Good points Tom, I've noted an explosion in small gas engines in the last couple of years, most likely set off in part by the weed conversions and sales of Zenoah and other small gas engines. Added to the market are MLD-28, DLE 30, Syssa 30, and Aero 28. A host of planes are being offered to fit these engines. No doubt a large driving factor is fuel cost though there are other reasons like clean up and less in the way of flight box. Another factor is the standard servo strength has increased enough to handle the small gasser.

Of course electric power is still booming. We had another flyer who primarily flies 3D who sold his inventory of glow stuff and has gone completely electric. Another old timer has cleared out all glow and diesel stuff he had and is completely electric. Myself, I'm going away from glo towards small gas. So, there certainly is some transition among established modelers as well as those starting out.

I would love a 30cc size late model pattern kit. There are numerous 70's style kits that you can get cut but I want a new version in a kit. I would jump on that.

Another issue that just occurred to me is that planes are popular sellers for several reasons including marketing but more often the general appeal of the plane itself and last the generated appeal that is produced from the grass roots, the flight line chatter about what really flies nice and makes a good model.

Years ago, Hanger 9 produced a PT-19 120 size. A PT-19 has perhaps only moderate appeal as a plane and because the ARF suffered some bad landing gear strut failures, the word was out to leave it on the Hobby Shop shelves. Those like myself who rebuilt the landing gear struts discovered the plane to be an excellent flyer and great addition to the hanger. It is very aerobatic, and will even do fantastic lumcevaks.

My point is that sometimes ARFs simply hit the market and get only an initial run before some weak area turn on them, and they fail to become a staple because of poor construction when with a little building effort thrown into the effort, the ARF can become a reasonable or excellent addition to the hanger.

Tell me about it. My 27% Aeroworks Extra 260 Cost me a whumping $700CAN and it came with aluminum gear that wiggled and flexed so much it was scary. I purchased Aeroworks carbon gear for it. Additional $60. The tail wheel is also aluminum and just from running up and down the runway a few times I got numerous dents on the bottom of the rudder. I grabbed an Ohio tail assembly. Another $20, no bigge but for a $700 arf AND from a company like Aeroworks it should have been fitted as standard with the plane...

But I goota say the build quality is rock solid. Tail feathers needed to be straightened but I did it and this thing flies like an arrow. With all of its downfalls it is the (hands down, end of all) most fun plane I own.

Because I paid so much for it I have just as much respect for it as one of my kit built planes…


This plane does pretty good lomcaveks, but NOTHING beats a scale extra 300 doing a pre-wound lomcavek right over the runway. Something with the lower wing design and dihedral I think. Looks very sexy!!

My next arf will be a composite extra or yak. I REALLY, and do me R E A L L Y like the composite-arf Extra 300 35%. Plain jane finish as I will do a unique finish... Powered with a DL111. huba huba!! You can see Oracle in the pic below. (I keep bugging Stacy to sell his, pic below, to me but he won't let it go!!) Apparently the company is still selling the plain jane one for around $1000 and the fancy air brushed one for $1800

This was an Ultra Sport 40, kit built. Took about a week, total investment $300.00 to complete. I flew it about ten times or so and then I was shot down, lots of RF problems in our area. It convinced me to go 2.4, 10C it is, so far, so good.

Kits last longer, but some day anything can go awry and then it's more painful than just a 5 - 10 hour built ARF to rake into a trash bag.

I've found airborne-models.com and world models do fly well. The covering and landing gear have a short lifespan.
Phoenix models are fast builds, last longer than most. But nothing replaces kit built. I enjoy finding used kit built treasures at swap meets in our area.

Nitro Pilot... your absolutely right about there being some used treasures, if one is careful and patient and look them over well. Inspect the wings for warps and view the stab sections to appear to the naked eye to be perfect. Several of the planes in my hanger are used and the price of a used plane is often quite attractive.

I've a World Models Cub with a Saito .90 flat twin, all servos and receiver that was purchased for $300, heck the motor alone retails for $699 right now. A Flair Sopwith Pup with Saito .56 and all but the two wing servos was $200 and it flies wonderful. A Goldberg Anniversary Cub with fabric covering with Saito .50 for $200. A Hanger 9 Taylorcraft with Zenoah G23 and all servos and receiver was $250.

The two kit built of those four are the better fliers.

The thread should say kil built or ARF "assembled". I try to correct this mistake in terminology whenever I come across it but it's a loosing battle.
Before RC Report went under, the beginning section posted pics of reader models. Even the publisher would call ARFs' "built" on the same page that some guy spent 250 hrs on a real kit. Just my pet peeve . Seems like s slap in the face with a cold, wet washcloth to not give a builder the additional credit.