Hi Guys, I'm going to reproduce Kits and ARFs of the old Quality Line Kit version of the Curare and was wondering if anyone would be interested in a build thread of the project. I'm using a Quality Line Kit fiberglass fuselage for the mold plug and have also aquired the original Quality Line building instructions, plans and full size templates to go along with it. The wings and horizontal stab will be balsa sheeted foam core as per the original and the prototype will have retracts and flaps. The fuselage mold making, fiberglass lay up and vac bagging process may be better suited over in the composites forum, but I was thinking that the rest of the build should be over here. Either way, let the sanding begin! Prop

I really like your fuse stand!
Is that your design?
JLK

There were quite a few variants of this well known model A/C. So, other than the fuselage being of fiberglass, what is difference between the Quality Line version and the one noted below?

http://www.mybloo.com/coosbay/laser/beaver.htm


Wm.

jlkonn, No, I didn't make that fuse cradle, I don't even remember who manufactured it. Great Planes maybe?
CoosBayLumber, I guess besides the fiberglass fuse, the wings and stab are sheeted foam core. It'll be just a copy of a design that is proven with a lot less work involved for the builder than the traditional built up version. Basically, I've been wanting to do a Curare for a while now, and this is what I've come up with to offer. I hope it'll do well. Best of luck to you and your kit, I don't mean to detract anything from your endeavor (didn't know you were doing a Curare) and am sure it will be successful too! Prop

Excellant!!

I'm looking forward to this!!

I for one vote you do the whole thread here....Bahhh on the composites forum..he he

Just my opinion..[8D]

Have Fun!!

Chuck

So between the two options I may be able to get a Curare soon?

Exactly!! Schweet Huh...

I'm Excited..

Chuck

propbuster

Looking forward to your build thread and availability of the kits.

After more work on the project do you still think what you thought back on 3/22/2006 about the pricing of your ready to snap together ARFs

“No, more like $300 to $500 depending on the amount of completion per customer order. In no way can I compete with a $90 Chinese Kaos, but that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm going to offer custom made, per order planes that you just can't find anywhere anymore, crafted by real RC veteran builders.�

I recall you discussing on the forum that you were working on the kit. Any idea yet on the pricing?

8178, I'll probably be able to offer a short kit for a lot less than $300! More like $150 if you want to paint your own fuse and sheet the wings and stab. I don't expect to make a bunch of money on this, as you know it takes a lot of time just getting the plug ready for the mold. I was thinking of having some kind of drawing for the first kit ready to ship (free of charge!) but seeing as you seem to have been my biggest fan since I first thought of doing kits, I figured who better to receive the first one to evaluate, fly and hopefully write a review of here on the forum. Congrats! Well, I better get back to sanding on the old fuse Prop

Show us the progress pictures... I'm curious to see how you guys lay this stuff up.

Propbuster, I do not mean to bust your chops here, so please do not take it in the wrong way. I would be very careful on how you price things before-hand. The cost of good resin, good fiberglass cloth, 1lb closed cell foam for wing/stab cores, 2-4 hours per fuse (not to mention the countless hours you will have in just the plug and mold alone),etc..... It would be hard to put together a good kit, with using good materials, for the price of $150.00. Do not get me wrong here. I would love to get my hands on a fiberglass Curare short kit for $150.00...... but from personal experience.... it would be very hard to produce a quality plane.... that will stand the test of time (and flight)..... for your "quoted" price. There is a reason why Deadstick (Carolina Custom Aircraft) and others charge what they do for their planes. I will tell you this. They are not making a killing on their planes and are lucky to break even on them at their asking price. I not saying that you couldn't do it for $150.00 a kit..... but I think what you will find with the majority of the people that are into these planes is..... they would rather spend a little more on a kit knowing that it was made from "top of the line" materials. Cheaper is not always better.

Just my 2 cents

impactiq, Yeah the cost of epoxy resin and fiberglass is up there! I do happen to have an almost endless supply of foam I get for free and have also found a supplier who quoted me an entire billet of 1lb closed cell for an excellent price if I pick it up. I've decided to do the fuselage plug prep, mold making and vac bagging process in the composites forum as I think that's where it'll be better suited. Here's a pic of a couple of hrs and some 150 grit later on the old fuse. Prop

Propbuster,

Thank you; I greatly appreciate you thinking about me to receive the first kit. I’m not sure that I could start building it immediately but let’s see how long it will be before you are ready with a kit and where I am on my Blue Angel build.

I agree with impactiq. Please don’t underestimate the value of your kits. The classic kits are hot nowadays.

Not to be wet blanket either ...

There are also expenses for packaging supplies and the time it takes to get the kit ready to ship, time and gas to take shipments to the Post Office, time to write and edit the instructions and the plans. Even some expense if you use PayPal. There are shop consumables to consider.

And then there is the time it takes to answer emails. I currently produce a line of scale Mustang exhausts and my email averages over 15 for each kit sold. About half these are from inquiries that don't result in sales. But they all take time to organize in your files.

And then there's the scams to deal with - "where's the kit I paid you for?" and so on. I've had 7 or 8 attempts that I can recall.

My suggestion is to list every expense you can think of no matter how small it seems (including your own time) and then add 30 to 50% to that for contingencies and profit margin. With that kind of thinking you might even make a small profit!

FWIW

Tony Howard
Pacific Scaled Aircraft

Tony gives some excellent advice. Unforseen expenses pop up all over the place. You run out of sandpaper and have to make a special trip to buy more. Your plans printing service increases their printing prices, You have to buy small business software and take the time to learn how to run it. The place where you were buying boxes suddenly discontinues the size box you need.

I recently started selling laser cut short kits for one of my own 1/2A designs. The cost of the balsa wood and the laser cutting together are less than half the total cost involved in getting a kit shipped out with plans, instructions, packaging, shipping costs, materials, my time and a meager profit. Whatever it costs you to actually produce a fiberglass fuselage is only going to be a fraction of the total cost of getting the finished product delivered to the customer.

I'm not saying don't do it. But, I would do a test run before promising anyone a price.

Good advice from all and well taken for sure! No, actual pricing could not set at this time and would have to be determined after getting a few kits together and see what is really adds up to. The project thread of the fuselage reproduction is in the composites forum if anyone wants to follow along.

Hello Propbuster, just wondering how this project was coming along? Matt