Kit Building Groupies? Kool!![sm=lol.gif]

Kits with foam cores are still kits. My last one had foam core wings, stab, and fin. Still a lot of work to do, and after flying it a lot I believe that it takes more stresses than built up parts.

I am 62 years old. I purchased an ARF Hangar 9 Alpha 60 trainer to learn on in Oct. 2004. I got to fly very little until this past couple of months. May solo in the next couple of weeks.

I started a Top Flite Contender kit I bought off Ebay. I have thoroughly enjoyed the hours I've spent, this being my
first kit. The build was not bad at all. That covering, tho, is a real challenge, but I managed to complete it today.

I have purchased 2 other kits. A Great Planes AT-6 and a Great Planes Super Decathlon which I will start in the
next month or two. My flying skills are not up to any of them, but the day will come and I will have something
to fly that labored over and I will be mighty proud.

I will get my instructor to maiden the Contender for me in the next couple of weeks. Even tho I can't fly it, yet
I am going to enjoy that flight very much.

I have no problem for those who prefer to buy ARF's. That's their right and priviledge. Maybe, they have a great deal
of demand for their time in other areas. I still enjoy fellowshipping with them and watching them fly.

I'm just glad they like "RC, too."

I think the 'arf' movement has probably helped the hobby, but haveing a 'kit' option available for the arfs that are available would be a nice option. At least offer an ARC (almost ready to cover) option. At least then I could get something where I can look at how it's built, modify if needed, and finish to suit my tastes.

I can tell you, you are right. A lot of modelers think foam core wings and fiberglass fuse is an ARF,.......... NOT! There is just as much building, as in a stick built model, its just different building skills. I like both, but prefer glass & foam.

Then again....

This is something that really picks at me. I have asked ARF suppliers about kits and they say it can't be done. If you ask about an ARC version they say "just strip the covering off the ARF and redo it yourself". What a crock. I'm supposed to pay for the first covering job, then pull it off (with all the problems that brings) and THEN re-cover it myself? No thanks.

Good thing I like to scratch build...


Mark

AMEN Brother!

Nice looking airplanes Safebet. Good luck with the Contender maiden. Its always nice to see a project take to the air for the first time, whether you are at the sticks or not!

To me the bottom line is that some people enjoy building, and some people don't. You make time for the stuff you enjoy the most, and try and fit in the rest. I really like to build!! Its fun. =) I get enjoyment from it, so I do it. Even if you could hand me the exact same airplane in ARF form that I spent a year building, tell me it costs less than what I had spent, and that I would save all those hours building...I wouldn't be interested!! No way, no how. Why would I rob myself of all that enjoyment? That would be crazy. On the flip side of that coin, for some folks, getting into the air is the objective. Building is just a means to an end. Its not fun for them, so they would be crazy TO do it! The whole journey vs. destination thing.

Now, with that said, I do still think that more people are getting into kit building today than say 5 or 10 years ago. Why? Because even though most people get into the hobby with an ARF, those who stay in the hobby for a while will likely try a kit at some point. And with resources like RCUniverse, and advances like CA glues and laser-cutting, getting into building is only becoming easier, encouraging more people to take the plunge into that all-important first build.

I wonder if the kit manufacturers can see any trends along these lines. It would be interesting to see what the numbers say...

-ron

Hey you silly AFRers. Take a look at GeeBee e's gallery. Awe at his Jeep. His joyous face reads, "I built this! I built this! Fooey on you ARF."

Kraus

Terry- I didn't think I would like working with foam, but I do now. Built up and foam cores are both okay with me.

Ron:

You made some very interesting points. (1) you are right, it costs more to build. You can buy ARF's cheaper than
we can build them. (2) I think you're right. People who stay in the hobby generally will attempt to build something,
if for no other reason, cause the other club members who do build are always encouraging those who don't to try
it at least once. Peer pressure? (3) "and for some, getting into the air is the objective." We have several members
who fly only profile 3-D. That's their thing. They are not interested in anything else. They like to just "get up"
and wring it out.

Each to his own. That's what makes it so interesting.

funny thing is when I first started building RC planes about 1976, there might have been a couple of ARF's on the market and I didn't even know the term until I returned to the hobby about 4yrs ago things had changed allot since then. building a warbird was out of the question for a 15 Y.O. kid now the selection is limitless and allot fly like sport planes . as much as I enjoy the building, popping a plane out of a box and having it flight ready in a couple of days does have huge of appeal, most of my flyable planes are ARF's but my kit builds are catching up . FYI was just framing up my tail, on my latest kit tonight TF P-47 60 size

Also, not to ignite a glow vs. electric debate, but many new modelers find electrics more accessible. they are smaller, cheaper. not as much space required to work on them. cleaner. lots of foam used, no balsa dust. you can work inside easier. I only say this when I started back into RC 4 or so years ago, I went electric. I lived in an apartment at the time. I progressed to glow planes, and soon to be 80+" planes. I still dabble in electrics because they are quick builds, and I can fly them in a park. Not that there arent plenty of large scale electrics, but most newcomers go with something smaller.
So what I am trying to say is, a lot of building is going on in the electric world. Just check out the Discussion groups over at EzoneMag.com - park flyers, foamies, warbirds, scale....lots of building happening. =) Just not as evident to the glow/fly-at-the-club guys. most of the electric flyers fly elsewhere.

Agreed. RCGroups is another good example of the building activity happening with electrics.

I don't see much animosity between "slimers" and "'lectrics". In fact, most of my "slimer" buddies are closet "'lectrics", myself included. I'm even considering going electric for my next large scale project. This transition appears to have already happened in precision aerobatics.

Hey Jim,

That is some build you have up eleven frames. What covering are you to use? If it's silk and dope let me do it OK? Please, please, please!

Kraus

I can't take credit for the aircraft in that picture, that's straight off the proctor website. I won't be starting mine until I finish my Waco;



As for letting you do the covering ... uh thanks but, no thanks ... building/covering is therapy for me. Besides, I couldn't honestly sign the "builder of the plane" statement at contests if I did.

Yes, I'm a silk and dope fan but lately I'm trying Supershrink Coverite (a heat shrinkable fabric) and Latex on the Waco.

I can see how the electrics can be an entry to the hobby because of some of those perceptions, but cheaper? I've thought about getting a foamy or a small electric helicopter. After the motor, battery(s), speed controller, charger...your looking at the same price as a glow plane or better.

Personally, I just can't get excited about a plane that sounds like a box fan I'd put in my kitchen window. I gotta have the pup, pup, pup of an idling four stroke or it's just not a day at the field. [8D]

Jim,

I did a cub in Coverite in 1995. I've yet to see sag. Iron-on is convienent-no messy liquid, no obnoxiuos fumes, and no cleanup. But that's too easy for me so I went back to silk and dope.

Meaden,

2-strokes go pup pup don't they. I too like the noisy engine versus the quiet electric. Afterall, ain't noise one of this hobby's pluses? Not to mention the crash.

Kraus

Same experience with my Tigermoth, this was with the "old formula" though, the new stuff doesn't seem to have as strong an adhesive so I've helped it along with some nitrate dope on my Waco.

Yeah, you can't beat the "pup pup" of a 4-stroke, or the puff of smoke as you throttle up.[8D]

I do like the cleanup of electrics though. And as for cost, once you add in the cost of glow plugs and fuel over a couple seasons, electrics begin to look downright economical, at least when compared to 4-strokes. Of course that depends what size you're going to. For economy Gas (petrol) has the upper hand by a long stretch.

I totally agree. Personally, I enjoy glow planes a lot more than electrics. I like engines. =)

Jim
airbatic
Where you guys getting your dope at... Hope the feds aren't reading this .... I am getting tired of wrinkling plastic coverings and was going back to dope and koverall... Used to use that many moons ago... I checked sig out and they have very few colors and no mixing charts etc... Dope covering seems to be dying faster then the kits. []

IronCross,

I get my dope at Sig. And I use K & S white AeroSilk from Tower Hobbies. I tired coverall and it just didn't suck up the dope. One of my planes I used 100 cotton cloth. I never got really color mad. Tennessee red is red for me, cub yellow is yellow, etc. Also MidWest makes dope but comes in 3.5 Oz bottles. And I'll bet a Google search might reveal more. And yes it's a shame silk and dope covering scheme is slowly dying as well.

Have fun.

Kraus

I am looking for colors like Olive Drab (PC10) and stuff for WW1 biplanes... I have had pretty good luck with koverall... A couple of coats of Nitrate clear on it and then go with a color... Your right though, doesn't soak up dope like silk does... Have to check out that silk you mentioned...
Guess I can go with Nelson Hobby paints.. Have never used them before though.

Kit building and rag/dope isn't making a comeback. It never left (at least in my shop). You can get all the dope in all the colors through Stitts. Look them up on the web. Here's my WACO 1/5th scale from one of my PICA kits. This picture was taken this afternoon, and I'm ready to put the color to it.

Bill, AMA 4720