hours left to put in the electronic's & such.

scottrc

There is a ratio that the number of hours to build it is proportional to the numbers of seconds it will take to come apart.

I too take about 3 months on a average sport kit and about two years on a semi-scale job.
Scott

Blue_Moon_

Really? I want to learn more about this! [X(]

RVator

My Feedback: (1)

I took my Mountain Models Tantrum to work one night in the bones. Durning a 12 hour shift as a Shift E&I , between catching routine calls and a few breakdowns " I was able to cover ,hinge and have it flight worthy by the time my relief showed up.

rjbarthel

My Feedback: (2)

My first airplane and kit build was a sig Kadet LT40 bought it on a tuesday and maidened it on that saturday. To my surprize it took very little trim also LOL. Everyone at the field couldnt believe I built it in 5 days. That was 6 yrs ago and lotsa kits since and now they very from a couple weeks to almost a yr LOL. But I think converted into Hrs of acually working on a kit I would say 40 size kits range from 40-60 hr pending on the builder.

pbunn

My Feedback: (1)

With some of the laser cut smaller kits - I can build them in 3 or 4 days if I go at it.

It took me 5 years to finish a GP stick 20 though - so it depends on how bad you want it.