I have been looking for a kit of a 3D/Pattern type of plane. I am hoping to find something around 25% scale like an Extra or an Edge.

I am really getting tired of these Chinese ARF's so I am trying to build all my planes but I just can't seem to find any kits of the larger 3D planes.

SAME HERE! 75% of the fun is in the building I think. I don't understand why at least SOME of these planes are offered as kits. Maybe they crash too often?

1/4 scale is getting hard to find in A kit, I'm seeing mostly 60 size kits like the Tower Extra 300S at 64 inches or the Goldburg Extra 300L in 68 inches. I have built several of the CG kits and they would lend themselves well to A small gasser if you reinforce the area on the doubler just in front of the wing. Mine have been powered by OS and YS 1.20s and one with A YS 1.40. The first two didn't have the power for 3-D but I made the last one lighter and the 1.40 was getting with it!! More and more ARFs are taking the place of our kits.

That Goldberg Extra does look interesting, I will consider that one. Does anybody know if there are even plans available for the larger planes? I have never tried building just from plans but it sounds like a good challenge.

By the way, is there anywhere you can even buy a kit besides Tower? I see that Horizon doesn't carry any and the few that Aeroworks used to have are gone now.

Sorry, I can't think of any places off the top of my head for kits but when I'm looking I look in magazines and on the net. I build my own planes from plans. I get the plans from plan services like MAN {model Airplane News} AMA plans, RCM plans services {Remote Control Modeler} defunct magazine but the plans service is still in operation. When you buy the plans you get A copy of the building article, A very poor copy but the print is good, any photos suck!! Plans building is very easy, it's just like building A kit with really bad instructions. You have to figure out the wood needed, order it and then lay out and cut your own kit then build. A scroll saw and sander are about the only extra tools needed to do it. Have an extra set of plans made at Kinko's so you have one to cut from and one to build on. About it.
I took the plans from MAN for the 80 inch Sukhoi 29 designed for A 1.20 four stroke {very light plane} and I beefed it up then went with A 40cc gasser. You were looking for A good 1/4 scale 3-D kit??? Go take A peek!!!

www.ohiomodelplanes.com has some 3D kits available. They aren't exactly scale of course but a few are IMAA legal. I've built the smaller Fusion and the quality of the kit was amazing.

Carden also has some large scale kits: http://www.carden-aircraft.com/

I have never built any of the Ohios but I have seen A few, if you don't mind A profile plane they are A pretty good deal. I remembered Carden, never built one but I have seen A lot of them at IMAC events, price and size are A bit out of my range, didn't see anything in 1/4 scale in there line up. Chuck, are all the Ohios laser cut?? You should see my new 28% Extra!! A friend just gave it to me!!!! Almost no repairs needed at all!!! Now my shop is really out of room so I may have to forget my big winter build. Not an ARF but has A story behind it!! Really cool.
Maybe if I claen out the shop bathroom I would have some more room??
Gene

Hi ply2win,

I'm currently building the giant Su-Do-Koi from Morris Hobbies, whilst not a scale anything it is supposed to fly pattern and 3D well. I'm using a 48cc DZY twin which entailed a few mods to the fuselage. It's nearly ready to cover and has been an easy build with very good quality wood.

Cheers,

Colin

The Fusion that I built was laser cut and top quality too. Not sure on the others. The pieces fit exactly with no adjusting or other work to speak of. Wood quality was excellent and the plane was engineered very well. To me it was less of a kit and more like an ARF that took more work. It went together that easy; if you want a challenge, that definitely isn't the kit to build. If I was more into that type of plane, I'd build another.

Thanks to everybody for all the suggestions, I didn't know that all those kits were out there. I think some of those will definitely be in my future.

Gray Beard, I think you have talked me into trying my hand at building from plans. That Sukhoi does look promising. I currently have 20 browser windows open because I am looking at plans, scroll saws and places to buy balsa. It should be interesting to see if I can make something that resembles an airplane.

Ply2win

If you're into 3D, you might want to check out some of these Profile planes at [link=http://www.swanyshouse.com/index.aspx]Swany's[/link]. These are kits and are nice planes (there are some guys I fly with that have the Mojo60 - it's nice). Also, gotta agree with GrayBeard too on the scratch build idea. As the number of kits continues to decline, those of us with the skill/talent/desire to build from plans will never be at a loss for projects.

-MA

I got my saw at Home Depot for under 100 bucks, I use it almost every day so I have A good one. My sander I got for almost nothing at one of the cheap tool sales, Harbor Freight has better ones plus the scroll saws. Other then that no other special tools needed. I used to get my wood from Lone Star, now from Balsa USA. In the bones before I added the hard wood stringers from the fire wall to just behind the cockpit then sheeted. One piece 80 inch wing, Brison 40cc. Dang fine flying machine, took about 5 months to build. You don't see A lot of them at the field either!!! With plans there are A lot of nice planes to build in the size you want and planes you never see flying very often. Go for it!!!![8D]

Gray Beard ... is that your Kitchen you're building in??? [sm=bananahead.gif]

Oh, and really nice bird, by the way.

-MA

A couple that I can think of off the top of my head:

Precision Cut Kits sells several large scale aerobatic kits. They are the old Ohio R/C line that went out of business a few years back.

http://www.precisioncutkits.com/pro-...0aerobatic.htm.


Also check out D&L Designs. He sells a couple versions each of the Edge 540 and Cap 230. I've heard good things about them, but haven't seen one in person.

http://www.dldesigns.net/flightln.htm

Great Planes also makes kits. Can't speak for their quality, but it's another option.

[link]http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/kits-glow.html[/link]

Frank

Kinda sorta but nota. We had built A new house and this was our old mobil home that my wife had me keep for my shop. I had the two back bedrooms for my hanger. the den with french doors held all my power tools, the living room was my building room, between the living room and kitchen I had pullys for ballancing and CG hung from A beam, the kitchen area was used for the times I needed A CG machine, and the area where the washer and dryer were was my spray booth. My shop had all the good stuff in it too, cooling for summer, gas heat and A wood burning air tight for winter, bath room and A fridge full of beer. Shop lights over my building board and A sound system that may have been old but you could really feel the music. Yes, I miss that shop, my new one is very small but better then A lot I have seen. I'm A very lucky boy!!!

Thanks for those links. There are some great kits at both places, that is just the kind of thing I was looking for. I have a feeling I am going to be staying very busy

Nice setup, Gray Beard! You are indeed a lucky boy.

-MA

Another place to look for (kit) model building is G&L Hobbies. The fuselage is fiberglass with plans supplied for the wood (you supply) for the empennage and covering of foam wings. I have the Extra 230 1/4 scale. Haven't flown it yet, but hope to before winter.
Good luck,
Darrol

Has anyone come across a .40 size Yak 54 kit? I can't find any. It's a common plane to find in the ARF's but no kits??
Thanks