Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
04-04-2009, 05:56 PM
#104
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
www.mraerodesign.com
Beaver ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMOIOwa5uDU )
Cap 10 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVodVGj9IM )
PC-6 Turbo Porter ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui83Z...e=channel_page )
Canadair CL-415
Turbo Beaver comming soon.....
Beaver ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMOIOwa5uDU )
Cap 10 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVodVGj9IM )
PC-6 Turbo Porter ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui83Z...e=channel_page )
Canadair CL-415
Turbo Beaver comming soon.....
05-07-2009, 02:08 PM
#105
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
I've been hitting up ebay and picking up quite a few of the Guillows, Sig and Top Flite older kits for half the price lately. In a matter of two months I have about 20 kits on standby.
05-07-2009, 10:55 PM
#106
RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
I wrote to Stoddard Hamilton when I saw my first picture of their Glassair on a magazine cover. I requested a 3 view. They sent me that and a blueprint of the entire wing panel.
I drew up my plans from what they had sent me and then built the plane. It flew right off the board.
I drew up my plans from what they had sent me and then built the plane. It flew right off the board.
05-08-2009, 08:44 PM
#108
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
Did you know that there is plastics that are as light as Balsa and builds like Balsa and stronger than Balsa and at my age I will never run out of Balsa.
05-14-2009, 10:09 PM
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
I was at Top Gun this past week and this exact topic came up. However, the real question was were are all the builders?
We sat in our booth for 5 days and one could instantly tell who was a builder, knew exactly what they were looking at and what to do with it. As for most of the new generation of RC guys...........most looked lost.
When I was growing up, (when ARFs were just coming available) we kit built, crashed, rebuilt and flew again. There were only a couple times that we torched them on the spot. Seems now days folks are too quick to toss them and buy a new one. I haven't figured out the logic yet, all it takes is balsa, adhesive, covering and a few hours time.
We sat in our booth for 5 days and one could instantly tell who was a builder, knew exactly what they were looking at and what to do with it. As for most of the new generation of RC guys...........most looked lost.
When I was growing up, (when ARFs were just coming available) we kit built, crashed, rebuilt and flew again. There were only a couple times that we torched them on the spot. Seems now days folks are too quick to toss them and buy a new one. I haven't figured out the logic yet, all it takes is balsa, adhesive, covering and a few hours time.
05-17-2009, 05:08 AM
#113
RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
Where have all the kits gone? Well...Aerowoof's got'em all!
But seriously, I've gotten to that point in my scale building (and that's the only kind of building I'm really interested in) that there probably aren't more than a few dozen kits worldwide that I would actually want to build. And some of the great scale kits, for example, the Proctor Albatros, I wouldn't want to build simply because I don't love the subject aircraft enough to do the kit justice.
More and more I'm leaning towards scratch-building anyway. But I do hope we can continue to find balsa for at least a couple of decades to come. The thought building WWI models from dupron or corroplast turns my stomach!
But seriously, I've gotten to that point in my scale building (and that's the only kind of building I'm really interested in) that there probably aren't more than a few dozen kits worldwide that I would actually want to build. And some of the great scale kits, for example, the Proctor Albatros, I wouldn't want to build simply because I don't love the subject aircraft enough to do the kit justice.
More and more I'm leaning towards scratch-building anyway. But I do hope we can continue to find balsa for at least a couple of decades to come. The thought building WWI models from dupron or corroplast turns my stomach!
05-17-2009, 04:25 PM
#114
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
<div>if one was wondering where to get a big kit for building(like 30% in size)
where would one look?
who makes kits to build that big?
what im looking for is a 3d plane</div><div>
thanks for any ideas and input.</div><! / message >
where would one look?
who makes kits to build that big?
what im looking for is a 3d plane</div><div>
thanks for any ideas and input.</div><! / message >
05-18-2009, 08:10 AM
#116
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
Have any of you folks thought about getting the plans of a plane you like and having either a short kit or the full kit cut by a kit cutter?. If not give it some thought. I have a Stinson SR10 and a Cessna 195 both from Hostetler plans. Ihad the Cessna cut by Cornell Michaels and it is a hand cut kit. Michael did a really really nice job of cutting the Cessna. I'm just about ready to start the build of this 25% model. It will be as scale as my skills will allow. I will be consulting Glenn Mcintosh for many many of the scale details as he is building the same kit and his is a real work of love and skill.
I picked up a pre-cut (lazer cut) kit of the Stinson from PKC. It is just O.K. as far as the cutting goes. Many parts were (smaller) broken upon arrivel. But the thing that made me upset with PKC was the fact that some of the wing ribs were cut to short in relation to the plans. I think that this was caused by the person who input the data to the computer that tells the lazer how to cut the parts. I'm now having Michael cut a new set of wing ribs for it by hand.
Some of you may have the tools and skills to cut the entire kit yourself. I have the skills but not the equipment, so that is why I'm having Micheal cut it for me. I would like to caution you about having a kit cut by someone who does it by hand. Do not expect it to be cut in one day. It takes time to do the job right. And if you order a kit to be cut think about how many kits the guy may have ahead of yours to cut when you order. But if you are willing to wait and let the cutter take his time to do a good job then you will have a very good kit to build.
Having a kit cut by someone is not all that more expensive then buying one off the shelf already cut. And you have the benifit of getting a model of something you really want to build and fly.
I picked up a pre-cut (lazer cut) kit of the Stinson from PKC. It is just O.K. as far as the cutting goes. Many parts were (smaller) broken upon arrivel. But the thing that made me upset with PKC was the fact that some of the wing ribs were cut to short in relation to the plans. I think that this was caused by the person who input the data to the computer that tells the lazer how to cut the parts. I'm now having Michael cut a new set of wing ribs for it by hand.
Some of you may have the tools and skills to cut the entire kit yourself. I have the skills but not the equipment, so that is why I'm having Micheal cut it for me. I would like to caution you about having a kit cut by someone who does it by hand. Do not expect it to be cut in one day. It takes time to do the job right. And if you order a kit to be cut think about how many kits the guy may have ahead of yours to cut when you order. But if you are willing to wait and let the cutter take his time to do a good job then you will have a very good kit to build.
Having a kit cut by someone is not all that more expensive then buying one off the shelf already cut. And you have the benifit of getting a model of something you really want to build and fly.
05-18-2009, 11:49 AM
#117
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
socalsal, what did the kit cost you as cut from micheal? does he have a web sight or email. i have a set of plans for a hughes 1/5 h-1 racer i need cut. thanks
05-19-2009, 12:52 PM
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
The Cessna cost $425.00 for the full kit. That is also what PCK charged me for the SR10. But I'm going to have to spend a bit more on the SR10 so Michael can fix the defects of PCK's kit cutter made. Larry at PCK sends most all of his stuff to an outside lazer cutter. This I feel makes it very very hard for Larry to control the quailty of his kits. His kits are O.K. IMO at best. I still like a hand cut kit as the person cutting it most tiimes has much better control cutting the parts to spec's. To me it is worth the wait to get this quailty. But if your in a big rush to get a kit cut for yourself then you better not have someone cut it by hand.
[email protected]
http://www.kitcutter.com/cut/www.kit...com/index.html
[email protected]
http://www.kitcutter.com/cut/www.kit...com/index.html
05-21-2009, 08:26 AM
#119
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
They're still out there....
Carl Goldberg, Sig, Great Planes...are some of the best.
I'll take a kit over an ARF any day of the week. Even though with a tight schedule it might take me a year to build, they always turn out better than ARFs and it's more satisfying. Plus it keeps me outta trouble.
Carl Goldberg, Sig, Great Planes...are some of the best.
I'll take a kit over an ARF any day of the week. Even though with a tight schedule it might take me a year to build, they always turn out better than ARFs and it's more satisfying. Plus it keeps me outta trouble.
05-22-2009, 10:40 AM
#120
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
<u>Always..</u>........ much better !!
ORIGINAL: ArcticCatRider
They're still out there....
Carl Goldberg, Sig, Great Planes...are some of the best.
I'll take a kit over an ARF any day of the week. Even though with a tight schedule it might take me a year to build, they always turn out better than ARFs and it's more satisfying. Plus it keeps me outta trouble.
They're still out there....
Carl Goldberg, Sig, Great Planes...are some of the best.
I'll take a kit over an ARF any day of the week. Even though with a tight schedule it might take me a year to build, they always turn out better than ARFs and it's more satisfying. Plus it keeps me outta trouble.
05-22-2009, 06:20 PM
#121
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
You've hit the mail on the head there...it's the builders that are missing and then the kit companies starve and go out of business. I'm talking the real kit companies now, not GP and the big boys who have just about everything made overseas (or at least it seems like it to me). What's happened to all of the kit companies that built this hobby balsa stick by balsa stick?
Dale
Dale
05-22-2009, 06:30 PM
#122
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
Idid run into a fellow not too long ago who claimed to be a master builder. He said this as he was looking at a scratch built plane Ihad made. So Iasked him how he came to be qualified as a master builder. He replaied "Because I've successfully built and flow, and built for sale, 12 ARFs in the last 4 years" He said this with a straight face! I couldn't let it go so Iasked to help me out and tell me the difference between C-grain and A-grain balsa and when to use which grain type. His answer was "balsa is balsa, you can use them interchangeably". I just smiled
and went flying.
Dale
and went flying.Dale
05-23-2009, 09:24 AM
#124
RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
I remember the old days,the 70's,when after a nats win in scale or pattern in r/c or c/l you waited to see which company would kit the winner.or what royal had new the next year.top flite gave it a go for awhile but stopped
05-23-2009, 10:11 AM
#125
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RE: Where Have All The Kits Gone ?
If they are making the ARF's why not throw the wood in the box and let us do the assembly as we see fit. Forgot all the hardware as we throw most of it out and just supply the wood, cowls, windshield and landing gear.<div>
</div><div>I too have been building for 38 years and love to stick the wood together.</div><div>
</div><div>JimO </div><div><div>
</div><div>
</div></div>
</div><div>I too have been building for 38 years and love to stick the wood together.</div><div>
</div><div>JimO </div><div><div>
</div><div>
</div></div>