RE: Best kit ever?
 

Another vote for the Smoothie!

Here is mine.

Fox .46 BB ABC. I had a problem with the wing and ailerons fluttering at speed with that engine. I put shear webs on both sides of the spars and also up against the rear sheeting and then I went with a servo on each aileron instead of using the torque rods. Every thing is fine now. Getting up over 90mph and it rolls 3 times a second (I have a lot of ailerons on high rate.) I also got rid of the chin in front and faired the front end into the wing better.

This is my 4th Smoothie in 20 years and I love the way it flies. I have 2 more still NIB for future needs. I have done very well with the Smoothie in "fly what'cha got" pylon races.

Don

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfi...54/Wu59740.jpg
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfi...54/Id96753.jpg

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Thanks for the info on the sunbrid!! No one knows what is anymore.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

No problem, I'm suprised that someone in Mn. has heard of a Sunbird! I live about 5 miles from where they were made. They were pretty popular around here back in the early 90's. I have a couple of kits stashed, let me know if you need a copy of the plans.

-Johnny-

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Johnny I could not find the Sunbird on there list.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Using the criteria of the design of the kit, the parts appearance and fit, the plans/instructions, the look of the finished plane and its flying qualities, I'll have to say that for the sheer pleasure of the build from opening the box to completion has to go to the Airtronics glider kits, the Bridi and House of Balsa powered model kits of the '70s and '80s.

Terry in LP

RE: Best kit ever?
 

The most fun I've had with a kit was the Mosquitobite Planes' T-Rex. Fantastic laser cutting and parts fit, quality wood, and engineering to knock your socks off. Yes, you can build a straight 85" wing in your bench vise with no problems. Alas, they seem to have dropped out of sight, even though they still have a web site up. I'd love to get another one to set up as a taildragger with flaps. Still have the one I built - it's a hoot to fly.

papermache

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Walther,
On the lazer-works.com website, go to "airplane stuff" then on the left side, click on "misc" its listed under G.M Sunbird.

-Johnny-

RE: Best kit ever?
 

This is interesting. I am new to the building thread and i think I need to spend more time here. A friend brought an ultra sport .40 to me years ago and said "here, I cain't build this, build it for me" Being the nice guy I am, i built it and enjoyed every minute of it. What made it better was that I got to do the test flight and was given a patriot kit for my efforts. The patriot was better than the U sport and It is still smokin 16yrs later. But the best, I would have to say, was a kit produced by PILOT (japan) in the earily 90's called a Supra Fly 25. I built 2 , one with fixed gear and one with retracts both power by os 32's. I traded the fixed gear version for some instrument flight instruction but got it back a few years ago. I still have both and both will still outfly anything piston engine plane I have. The Pilot kits pieces fit like the internals of a watch. I'd give a fortune to find one in a box just to get to build it again. I did just buy a NIB Patriot today , so I get to build another one. I havent been this excited in a long time about a kit. So many arf's these days that a kit one likes is hard to find. Actually any of these kits cost more than than a lot of arf's do today. I'm still trying to learn to cover but building rocks!
Can someone direct me to a thread on covering tips, esp making curved shapes?

Cody

RE: Best kit ever?
 

I have built so many great kits, very few I would consider poor. My current build is a Sig 1/4 scale clip wing Cub. This is a nice kit for a seasoned builder as the builders manual is not much but the rest of the kit is very nice.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Grodus:

Go to the Tips&Techniques page here on RC Universe.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

There is a two way to go here, There are some very good kits to build and fly that just do not need any mods (I like Carl Goldberg kits). In the other hand there are some kits that ask to be modified or claim for a lot of detail when finishing them, by example many WWI kits by Proctor and Balsa USA.
The level of detail is in the modelist.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Here's my input...

Best overall kit and bang for the $$..... Great planes Ultimate 40 with a 70 four-stroke
Best 60 size plane is a tie..... Ultrasport 60 or the Goldberg Super Chipmunk
Best cheap 60 is the venture60 with the 4star 60 right behind
Best Extra.... Goldberg Extra (rougher kit build but worth the money)
Best 1/4 scale kit.... Sig Cub or Spacewalker; both excellent for the money
Best cheap 40..... Sig Midstar or HOB Stingray
Best trainer.... Telemaster 40 (great wood in that kit)
Best cheap 40 scale.... GP Rv4; really surprised me.

Best build for ease of construct.... Sig somethin Extra
Best 60 size bipe..... Goldberg Ultimate or HogBipe with a larger engine

Almost all these kits lend themselves to bashing and are relatively user friendly builds.

I would like to try a proctor kit someday.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Does "Ease of Assembly" make a good kit? The look of the end product has much to do with it, at least for me. I'd rather build a tough kit, and end up with a great looking model, than an easy to build kit, and end up with an ugly one.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

I get alot of questions from what I will call, "ARFers" who want to have a great performer from a first build but require "ease of assembly" since they don't want to get bogged down in what we "builders" actually enjoy. That is why I put the category of "Ease" in. When I built the Somethin Extra, it just fell into place and was a really fun "toss around" performer. I agree with you, for a builder, it is not a challenge at all; however, to get some new build blood kit-build side on the hobby, it is a first time builders dream kit.

Now, back to the Ultrasport 60 build.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

That makes sense to me. I hadn't thought of it, in that manner.

"best Kit" can mean different things to different people.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Cody,

This is the best one that I know of:

[link]http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=711624[/link]

Frank

RE: Best kit ever?
 

The plane I see at most fields is a sig somthin extra.

I built one. I moded the tail for a larger rudder/elevator with counter balancers. I removed the top flying rods & strengthend the fin. I moved the firewall back 1.5" and installed a saito 82 with a perry pump behind the firewall. yes not much room but I shoe horned it in. I really like the instant "electric like" power that the pump gives. I lightened it as much as I felt was safe at the time. I now know I can lighten in A LOT more. I'm at 5.8 lbs and I'm sure I can get it down to 5 lbs. I simply LOVE this plane. I have 600+ flights on it and the vertical is INSANE. She flat spins like a dream and inverted elevators are awsome. I went with 225mg on ailerons, 5245 on elevator & 625 pull pull on rudder.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Well i am a little shocked, I was reading this thread looking for a good Warbird to strat on this winter....
but there are any.... my favorite kit is defintly the SIg kadet Senior. It is a great kit for beginers because the whole way through you can see the progress
So

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Here's some good news from Bruce Tharpe:

Frank

RE: Best kit ever?
 

I received a reply back from Bruce. I am now officially on the waiting list for the Venture 60. :D

Frank

RE: Best kit ever?
 

Mostly build from plans, however.

The 1/5 scale Sig Cub is what more mass produced/volume kits should look like. You can get better kits from the small makers but they are getting harder to find and aquire. For a production run kit it's pretty good.

RE: Best kit ever?
 

I've only built a couple of kits, but I really enjoyed the Great Planes Super Skybolt. It's true that at times it had me pulling my hair out, but it's the fact that it's NOT an easy build that I really enjoyed. It's also turned into a great flyer that gets a lot of attention at the airfield, and held up really well under a fairly energetic meeting with the ground. Even the repair welt smoothly.

I'm seriously considering the CD Scale Designs Sopwith Snipe that Abufletcher mentioned... assuming he gets it off the ground and gives me a flight report. :D

RE: Best kit ever?
 

I've buildt several kits in the years as a model builder. But the best one was the 1:4 Bellanca Decatlon from Pilot. Witch I've buildt in 1986

My home page : http://home.no.net/pernil/

Peppern

RE: Best kit ever?
 

My all time favorite kit to build was the Sig Ryan STA.