Turn-Key Services?
11-30-2006, 04:47 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Turn-Key Services?
Hi,
Do you guys think there's much of a market for 'turn-key' services? For those of you who don't have time to build (or even assemble/install), what would it be worth to have someone ship you a charge-and-fly ARF? I'm not really thinking of the electric or park-fly type stuff, I'm more talking about the high-end warbirds, aerobats and jets.
Thanks!
Do you guys think there's much of a market for 'turn-key' services? For those of you who don't have time to build (or even assemble/install), what would it be worth to have someone ship you a charge-and-fly ARF? I'm not really thinking of the electric or park-fly type stuff, I'm more talking about the high-end warbirds, aerobats and jets.
Thanks!
11-30-2006, 05:07 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: PerthWA, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 2,924
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Turn-Key Services?
Only you know what your particular business requires in the way of overhead recovery, profit margin etc. Why not work out what you would need to charge and give the market some idea of what the cost would be for say one example of each of the aircraft types mentioned.
In West Oz, where most of my planes are based, and where the weather is excellent to fly all year round. I willingly pay a person to build all of my aircraft for me. Kits as well as ARFs. I am only back there for 1 or 2 week ends every 6 - 12 weeks so I don't have time to build. The typical charge for an ARF from the fellow is around 1 - 1.5 times the cost of the Kit, for a Kit - it depends a lot on the type - A profile MoJo 60 recently cost me A$150 for him to build. I haven't had a more complicated kit built by him yet. The person is an excellent builder - one of the best that I have ever come across, retired and does this work to fund his own hobby (so he isn't exactly paying for factory space etc - and I provide or pay for all materials up front) - it's a win-win for both of us and he sure can do covering a whole lot better than I can too.
In West Oz, where most of my planes are based, and where the weather is excellent to fly all year round. I willingly pay a person to build all of my aircraft for me. Kits as well as ARFs. I am only back there for 1 or 2 week ends every 6 - 12 weeks so I don't have time to build. The typical charge for an ARF from the fellow is around 1 - 1.5 times the cost of the Kit, for a Kit - it depends a lot on the type - A profile MoJo 60 recently cost me A$150 for him to build. I haven't had a more complicated kit built by him yet. The person is an excellent builder - one of the best that I have ever come across, retired and does this work to fund his own hobby (so he isn't exactly paying for factory space etc - and I provide or pay for all materials up front) - it's a win-win for both of us and he sure can do covering a whole lot better than I can too.
11-30-2006, 07:21 PM
#3
RE: Turn-Key Services?
Shaun,
If you are looking at building such items you already have people doing this. There are several people that will build a turn key set up. The folks that buy these set ups usually have the $$$ already and don't mind the costs. You asked about something similar to this in the warbirds section a while ago. The only thing you can do is try a couple and see if they sell.
If you are looking at building such items you already have people doing this. There are several people that will build a turn key set up. The folks that buy these set ups usually have the $$$ already and don't mind the costs. You asked about something similar to this in the warbirds section a while ago. The only thing you can do is try a couple and see if they sell.
11-30-2006, 07:29 PM
#4
RE: Turn-Key Services?
Maybe it's just the region I live in--I tried to build kits and ARFs for guys last season when I was hurt with back problems. I couldn't get anyone to even cough up $50 to assemble an ARF or frame a kit. [
]
Everyone loves my building abilities when they see a kit that I've built. And I've had great comments about my assembly techniques with ARFs. I know people think I do a nice job, so don't anyone call me a hack. [>:]
It must be just tire kickers and people who WISH they could aford to pay a guy to build for them.
]Everyone loves my building abilities when they see a kit that I've built. And I've had great comments about my assembly techniques with ARFs. I know people think I do a nice job, so don't anyone call me a hack. [>:]
It must be just tire kickers and people who WISH they could aford to pay a guy to build for them.
11-30-2006, 10:18 PM
#5
My Feedback: (123)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Hattiesburg,
MS
Posts: 1,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Turn-Key Services?
I payed a couple of hundred dollars to have a kit built and I loved it! Well worth the dough. I would have several more warbirds if I had a reliable source to build it for me. Starting with a Skyshark ,etc.etc... I personally think there is a HUGE market for it. I could afford to have a kit or two a year built, not to mention the heavy hitters over in the jet arena.
12-01-2006, 10:32 AM
#6
Thread Starter
RE: Turn-Key Services?
Ken,
This is altogether different than what I brought up in the Warbirds section. That had to do with factory-built ARFs. This is about taking that ARF and getting totally ready to fly for a customer.
This is altogether different than what I brought up in the Warbirds section. That had to do with factory-built ARFs. This is about taking that ARF and getting totally ready to fly for a customer.
12-01-2006, 10:46 AM
#7
My Feedback: (1)
RE: Turn-Key Services?
Shaun, I have been doing just that for over 25 years. I have built from plans, kits, and ARFs. I have built everything from Byron, Yellow Aircraft, Composite ARF, Carden Aircraft, Top flight, Great Planes, and Horizon Hobbies, just to name a few. I will provide the level of finish the customer wants, and charge accordingly. I am not getting rich by no means, but it does pay for my hobby and allows me to build a variety of different aircraft, and meet new and interesting people. Love building also.
Gary Webb
Gary Webb
12-01-2006, 11:25 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Garland, TX
Posts: 6,544
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Turn-Key Services?
I think pricing is allover the board for this kind of work. I paid $100 to have an Astro Hog built to ‘ready to fly’ status. I shipped everything to him and we met at a fun fly halfway between our locations when it was finished. Building wood/foam crates for shipping would add significantly to the cost for non-local customers. Truck freight, or Greyhound, adds even more. I think proper shipping would have cost a lot more than the build fee. I paid nothing up front; of course someone I’d never met did have several hundred dollars worth of my brand new parts.
I provided most of the ‘hard parts.’
Kit, Covering, Engine, Flight pack, Wheels, Fuel tank, and an assortment of small hardware.
He provided the glue, sandpaper, and building supplies.
We agreed that he would buy any parts or hardware that I missed and I would pay his actual cost at time of delivery. It turned out that I didn’t miss anything that he felt he needed to charge for.
The guy did a good job on my plane. I changed a few things, like rerouting throttle linkage and adding more fuelproofing, but otherwise was happy. Other people used his services and had huge problems.
I provided most of the ‘hard parts.’
Kit, Covering, Engine, Flight pack, Wheels, Fuel tank, and an assortment of small hardware.
He provided the glue, sandpaper, and building supplies.
We agreed that he would buy any parts or hardware that I missed and I would pay his actual cost at time of delivery. It turned out that I didn’t miss anything that he felt he needed to charge for.
The guy did a good job on my plane. I changed a few things, like rerouting throttle linkage and adding more fuelproofing, but otherwise was happy. Other people used his services and had huge problems.
