EVOL

My Feedback: (2)

this is a little off topic for this section but......does anyone else think that the price of scale retracts is waaaaaay beyond acceptable? im not sure what goes into the construction of one of these and understand that the companies have a harsh market to deal with....... but being a flight student myself and trying to build RC planes is a power struggle for money. i mean sure you can go with regular retracts but if your going to spend all of the time and money to build a scale warbird doesn't it deserve the matching gear? maybe I'm too picky from building scale plastic models for years but i was sizing up the pica Fw-190 and on the list of parts was the gear for $300 + dollars. i cant justify spending that much on two little pieces of folding metal. that $300 could get me almost 4 hours of real flying time or 2 months of food lol. anyway i want to know what you all think.......

elmshoot

My Feedback: (6)

The price is what the market will bear. Yes it is expensive, try a set of BVM brakes and wheels at $180 plus. They work very well. I worry about spending $100 for a tire for my car. Its all relative. It sounds like you are starting out in life as well as modeling. The expensive stuff can wait you don't need the super duper scale retracts until you are many scale planes down the road. Unless you are competing with your plane close enough will work. Most of the modelers that buy these gear don't need them they just have the means to buy them. I am one who has the means but I normaly don't buy the $600 gear when $250 will work. However I demand quality.
Sparky

Lake Flyer

My Feedback: (13)

Try paying for them in Canadian Pesos

nchrome

I for one agree with you. Like my B-25 kit cost 280.00 the Robarts cost 325.00 Its kindof stupid but I guess if you want it I guess you'll pay the price. I just wish it was a little bit more realistic for the average builder. Cause I love to build and I realy love to fly my pride and joy.

AirRayInc

My Feedback: (7)

Evol,
I feel your pain. I am in the same boat when it comes to turbine aircraft. I get kits all day long, but the motors, ahhh the motors.


Keep your eyes open for used ware, you can save money, lots of money sometimes. Right here in the classified section you could get lucky enough to get what you need, and sometimes what you want at a nice savings.

Best of luck, and as mentioned, the highest light of showing off, is what it does and looks like in the air, than on the ground.

Ray

EVOL

My Feedback: (2)

thats what im saying......sure you can get by with spending "ONLY" 100-200 bucks on retracts but this hobby is supposed to be for people wh want to build and fly. i am 22yo and iv seen a ton of posts on RCU about a lack of younger people in the hobby. money is the number one reason. i take my friends to the field all the time and they love it.......until i try to talk them into buying/ building one. for younger people that have jobs....$200 bucks for a kit is a huge deal. then you need an engine, servos, receiver, radio, starter, fueler, fuel, the list goes on.......

im obsessed with aviation so im an exception. i do love RCU for the ability to buy used parts. iv been in RC for only a few years but i have noticed a huge growth trend. my local hobby store is packed EVERY day with RC customers. i think that the outrageous price of parts keeps a lot of people out and is in part responsible for the growth of the ARF industry. but you guys are not the ones who control it i just wanted to hear what others thought. thx EVOut

DK-Scotty

Hey there,
about the retracts thing, prices are WAAAYY to high, the only "complicated" thing on retracts is the air cylinder, and even thats not to hard when you know how to use proper machinery...

about the lack of youth in this hobby...
I'm 16 years old and can say that prices are one of the biggest reasons why young people don't want to get started in this hobby, but another reason, I think, is that there are just to many ... well how to say it nice.... "experienced" or more "oldtimer" pilots
It really scares you off when you're the only 16 year old in the whole club and you're surrounded by average 50 year old people...I mean it sure is good to have people to talk to and have a lot of experience, but it really can freak you out...
oh well

ty for listening

Jakob

Vince

My Feedback: (1)

Jakob, I am 53 and have been involved in C/L and R/C since I was 14 or so. I am however, not too old to remember your feelings about being intimidated by the older guys. My advice to you is just wade on in. You will no doubt meet some real boners, but for the most part we are all just in it for the fun and are more that willing to help.

Vince

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

I have got to agree that the manufactures are getting as much as they can for thier r/c products for what they deliver, its called price gauging. It is about time they came back down to earth with the rest of us and charge accordingly for thier goods, it was the same when I was in photography, I got out of it.

pittsdriver

My Feedback: (7)

I have to disagree on the prices. I have been in the hobby for 45 years, 32 years RC. In 1971 about the only retracts out there were Goldberg and one or two small operaters. They were around 40 bucks for a set and another 40 for a servo. No scale struts, wheels or much of anything. I had a set of custom retracts done for a 1/5 scale P-40 in the early 80s and they were around $300 then. My first radio was a 1971 Cirrus 6 channel for $230. Four servos, no reversing, dual rates or anything just a radio. Now for the same money you get a computer radio. Engines have stayed about the same and the kits have not gone up that much and are better quality.
Now as for the retracts look at the variety that a company like Robart offers. I bet they only sell a few of some of the more exotic planes. It takes time to develop a new gear so they do have to charge enough to make a profit. I would bet that their margin is pretty slim.
What I'm trying to relate here is that the hobby has gotten much cheaper over the years and also much better. Radios now rarely fail and most engines are of very good quality even the inexpensive ones. It cost about $375-$475 in 1970 for a trainer kit, accessories, covering material and radio. Now for $329 you can get a Hanger 9 trainer with everything installed and ready to go. So get what you can afford and have fun.
BTW Evol, invest in a couple of hours of aerobatic training. It will be the best money you will ever spend and teach you more about actually flying an airplane than any other training or rating you get. I guaranty it! Don

SVX

I myself am 22 and built and flew my first cub when I was 14. I can say that the hobbies price was never the issue of continuing, it was the fact that I would work on these planes for months only to go out and slam it into the ground. If it wasn't for my Dad I would have probably not made it through all the crashes. (thankful for the trainer ARFs) As far as prices, My Friends spend much more on their hobbies than I do, I figure $750-$1000 for a plane of which most is reusable. This compared to $2500 rims or $1000 amp it is not bad, the only difference is that their expenditures seem to last much longer.

I E-mailed a tech for Century Jet retracts earlier today and must say that I was impressed for the service to date. My E-mail was answered in about 1 hour accompanied with attachments for custom orders, and pictures of the retract I was inquiring about. In the end for $245 I am getting a 90 degree rotating retract with a custom cut strut, and a custom rate of expansion of the strut shock. In addition for only $35 I can get a regulator valve so that I can have one wheel retract before the other one. I already own a similar pair in a TF Corsair and the quality is very good.

SVX

EVOL

My Feedback: (2)

SVX you must have some rich friends. most of my frieds cars arent even worth $2000 lol.

i do understand the hobby has come a long long way just from reading AMA magazine......but i want to build these beautiful kits and the only gear thats in my price range would be what appears to be a stick lol. i will still continue to fly and build but im amazed at scale retract prices.

p.s. pittsdriver.......im doing my commercial single engine in a Citabria. fully aerobatic and lots of fun. EVOut

pittsdriver

My Feedback: (7)

p.s. pittsdriver.......im doing my commercial single engine in a Citabria. fully aerobatic and lots of fun. EVOut [/B][/QUOTE]

Good going Evol, you will be a real pilot, not an airplane driver like most. Don

grbaker

My Feedback: (29)

I'm trying to save up $1100 for main gear for an F-16. Then I'll still have to buy a nose unit.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

The reason you pay over $300 for semi-scale retract or $100 per tire is the lack of competition. When I was trying to find a set of retracts for my plane there were only two companies who made them, one with a sorry product and the other company with a good product a nice price to match it. You see I had only one other option and that was to tool up to build one set of retract.

Tmoth4

My Feedback: (1)

I think the reason good scale or near-scale retracts are so expensive is because they are not mass produced. There are so many styles and sizes that they don't produce that many of each type, so when you order a set it's almost a custom-made unit. For some kits or plans they don't even build the retracts until you place the order. At least this is what I tell myself every time I have to dish out $300+ for a set. It's too bad it discourages younger modellers but I don't think there's much that can be done about it.

Jim

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

When I look at my Robarts they sure look like mass production runs as far as the welds and assembly, CJ gears seem to have a little more maching on them, but what Iam getting at is that the prices should come down as compared to 20 years ago just by the shear numbers which are produced and sold, if they don't come down the answer is simple , more of it is kept as a proffit by a few who manufacture them!.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Anyone notice the $$$ of retracts for Yellow Aircraft's new P-40?

YIKKKKESSSSSSSSSSSS!

jerry

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Hopefully the word "profit" doesn't become a "four letter word" on this site. Its not like the people making the product are in it for your pleasure alone.. You can buy a small mill from Grizzly and others and make your own. If you have a set already you can pretty much copy what they did and make some more... prolly just as good .. maybe better?.. when I bought my first Tx back in the late 60's a Kraft Signature radio (7 channels) cost $460 bucks in 1960 dollars!!! thats a lot!! and NO REVERSING, NO MIXING, No nuffen except 7 proportional channels.
I would disagree with those who say Cost is the major reason that young people dont fly... A Sony Playstation II cost $250 when they came out and PLENTY were bought (and still are) for young people.... Kids today sufficient disposable income.. maybe not as much as they would like... but enought for basic RC. BObH.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

Bob your right the RC equipment are getting much better while the prices are dropping.For example the price of engines are almost the same as what I paid 12 years ago, that is after inflation you are paying almost half of what you paid back then. The kids nowadays live in a virtual world anything that resembles to reality evades them. Nobody should use the cost as a reason for not getting involve in Rc.

Holeshot

Somebody said the air cylinder was the only complicated part...... Tower sells pneau cylinders fo $17~$27 each.

Bob Violett Models'
T-33 main air retracts are setup for doors, and they sell mini air cylinders and offset hinges(great for inner doors).
* 5/16" cylinders:
* #5751, 1" stroke, $25.
* #5752, 1-5/16" stroke, $25.
* # , , a longer one, too new for a part number.
* 5/8" cylinders:
* #5494, 1" stroke, $27.50.
* #5492, 1-3/8" stroke, $27.50.
* Retract cylinder mounting bracket w/pin, $3.85 ea.
* #5758 fill valve, $15.
* #5497 quick disconnects, $7.50 ea.

I don't think that it is necessarily the retracts that are so expensive, maybe a big part of it is the "Oleo" struts at $90 or more a pair.

Why not use some of the $20 air cylinders to operate std. retracts?

Here's some gear/wheel/brake links I use:
Dave Brown
Bob Dively (wheel wells)
Glennis
Robart
Shindin Machine
Sierra
SpringAir
Ultra Precision LTD.

The natural progression of a problem such as this is to make our own, or at least see what we can come up with from industrial robotics and machine parts supplies or surplus.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Foxx, I agree 100%.. and I think I was low on the Play station II.. I think it was $300 when it came out!.. now for that amount you can buy a complete rc plane, radio and engine plus accessories!.. not for Top Gun maybe but I didn't get all the stuff I presently have in a month either lol!.... Regards BobH.

CaptainHook

My Feedback: (80)

I am an Mechanical Engineer at a machine shop here in Michigan. As a modeler I can feel the pain of all of you. The cost of machining anything including retractable gear for a model plane is expensive. The only way to make a profit with them is to do a batch run, not a 100 or 200 but at least 20 to 30 sets. Set up time of a single set would result in gear costing a $1000 or more. Batch runs get the $ down to the $300 to $400 range. I can tell you that the air cylinders, fittings, air line and other components are purchased from a supplier, not controlled by the manufacturer. How long would it take us to assemble the gear if you received nothing but pieces, another added cost to the over all price of them. We would all love to get this stuff for a small price of what we are paying know, but if we did they would be coming from another country and we would all be out of a job.......With no job we can't afford $100 gear. Just my .02

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Carey, I work as an engineer myself and I know what the set up time costs... plenty with a Capitol P.. lol.. I don't think some of these people really understand the cost of machining.. geesh if I only had my own Sterolithrography machine I could grow my own interiors! Regards BobH.

CaptainHook

My Feedback: (80)

Ah yes! But can you even make $ with the Sterolithrography machine. That would be a cool cockpit!