What inspires you to scratch build a jet. I have been scratch building my own jets since 1985. First time I saw BV's A4 at PGRC club
I said to myself what a owesome lil jet since then I never stopped since. When Byron Original came out with their big F15 I wanted to do one so on and so fort. Then this past spring I wanna to do a big F18B to pay tribute to the fallen Blue Angles #7. So you see this is my hangups. How about you scratch builder out there what is your inspirations.


RCJETS forever ....

Hey Eddie!
My motivation(s) are: 1) The airplane I want to have, 2) In the size I want followed by 3) rigged the way I want to and 4) covered the way I want it.
The "coolness" of having the only one of it's type at an event, and then folks asking whose kit it is is priceless. I's amasing how many people think there are 'ONLY' ARFs out there!
The biggest problem is deciding which of the many I'd like to build is next!
Greg

The "coolness" of having the only one of it's type at an event, and then folks asking whose kit it is is priceless.

Anytime I show up at any event with my own designed jets people asking this questions and that's alone is priceless.

You don't remember Eddie, but that's how I first met you.

At Florida Jets a couple of years ago (maybe three) you had your BFJ out there, and I thought since Phil was helping that it was a "Megabar".

When I saw your custom fuel cells, there was no question I was seeing something special.

Someday I would sure like to get my hands on an outlaw fuse and hatches and intakes.................

you're F-16, now that's PRICELESS!

Building a model the way I am happy with, the satisfaction of having something unique and having a model suited to my needs. You save a little money over a kit or an ARF too, but only you are prepared to not consider the time involved in building the model. - John.

Hi, this is my scratch effort.

m

Jetflyr hit it!
Just so many arf's, everyone has the same kind of stuff.
They are all real neet, , , but not unique.
The only thing they have in common is the huge price tag!

I also really dig the mechanical challange. (It's a guy thing I guess)

My modified 100" Vamp, and next years project on the drafting board.
The F14 will probably go to 1/6, and try to fit just one engine in it!

hey Mick, "your scratch effort", hardley, your too modest indeed!
Your experience is just so vast, it's more like a walk in the park for you!

Yes folks, these are all Mick's beautifull designs. Simply masterful!

Or do I have the wrong Mick.

I've been scratch building models since I was a kid back in the days of Ambroid, silkspan, and dope. My primary inspiration has always been seeing a new shape come to fruition and fly. I've had a few original scratch built designs that looked pretty good and flew pretty well, and I've had a few that looked bizarre and did not fly worth a darned, but they were all fun and rewarding.

I have real respect for the guys that scratch build a scale model - lots of discipline and talent.

The latest coming out of the paint shop:

I got tired of the Chinese jets: over weight, under engineered, landing gear mounts that don't hold, gear that doesn't fit right and glue everywhere but where it's needed. They do look pretty but I only got 5 T/O's and 3 landings out of 2 SM Hawks. I have an unpainted Xtreme Jets L-39 that I'm reluntant to start because of all the stuff that has to be fixed. After one look my son refused the airplane for the same reason.

So in spite of being really tired of building, I went back and designed & built a nice foam, glass & wood jet that flies nicely. Cost less than $125 and the paint was about a 3rd of that. Two weeks to sketch it out and 12 weeks to build versus the 10 weeks it took to get that first Hawk ready. 150 flights so far. A few small issues so far but easily addressed in the next one.

I can do a lot of scratch building for what the ARF's cost.

Hi Eddie:

I have a CASA C-101 scale 1:6,5 scratch and a F/A-18 B modificate ( original JL F-18C ).

See to fly a model all made for you is great.

Regards from Spain.


______________________________________________

Carlos.
______________________________________________


.

I thanks everyone that posted some of their creations. And I really admired your inspiration.
To me designing a flyable sport or scale model is very challenging.
Here's some pictures of my creation.

F16C owned by Gary Jones, Colorado
Outlaw owned by Todd Witkoff, DMP Florida

Big F4E no pic but I'll find it and post it here.


Some other jets I would like to model next are the following;

A4 1/4 scale --- straight forward fuse (Air&Space museum in DC)
F18D Super Hornet 1/6 scale ---- fuse is not too bad to shave still hunting for accu drawings
F14 1/6 scale ---- drawn from a plastic model

Hey there Eddie.
I didn't know Gary had one of your birds!
I'll have to check this out....

I remember it like it was yesterday, building Todd's first turbine jet for him. I'm such a good friend, and boy, does he look proud!

Hey Dean, How are you doing my old friend. Yes Gary has one of my bird with P200 in it. He moved to Virginia about two hours from me. I am kind of jealous because his is all painted with his markings when he used to fly them in Japan.
I still have two of them one is flying now and the one is ready for final paint and detail work for future scale compitition. PM me some times bud.

This one is flying now..

BRG,
EdLo

Hey Sean, Nice photo shop work but I still see the yellow under neat that jet.

RonS love your creation very unique and diff from everybody else. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Here is mine, if you're not sick of looking at in the last week or so! An F-107A. I am considering building another one of these, with a bunch of lessons learned from this one. Although this one isn't finished either. In fact, I'll be jumping back onto it in a few minutes. The last scratch built jet I did was for .45 size DF units, back in the Terry Best Invader days (~1990?) It would probably be a good size for electric now.

I still like building kits too, though, because you can get ideas on how to simplify things - that's alway good. I will probably take a break and do some minor repairs to my Topcat next, kick out a Bandit ARF, then finalize what I want to design next.

There are a lot of neat designs on this page. Thud's sport model looks neat, and straightforward. Eddie's model I've heard of but never seen before. I'd like to see it at a jet fly some day! There are also many airplanes out there that need to be modeled - you just have to go hunt them down, then do it.[8D]

I wanted a model of the F-94C because I flew the full scale in the late 1950's, because I have never seen a flying model, & I thought it would fly good as a model. I would not have built from scratch if I could buy kit, but I probably would have modified a kit any way. First picture is from 27th Fighter Suadron and second is my model as of today.