Shaun Evans

Hey,

Is it just me, or are other people tired of seeing ARF projects referred to as "Build Threads?" Kinda makes me think of those self-congratulatory posts/pics of the 40-sized World Models or Great Planes mustang ARFs with the fellas stating, "Yeah, she's one hell of a bird. It's been a long, rough build, but she's ready to take to the skies and become my pride and joy..."

Guys, it's an ARF! It's an ASSEMBLY or INSTALLATION job! You didn't BUILD it!!!

DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to curse, flame, degade, insult or embarrass any proud ARF papas. It's just satirical, tongue-in-cheek humor.....

Now, back to my F/A-18 KIT BUILD.....

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

Now, now Sean.. If we can't post about our ARF's, what WILL we post about here at RCU? Ski racing, boating or mountain climbing???

Hustler58

My Feedback: (1)

Now that's funny. It really makes you wonder when a guy has a hard time building a ARF. " Can someone help me with my gear doors?" LOL Butch

AndyAndrews

ARF! ARF! We are gonna bite you! lol, really, I wanna see you build a Gillows version of a jet with sticks, tissue and dope hehe.

tp777fo

My Feedback: (28)

Ouch, Butch I just asked that very question. Just looking for better ways to "assemble" my ARF

donniercjet

My Feedback: (10)

sean,
i couldn't agree with you more!! although i am making a killing on fixin them after people crash them. i had one guy put his plane in a bush, poped a some holes in the covering and tore the landing gear block out. he was going to throw it away cause he didn't know how to fix it.

tothemax

Call them what you will,but keep em coming cause I enjoy them.

seanreit

My Feedback: (60)

Shaun, I have often wondered at this level why anyone needs instructions to build, assemble, and prepare a jet for flight. Everytime I see a post looking for instructions, it reminds me of this.

Then again, when I was building my first kangaroo, I was too afraid not to read the directions.

And then seek help from the local jet guys (Doug and Dan)

When I saw how much Jack Daniels was consumed to put together a model at their shop, I went home figuring there was not much I could mess up on my own

Patrick Frost

My Feedback: (88)

Yeah I was thinkin of posting a thread regarding my BobCat ARF build and letting everyone know how I fit the canopy to the fuse and how I cut out the wheel well areas on my own. I am so proud of me and my ARF and all my accomplishments on it. I cant wait to take this ARF to the field and tell everybody how I built it all by myself. I guess we cant get much more entertaining stuff on here so that's what we have to put up with.


If you boys wanna cry about building something try building a BVM F-4! (this is the toughest bird I have built) Now...........................lets get back to posting our ARF "build" projects and make ourselves feel good!

sideshow

My Feedback: (11)

I think the term ARF is relative.

To some who just want to fly, anything more than an evening's assembly isn't an ARF. To those that like to put a bunch of ribs together and then skin a wing and plank some formers, an ARF would be one that's got an epoxy glass fuse with the formers pre-installed and carbon in areas that need re-inforcement (it's not a turbine model though) where you just glass the wings, install your electronics and throw on some paint.

It all depends on your perspective.

Hustler58

My Feedback: (1)

OK Tom, Ha Ha ! Butch

causeitflies

These days it takes me longer to put together an ARF than it used to take to build a plane from plans.[]

JimBrown

My Feedback: (2)

Hey guys! Lemme tell ya about this grueling build I did last summer...

I took the parts out of the box.
I slipped the horizontal stab into the slot. (Took me 3 seconds!! Whew!)
I slipped the vertical stab into the other slot. (Good thing I didn't mix them up!)
I carefully, with the correct size screw driver, inserted and tightened the screw that holds those two pieces.
Had a beer, cuz I needed the break after all that hard thinking.
Installed the servos in the wing and fuse. I was lucky I didn't mix them up, because they were all the same.
This next bit looked really hard, so I had another beer first. I had to install the push rods. I almost thought I had to cut them to length first, but then realized that those ones were for the elevator and rudder. Whew, glad I didn't screw that up. Had another beer to calm myself down.
Took a while to attach the landing gear, because I couldn't find the two screw holes for them. Then I realized I had to turn the fuse over first. Time for another beer.
Now this next part was real tricky. I had to use four bolts to attach the outrunner motor. But, I persevered and got 'er done. Another beer to celebrate.
Oh. My. God. I have to solder wires to connectors! Took four beers to get through it, but I managed. I even remembered to put the heat shrink tubing on. After unsoldering the connectors and soldering them again.
Finally, I installed the prop and the battery. Checked the balance (mine and the plane) and I was done!
Well, almost. After a celebratory beer (or two) I remembered to install the receiver. Now I was done!

I'd started at 10:00 am, and was finished by 3:00 pm. I would have flown it that day, but for some reason all I could see was two planes, criss crossing each other. Not sure why, so I had another beer or six and decided to try flying it the next day.

And boy, did it fly! Straight as a rail that's been heated to 1500 degrees (C or F, your choice.) Power to spare (as in, wish I had some to spare.) No trim needed, as long as I kept the stick half way to the side (or top.)

What can I say, it's a great flyer, and loads of fun. (With enough beer.)

Har.

...jim

Boomerang1

The world is changing. Now people think I'm wierd because I actually scratch build models. I'm getting sick of the line 'but can't you just buy one?' Are they missing the point or am I? [&o] - John.

Bob.R

My Feedback: (2)

scratch builders = dinosaurs
chinese arfs = comet

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Short of the high quality and high price(you get what you pay for most of the time)Jet ARFs, you can call it an assembly thread if you don't like the term build but I think they are very helpful. Since a number of these cheap $2000.00 jets don't even come with instructions, you would hope that the parts fit together right which they don't. You can buy a $200.00 Great planes ARF that comes with instructions and usually goes together decently but you can't get a 2K jet with retracts where stuff fits and works out of the box?

Marty

Ron S

My Feedback: (2)

Bob R2, good analogy! Probably truer than we know. [:@]
With that, I guess I am now embarassed enough to not post my Indepth Construction thread on my Parkzone T-28 Trojan!

Synthetic

My Feedback: (18)

I'd rather fly than build..
Don

AFTERBURNER1

My Feedback: (80)

The best ARF is handing over a stack of "DIMES" , filling it up with gas and flying it!!!

trioval00

My Feedback: (17)

this afternoon, there were about 12 or so of us at the field. we started chatting about arf's to kits. I came up with a challange for the guys and that was to build a KIT, we all build the same one and have other club members judge us on looks and how well it flew.

well...... I got laughed at, then I realized that 99% of the guys there never even built a kit before and had no idea how to get started. so my idea was shot down........


Mark

NickC5FE

My Feedback: (31)

Sideshow, if it goes togethor in an evening, its pretty much a "RTF" right??

rcjets_63

My Feedback: (4)

Does that 10 foot wingspan DC-3 that got framed up a hotel room on Saturday night at Toledo (back in the day) count as RTF? One of the great R/C gags of all time.

GrayUK

Come on guys, this is not really fair is it! []

Some of us (sounds like most who have posted) have a lot of experience to fall back on when building/assembling (call it what you will).

Personally I have been building models of some kind since I was 6 or 7 and designed my first at 8.
Over the years I have done control line, free flight, built my own radio gear, single channel, reads, galloping ghost, full house proportional, ducted fans (since 1978) and now jets.
I have built from plans, built kits, designed my own, carved my own plugs, made my own moulds and sold kits.

Now, I like ARFs, why, because I do not have the spare time for all of he above anymore! [&o]

Because the model building/assembling world has changed, people can come into Jets now without all of the background, very few build kits any more and the knowledge is not there.
I see no issue with showing other people how I do something, it can be very helpful to the builder / assembler without all the life history to fall back on.
I very often build some pre-production models that do not have instructions, so I write them for others to understand the process.

What may seem very obvious to you is often a showstopper to someone without the knowledge/confidence figure it out.

Also there are different levels of ARF, for instance, would you consider a Airworld Hawk a ARF? Not sure I would, yes, a lot of the work is done for you, but there is still an enormous amount to do, and it needs to be done right! You can hardly call it a 'shake the box job'
On the other hand we have the Foamies etc, which fall into a completely different category.
The whole point of sites like RCU is to bring a community of like minded people together and hopefully share knowledge and experience, I think build threads are good, I write them and I read them, I am still learning, and hope I will continue to do so until my lights go out! [8D]

Paul

Doug Cronkhite

My Feedback: (34)

All I can say is I'm really happy there are still guys like Butch, Dave Hudson, and others who are still brave enough to carve their own niche in this hobby.

uncljoe

My Feedback: (8)

[quote]ORIGINAL: sideshow

I think the term ARF is relative.

To some who just want to fly, anything more than an evening's assembly isn't an ARF. To those that like to put a bunch of ribs together and then skin a wing and plank some formers, an ARF would be one that's got an epoxy glass fuse with the formers pre-installed and carbon in areas that need re-inforcement (it's not a turbine model though) where you just glass the wings, install your electronics and throw on some paint.

It all depends on your perspective.
[/quote

I agree with Sideshow... Its all relative. To some assembling an Yellow F/A 18 it just putting a few pre cut parts together. Just look over on the RC scale threads. if you don't chop down the balsa tree /refine the oil (fiber glass) etc.its a pre fab'd assembly . look at the scoring at TOP GUN where the fiber glass kits receive a point deductions.
I also agree with Frosty the BVM F4 is a REAL BEAR and a few have said "Oh its a fiberglass kit must have take a day or two to assemble" to that I say Ha! Thank god we have those like David Hudson,Ron S,Tom Cook,Mark Frankel and others who IMO are the Real Master craftsmen who I would love to emulate ,but can't ,so I build a kit ,with its pre-cut assemblies and fiberglassed parts and when it's finished I claim I BUILT IT .[8D]

If there is a new thread about a "Shake & Bake" ARF F15 or what ever, why even open it if you have no interest in it. Realize that RCU is an open forum,& the shake&bake ARF is NEW TO THEM and they don't have any idea on how to use the SEARCH function at the bottom of the page
Semper Fi
Joe