Avaiojet

I see referrals to ARF's all the time as "Kits."

I read this in "Build" threads.

If an ARF is a kit, then what is a Kit?

Are ARF's built or assembled?

Steve Percifield

My Feedback: (14)

oh man, are you asking for it!!

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Subscribed

SeamusG

ARF's with "kit" keyword is blasphemous! The mfg. do it just so that they show up in browser "search" results. 

R. C. Day

My Feedback: (7)

Kits are a pile of wood that looks way too big with a roll of inked paper.

When I was a kid if you didn't build it, you couldn't have one, still my prefered way to obtain one by the way.

R.C.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Writers for magazines and some advertisements have been starting to call ARFs kits for about a year or more. Why, I'm not too sure. They must have the brains to know the difference or by telling ARF people they are building a kit may sell more?? I'm not sure if these fools know how much it pissesoff builders. Almost as much as when someone posts about building there ARFs. I'm sure some of these articles we see in magazines are written by the ARF manufacture then just handed to a writer or editor to put in there magazine. On the flip side of that, true scratch builders feel the same way when we post about scratch building a plane and we are talking about a kit or building from plans. It happens. Someone that writes for a magazine must know the difference between a kit and an ARF though or they should be fired from the magazine. No one wants to pay for a magazine and read articles written by an idiot. Yet, the magazines still sell???

wattmeter

I guess if an ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) I guess a kit is too , as soon as you glue it together, (Almost Ready to Fly).
wattmeter

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I think people that call ARFs kits, generally don't build kits. But they think of ARFs as kits. And since they are becoming the majority , they have influenced the language in their favor. Therefore, I propose that we speak Latin in the kit community from now on. Carpe kittem !

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

Aero Ergo Sum "I Fly Therefore I Am"

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I'm going to use that at the field!!

huck1199

I have had ARFs that are more challenging to assembly than kits.  I prefer kits for planes that I intent to fly for years and are larger in size. That said, I like 40 sized or EP ARFs that I don't have a lot invested in and don't worry about losing them to accidents.  Some ARFs have no instructions and parts don't fit well so assembly is often difficult and I can see why some would consider them to be "kits".

summerwind

OK now this is sad indeed............worse yet is when us builders show up at the field with a complicated model built from a kit, in this instance a Proctor Nieuport N11, and a guy asks why "they" (guess he meant arf mfg.'er) put stupid little bellcranks in the upper wing instead of using a servo on each aileron.
does this mean that everyone at my field builds only ARF's?.........seems so though......i see WW2 flyers who built ARF's or quick built gas jobs that act like they are builders.....as it is i won't touch another ARF these days. not because they are made overseas, but because they never have that look i am accustomed to.................even worse yet is one of my buddies has guys coming over to pay him to put their "ARF kit" together.
no issue with ARF'ers, but the ARF industry has mucked it up for us builders of "kits"..........

Augie11

Nice looking aircraft Summer. I'll bet she took a bit more than 12 hours : ) Ususally takes me that long to flatten the rolled plans. But there aren't that many of us left.

Mustangman40

My Feedback: (1)

I guess an ARF is a kit, just built by someone else... I like afr's for getting in the air quick and the low cost and that's it! I much rather build, I find it enjoyable and rewarding and you end up with a straight and strong airframe.. Arf's will never replace a kit or a scratch build in my book, but they do have a place with me when i need a quick cheap plane to fly.........

JCOKEEFE

My Feedback: (2)

[8D]Simply put, an arf is not a kit!!! End of discussion. I don't care what google or a dictionary says.!!!!!!

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

There will always be those that place more value in how much you paid over how much time you put into it. For those that love flying more than building or those that have to decide on using what little available time(in my world there is no such thing as free time, it all comes at a cost) that they can spare to fly and not build, ARF's are a Godsend. If someone feels their ARF is better than my scale kit, built over the span of years, then great, because they have to fly it not me. I'll stick with my kits when I want quality and fly my ARF's when I want a beater.

Avaiojet

There are individuals who assemble ARF's.

I know for a fact, and I won't name the Club, there are those that have or experience, "prestige." by having a certain individual assemble their ARF.

Yes, it's about as far away from model building as it gets, but as sick as it is, to me anyway, these individuals hold their heads high with much pride.

What's missing here and why is it missing?

"The Pepsi generation.

retransit

My Feedback: (18)

LMAO at that one.

By the way,
Scratch built is starting without plans, drawing plans, making a kit and building,
Plans built is starting with someone else's plans and building with the kit that you make
Kit built is building a kit that someone else has provided along with the plans
and
ARF's are assembling a group parts with no plans and sometimes poor instructions.

Bob

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Lets not get too down on ARFs, I made quite a bit of modeling money assembling ARFs for other people. The surprise was when they would tell me they used to build kits???OOOOK, Just give me the money$$$ Or the, I just don't have time anymore?? The guy is more retired then me!!! Give me the money$$$

KitBuilder

My opinion is ARF's are now often referred to as kits because commerical kits are going the way of the dinosaur... there's plenty of kits out there just not from the large manufacturers. As such... the work "kit" is losing iits original definition as ARFs are now taking on the kit role. As time goes on many will only know the term ARF discussed as kits and down the road the word kit will come ot mean ARF for the general masses. Of course those of us old enough to remember will know better.. but like WW1 veterans.. once us "kit" builders are gone... thats it ..

retransit

My Feedback: (18)

"What's missing here and why is it missing?"

It's called investment of time and effort. Skill is also involved.


Bob

warbird addict

EVERY rc plane currently flying today with the exception of the composites started out as a pile of sticks so I personally don't see the need to treat the guys that fly arf's like they bought em with food stamps and treat them like outcasts for calling an arf a kit, the term "kit" encompases a pretty broad definition and an arf would easily fall under that definition even if there are those who would disagree with it
If it takes off , flys and does what I want it to and lands and I can take it home in one piece, it's all good with me , I don't care who glued the sticks together
no matter whether I built it and it flies or I assembled it and it flies I'm every bit as proud either way, either method presents it's own set of unique challenges, that if not dealt with properly will mean the difference between a proven flyer or an unflyable hanger queen and I've SEEN plenty of examples of both kits and arfs that fell on either side of that fence
I really don't agree with the attitude that an arf is like some radio shack junk that builds itself and takes no skill to put in the air.
It's that very same elitist attitude that alienates people who would otherwise become involved with this hobby from doing so.
I have personally witnessed it, "if you don't fly comp arf you aren't in the clique" etc etc etc everybody has their area of interest but no one area of interest makes you "elite"
in my opinion it's the diversity of this hobby that makes it attractive not the means by which ANYBODY personally achieved the end result.

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

Wow! It must have been a boring morning for you. You've been a valuable and respected member around here for far too long to start trolling. Just felt like stirring the pot today to see who would bite, eh?...shame on you.[&o]

summerwind

not "Trolling" just asking where the line should be drawn.
another point made by Bob >"It's called investment of time and effort. Skill is also involved."

summerwind

BTW, here is a good example of what this thread speaks..........

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10532898/tm.htm