ffdq

My Feedback: (4)

Bob,so pica is coming back with arf,s not kits.I waco in a afr?How will that look any body see one?I think I will get one.I have been waiting for them to come back,but have the 1/5 scale waco no time to build it would love to have a arf.Sent cox an e-mail to find out.
Fred

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

So, in other words, PICA is NOT coming back?

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

In other words.. a qualified YES.. No kits.. but ARF's of some of the former kits.

DaddySam

My Feedback: (9)

Not to flog a dead horse, but the quicktech hobby website lists the glues along with all the pica products, indicating that when Cox gets around to it they'll be available. Any truth the to the Gluit part of the rumor?
Sam

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

PICA kits were designed by Dave Platt (Platt In Colonial America ), although the kits had superior design but the parts were produced the old fashion way, I guess they had the option of investing captial in modern machinary or call it quits. It is too bad to see them go

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Like I said, PICA is NOT coming back. IMHO, No kits means no PICA.

eagledancer

its too bad to see pica go the way of the DODO, only ARF(BARF) its too bad i would have been a buyer for the kits, they wont see any of my money for arfs

Stickbuilder

That's odd, I had an e-mail from one of the top guys at Cox this week, and he assured me that the 1/5th Scale PICA WACO YMF KIT, repeat KIT, will be out this July. It is supposed to be followed by other Kits. Could be that only the 1/6th scal models will be ARF's?
I guess July will tell the tale. I have been promised Kit #1 of the YMF. We'll see.

Bill
AMA 4720

GAP-RCU

Bill, it'd be good if you could follow up again with your contact at Cox to be sure we're all talking the same language. Unfortunately, some newer folks in the hobby now consider "building" to be gluing two ARF wing halves together. It's not a stretch for me to believe that some people might now consider a "kit" to be a box full of ARF parts.

If Cox were to put out true kits again, I'd certainly be a buyer. Heck, I'd would buy just the plans and parts template sheet if they made that available.

Gary

eagledancer

i am sure glad i just bought a 1/5 waco off ebay, it was built and covered in a god aweful wanna be pitts scheme, i stripped it and recoved it in solartex, she is now yellow with black trim, o.s.1.08 for power, weights 18 lbs (yea i know shes a bit heavy) but i now have 6 flights on her, so pretty doing snap rolls (yep put functional flying wires on her) and she dont seem to notice the extra weight(the extra weight was from a previous owner making a 2 piece fuse, she unbolts behind the cockpit so wings done have to come off for transport)

Spitfire7856

My Feedback: (1)

Hi
Would you be kind enough to give us the contact info of the person at Cox that emailed you?
Thanks
A3

Stickbuilder

Check your mailbox for pm. I spoke with him on e-mail this past week, and the WACO ymf 3-5 in fifth scale is slated for release in July. He is promising me the first kit.

I tried initially to purchase the rights to this kit from them, and my offer was politely declined. That is how I first found the information on re-releasing these kits.

Bill

Stickbuilder

Gary, I've been at this since 1949, and I do know the difference between a model kit and a BARF. In fact as we speak, I'm doing one of the PICA WACO YMF kits in 1/5th scale. Had to pay over 300 bucks for that sucker on ebay. Or maybe that should read, this sucker had to pay over 300 bucks for that kit on ebay. Naw, this is PICA WACO #4 for me. I will never stoop to calling a BARF a kit. Most of them don't qualify to be called models,

I'll stop now before I step on someones toes, and get something started.

GAP-RCU

Sorry about the confusion Bill. I'm aware that you know what a true kit is... I just wanted to be sure your Cox contact was thinking in the same terms as you (and I). Sounds like you have the bases covered. After all, there are other reports from the Toledo show that quoted the Cox people as saying there would be no true kits, only ARFs. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend Toledo to personally verify this.

Gary

Stickbuilder

Nor was I. All I have to go on is what the gentleman at COX has told me.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

Stickbuilder, Kit building unfortunatley is becoming a dying art, this hobby is actually three hobbies in one, which includes building, art work, and flying, I am affraid pretty soon only flying will be left, and the manufacturers are going where the money is and that is as you said it ARFs.

scottrc

Just great, more ARFs.

Why do all the ARF producers get all the fun in building them and not allowing us?

Sorry, but I too feel PICA is just a name to market more pre-built clones. If they sell the kits too, then I will change my opinion.

I have built two PICA Corsairs and had a lot of fun with them.

Scott

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

It's too bad that in the age of instant gratification, people are missing out on the fun of scratch/plan building. I know people are short on time, but when my daughter was young, I had no time to build. In a 5 year period, I only built one .60 size Top Flite Corsair...and it took me over a year. In the meantime, I bought ARF's and pre-built planes to keep my flying. Moral of the story: If you want to build, there is always time to build. Buy an ARF to keep you going, but build one in your spare time....you may find the fun and challenge you were missing. To me nothing is more fun than creating a plane out of sticks and sheet balsa....and you can't beat the smell of balsa dust.

I realize that not everyone likes building, but give it a try. For as those who like to see all of these ARF's coming on the market, there are those of us who #1. Don't like ARF's, but more importantly/fatually/to the point, I think #2. Don't want to lose our scratch building market to these ARF's. I'm afraid it cuts both ways.

I really liked the Pica 1/5 Mustang..I had 3 of them

TomCrump

Being a scale builder, I too prefer kits, or scratch building. I do however, feel that ARFs have a place. I assemble one when I need something quick, to fly. My scale projects can linger on for years. An ARF takes a week.

My problem is that I want to build the WMF, not assemble one. That leaves me with Barth and Genisis for a kit.

Seafury

My Feedback: (41)

Exactly the type of response I would expect from the Left Coast. Yes socialism is great, all services are cheap or free and all workers make a fortune. The government will pay the tab. Wait a minute governments raise their money through taxes so the worker pays. The harder you work the more you pay. If you don't work you still get a share. If you're a lousy worker they can't replace you because the union gets involved. You get more money than Joe because you've been there longer. Joe works hard but you'll get the promotion because of seniority. Yeah thats a great system. Tell me how is your province doing?

Shame about Pica but as long as we bankroll the Chinese ARF industry rather than build a fine kit like a Pica this is where we are going.

Larry S

My Feedback: (6)

I'm retired now but I was a union worker for 32 years with one outfit and I think I qualify for this statement, unions mean good for the worker but in the end, they protect the wrong workers. I'm a kit builder but have a few arfs only because there isn't anything else on the market that compared to some of the great old kits like Pica, Jemco, etc. Actually I made a mistake here, they don't come close to comparing to those kits but what else are we to do? I rather build anyday then open a box up and see an arf that needs to be reworked to stay together. At times I think I spend more time reinforcing arfs then if I had built the kit right the first time.
Larry

ma_mulcahy

Hey all,
I don't think it's all doom and gloom for kit/scratch builders. As long as there are dedicated individuals such as ourselves willing to buy kits, they will be manufactured. It will be by small companies who will be content to crank out a few hundred to a few thousand kits a year.

Interestingly, as the US continues to use off-shore labor to build our ARFs, the standard of living increases in those countries, wages and ARF costs continue to rise until one day, the ARFs cost 3-4 times the cost of the kit. When that happens, we'll see kit building make a comeback. It will take years, but it will happen.

Now if only we could get those big companies to turn over the rights to some of those venerable kits..........

Mike

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

I feel lucky , I bought a Pica 1/6 P40 for $189 at Sheldons a few years back and almost bought a 1/5 scale for $219.
Idid post the availability of the inventory on RCU so others could buy the kits .
Sheldons has some old pica stuff floating around , no big kits but a ton of the 1/12 scale
I did see spinners , glue and some decals in stock

If you really love Pica warbirds as you all probably know there is one for sale on RCU ,partially built , very nice work
also there are two completely built old spitfires hanging in hobby warehouse in Richfiled Minnesota , they need work but hey your getting a nice base plane if you can pick them up .
I think shipping would kill you on price

lmaffia

I just found a place to get the 1/5 spitfire canopy from PICA.
Its a very good quality. His name is Ivan and he is from Brazil, but he send worldwide.
And the price is very nice.
His e-mail is: [email protected]

DaddySam

My Feedback: (9)

I sent him an email, but so far no reply. How much does he charge for one?
Thanks
Sam