Need Info about aircraft
 

Hi,
I have an idea and need HONEST feedback from all types and skill levels of pilots.. I know that there are many ARF put on the market and for all types of flying, ( sport,scale,Imac,pattern, 3D). But is the art of covering and finishing a plane dead? Please take a look at the questions below and give your feedback.



1) How much would you pay for a custom built ARF kit ?

2) Would you buy a kit with a fiberglass/composite or wood fuse ?

3)How much prep work do you like doing to get the plane ready to cover and fly ?

4) What type of plane would you be looking for in a custom ARF kit ?

Thanks in advanced for the feedback, I have an idea and needed some info..

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

There have been a few companies that offer ARC's (almost ready to cover). I'm not sure there's a good market for them but I could be wrong.


Not sure what you mean by "custom". If you mean built to order, there are plenty of professional builders out there for this. The cost is obviously quite high for this type of sevice.

There are many ARF's already out there that have a fiberglass/composite fuse which seem to sell rather well.

I can't speak for everyone but I would think the majority of people that don't mind doing a lot of prep work and the covering are most likely to build the plane from the start. Covering is also a money issue that takes the final cost of the plane much higher than it would be as an ARF.

As you mentioned, there is just about any type of airplane one could want offered in an ARF nowadays. Narrowing down to one would be a tough call. Best of luck with your idea. ;)

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

1. All depends on the size... RIght now I'm looking at a $500 Suk26 ARF

2. Composite's neat cause they screech :D

3. Depends on the airplane. Seeing as I don't have much free time as of late, I suppose minimal assembly time.

4. Scale Aerobatics. maybe a 27ish% Suk29.

What's this all for anyway?? [8D]

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

From what I gathered, people buy an ARF because most of the work is already done. The little that is required is for shipping, and personnal preferences for radio and engine. tyhe less work they have to do, the better..

Custom ARF? I thought the idea behind ARFs was an assembly line / making many to keep parts cost, assembly costs, and overall price down.

Matarials? What ever is cheaper for the structure...

And I agree with Stick.. covering can take as much time as building.. If I'm gonna cover, I'm gonna build the kit.. not to mention some required tools an 'ARF' buyer might not want to buy..

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

1) personally, I'd much rather build from a kit or plans, b/c i am not satisfied w/ the quality of ARF airplanes. Plus I just enjoy building. So my answer is: not much. I just wish manufactures would start producing more kits again. They are catering to people who don't want to or don't have time to build.

2)Depends on the airplane, but most planes that I am interested in have a wood construction.

3)I would just like to do the whole thiing myself, but If I bought an ARF:(, it would probably be b/c I didn't have time to build so I would want most of the work done for me.

4)The kind that flies haha:D
just produce a number of different kinds- dont just make all sport or all warbirds, or all turbine mix it up because different people like different types of planes.

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

1. There are many that buy custom kits, and to some, price is not a factor, for most beginners, price is the only factor.

2. People buy anything if it is good and not way over priced.

3. Personally, I build from kits, but the people I know who like ARFs won't take the time to cover it. They want to open the box and cover it. If they wanted to cover it, they would build kits. Most of the ARC planes I have seen didn't last long. I think that most ARF builders see the covering as one of the most tedious steps.

4. The ARFs I have bought are 3D mostly. I have only bought 3 out of the 160+ kits I have bought in my life.

It is very hard to custom build and keep the price down where the average joe can afford it. For most modelers, price is a huge factor. For the ones that don't care about price, I think a good number of them are builders. I would think your market would be mostly new or lower time members, and price would be a huge factor, but those are the ones that don't want to cover or finish a plane.

Just my 2 cents.

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

I toyed with the idea of just building a few different airplanes and selling them in whatever state the buyer wants, but I decided I didn't want to be a factory - I'd rather work on unique projects so that it keeps my interest.

I did come across a site the other day where a guy does exactly what I first said though. Judging from the site he seems to be doing ok with it.

I love to build as well, but when it's all said and done, one of the things I like least about ARF's is the covering (well, the hot glue sucks too). So I would rather buy an ARC than an ARF if I was going to go that route at all. Then I could actually inspect the structure and put a decent covering job on it that is original.

For me it's a moot point though. I don't see myself ever having a plane that I didn't build myself.

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

1) depends, i prefer arf's because i don't have much building experience/or the time to build one, they are fun to build, and i don't suggest buying one that someone else built. you should take pride in the fact that you built the plane yourself

2) couldn't tell ya honestly.

3) i have built a couple of my own planes. i took many weeks just on covering, i like to do my own design, not what is already on the market in an arf. however, you can also re-cover an arf to add your own personality into the plane without building it yourself.

4) like i said, if you want a custom arf, i think it is better to do your own custom work. you can add/subtract features on an arf. for example changing the landing gear style, re-covering, even changing certain characteristics of planes-i.e.-diff. wing shape/total different plane wing(not always easy to fit to the plane, but can have advantages) stuff like this makes it your own unique custom plane, not a custom plane that someone has reproduced and sold 100x over.

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

I am finding that the 28% ARF offerings are good. I do not want to spend much more than $450 so with the present models from Wild Hare, Great Planes and others, I am happy. I find that I have a preference for the Sukhoi and there is not one in the size I want. THe closest ARF that I know about is the one from SIG. I have found that most builders will put an ARF together for $200 - $400. I have found that the Wild Hare model was simple enough for me to put together myself. I tried the GP PW Extra together and had to have someone else finish it for me. I am not interested in building, I do not have the skill to build and when I have tried in the past, I have failed. Mass production will keep the cost of most offerings within the poor mans budget. Custom offerings while nice looking will be no different after 100 flights than an all white ARF with custom decals applied.

RE: Need Info about aircraft
 

Have tried a few ARF's over the years,was not pleased with the handling or construction of the planes.I build my own from kits or scratch, besides to me half the fun is the building of a top notch plane that will have many years of pleasure.;)