ORIGINAL: CrateCruncher

Sscherin, you got a great deal but it was a closeout price and unsustainable - Tower lost money. I and others felt Lanier's street prices were too high for the contents of the kits and they didn't sell well. Its a vicious circle in every declining industry. Costs (and street prices) go up as volumes decline. Eventually, only the specialist niches (like giant scale) are left because ARF importers can't justify the low volume and high freight costs.

My great grandmother baked her own bread. Around 1920 her local bakery began making it for her because there were enough families in the area to support him. She loved the convenience. Her daughter got married and ran her house the same way mom did. Only this time she bought bread through necessity. The simple skill of bread making had been lost.

Today at my field everyone flies ARF's. The older guys do it for convenience. The new guys do it through necessity. By publishing an interesting build thread we can restore some of the skill-sets being lost. It doesn't take long for several thousand hits to accumulate on a good thread. As more home-built planes begin showing up at local fields the interest could create a sustainable chain reaction. Maybe I'm just dreaming but through the power of the internet we can restore some of whats being lost.

ORIGINAL: CrateCruncher

Sscherin, you got a great deal but it was a closeout price and unsustainable - Tower lost money. I and others felt Lanier's street prices were too high for the contents of the kits and they didn't sell well. Its a vicious circle in every declining industry. Costs (and street prices) go up as volumes decline. Eventually, only the specialist niches (like giant scale) are left because ARF importers can't justify the low volume and high freight costs.

My great grandmother baked her own bread. Around 1920 her local bakery began making it for her because there were enough families in the area to support him. She loved the convenience. Her daughter got married and ran her house the same way mom did. Only this time she bought bread through necessity. The simple skill of bread making had been lost.

Today at my field everyone flies ARF's. The older guys do it for convenience. The new guys do it through necessity. By publishing an interesting build thread we can restore some of the skill-sets being lost. It doesn't take long for several thousand hits to accumulate on a good thread. As more home-built planes begin showing up at local fields the interest could create a sustainable chain reaction. Maybe I'm just dreaming but through the power of the internet we can restore some of whats being lost.

ORIGINAL: Bigshark

"if it flys, it is cool"

I agree with that statement to the max!

I don't have any love for Lanier as most of their kits seemed to be foam core wings and skinning balsa over foam is a skill I've never learned and have little desire to try.

Building Hobby Lobby's Telemaster and 3 Skimmers, Dynaflight's Talon, Great Planes Spirit Elite, Sig's Four Star 120 have taught me enough that now I feel I could stratch build or certainly build from plans.

As a kit builder of no great skill though, I do have a problem with the mags available on the news stand not talking at all about kits or even liquid fuel powered beasts.

Field Guide to North American Aeromodeler identification

Aeromodelers frequently travel in small groups, known by their scientific name of "groups". Social Hierarchical Organization Behaviour (SHOB) has also been observed in some cases, leading to the formation of more advanced groups known as "clubs". For these reasons, it is often difficult to correctly identify specific Aeromodelers. This brief identification guide is thus presented as a handy field resource for those wishing to observe this magnificent creature in its natural habitat.

There are 2 primary families of aeromodelers. The Builder family (Woodus Sandandphillius), and the ARFer family (Assemblius Andflyus). Each is then broken down into various Genuses and Species.

Members of the Woodus Sandandphillius family can usually be identified by the sandy brown color of their plumage. The coloring will appear to be mottled and "dusty", owing to the regular absorption of various wood particulates. Assemblius Andflyus members will rarely share this coloring.

"Builders" will also frequently exhibit a higher percentage of digital anomalies from the standard 5 "fingers" of the parent order. Observers are cautioned, however, against using this to make a positive identification, as such anomolies can not always accurately be attributed to the correct cause, and both families share some causes. If close observation can be made, then the observer will note that while both families may suffer the effects of PBS (Prop-Biting Syndrome), only the Builder family will also display symptoms of DCAF (Dangit, CA is Fast), a rare condition that results in the temporary joining or "binding" together of digits. Again, the observer is cautioned to careful examination, where possible, as such digital binding could also be a by-product of PBS treatment. In this case, however, some sort of wrapping material will be evident, where no such material is present in cases of DCAF.

Once proper familial identification has been made, the observer should then attempt to fuirther classify the Aeromodeler by Genus and Species.

The Genuses within Woods Sandandphillius are too numerous to cover completely in a small guide such as this, but the most commonly noted are -Scratchus and -Kittus. Within the community of taxonomists, a third genus, -Fromplanius, is being considered, but there is debate about whether it is its own Genus, or merely a subgenus of -Scratchus.

Distinction between the two genuses can prove very difficult, as the differences are not easily observed by the untrained evaluator. Perhaps the most obvious distinction is that -Scratchus (Builder - Scratch) members are seen in thie field less often than their -Kittus counterparts, owing to the extended time they spend in their lair. One may expect to see the -Kittus member in the field 3-4 times a year, while a -Scratchus member may frequently go 18-24 months between excursions.

When seen, -Scratchus members are frequently observed with extraneous baggage, known as "Docu-Mentayshun" (First described by Dr Albert Docu and his graduate student, Froedrick Mentayshun, in 1954). Careful examination of said Docu-Mentayshun will often reveal cryptic writings, crude drawings, and numerous photographs of similar vehicles.

-Kittus members may also be seen with similar detritus surrounding them, but such observations will not be as consistent, and frequently there will not be as much Docu-Mentayshun evident.

Within the Andflyus family, the genuses are much more easily identified. Again, they number too great for a small field companion volume, but the more common ones are -QQFanboyus, -DADisciplius, and -GoAwayOldFartius. identification can easily be made based on color scheme, frequency of service/support activities, the presence of 'garbage' (symptomatic of ThreeDee Oopsius disease, common with the family), and the volume and shrillness of the genus's voice. Owing to the commonality and lack of significant diversity within family ARF, further identification is neither warranted nor enjoyable.

Finally, -Kittus and -Scratchus genuses each break down to specific species. While each family may contain members of the same species, certain species are more prevalent within one genus or the other. Such species include, but are not limited to, -Warbirdius, -Bipiens, -Sporticus, and -Trainorius.

Finally, as motivation to the beginning observer, we encourage you to seek out and identify the rarest member of the -Sandandphillius family, Woodus Sandandphillius-Scratchus-Reptillius. Rarely seen, but easily identified by the presence of exquisite scales, this "Scale Master" variety is a treat to behold.

We hope you find this guide useful in your observation and pursuit of the North American Aeromodeler. As your experience with these majestic creatures grows, you may also find our "Observer's guide to Aeromodeler interaction" useful.

ORIGINAL: RAMMJETT
i think we can live with both types of building .i love to scratch build but find my self getting a bit to emotionally involved to have fun flying it.

ORIGINAL: RAMMJETT
good stuff must have been a long drive.