Vincent

My Feedback: (61)

I just had this discussion with my friend Kevin Marks. I wonder how many new jet guys came into the hobby in 06 since the explosion of ARF jet kits or are the same guys just crashing and buying more !!

V..

bevar

My Feedback: (27)

I did.

Beave

Jet Lag

My Feedback: (26)

I think a lot of jet fliers are not building anymore because of the time frame and having to paint the product.The ARF's are very tempting when you look at the time and money involved in building the same model.I do think the ARF's like the Boomerang line are bringing in a lot of new jet fliers to our part of the hobby.

JetsRC

When I got my first jet..., I only got it because it was ARF, I suck at building, plus normally I allways want to get it in the air as fast as posible.

Michel

Ehab

My Feedback: (44)

It is both!!! The quality and variety of ARFs has been increasing at a very fast rate. Non painted arfs are also available. Most modelers may have decided to spend less time building and more time flying. This is a trend that will continue till there are very very few true builders out there....Just the way this section of the hobby is progressing, can't change it...and the prices are getting much better too, so how can one ressit???

uncljoe

My Feedback: (8)

Its like re-inventing the wheel...............its a sickness..

Semper Fi
Joe

AAbdu

My Feedback: (18)

Ehab,
It looks like the Chinese are becoming much better builders. A mass of building talent is moving East

Billy

My Feedback: (15)

For sure these ARF's are bringing in new jet pilots. Not only are they faster to build but most of them are easier to fly. Modern day technology allows use to incorporate a better design to an existing model, whether it be washout in the wing or more efficent flying surfaces. Not only the planes but the hardware going in the jet makes a difference in your flying experience. I haven't been flying too long but I would image back in the days when you had issues with basic components it might be a deterant to new pilots who didn't want to fuss around or they wouldn't fix the problem properly and have a bad result in the air resulting in damage or a crash. My point is that everything now a days is mad easier, is more reliable and cheaper making the hobby more appealing to many.

Don't get me wrong, it's not all about ARF's. Building an arf gives you more time for that special build. The one you don't mind taking a year or two to build.

I think, in a weird way, arfs indirectly make you a better builder. I don't mind taking my time or putting in that extra amount of detail in a kit or non arf plane knowing I can go flying at anytime and have some fun and not worry about if something happens to my ARF. RIP Bobcat.

ravill

My Feedback: (11)

ARF's brought me into this hobby! I built two airplanes (gentle lady and great planes f-14) never again!! Who has that kind of time and patience?

Raf

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

A Gentle Lady? [:'(] You have to start early and distort your perception of time at a young age to have the patience to build a Gentle Lady (with wood glue - not CA - like I did when I was 10!)

Maybe becasue of those types of early traumatic exposures I'm a scratch and kit builder by nature. At one point I had a large majority of my models built from my own plans. However, with my personal time being what it is between family and work (priority in that order) I now find myself at the business end of the ARF sales world gunsight and their barrels are blazing.

I am a jet newbie finally - only becasue I could buy a great looking scale-like ARF jet that has been flight proven. I'm just too time critical to build right now. Being that I'm still a builder at heart I bought an unpainted ARF so I could blend in the seams and lay down a custom paint scheme.

Tom Antlfinger

My Feedback: (24)

Hi Vin:

The Boomer XL really has opened up the jet world to allot of new waiver holders around here and others I have met at meets this year.....not only gets them into jets, but the thing is so docile and simple to build, they can get 50 or more flights on them without a major crash.......definitely keeps their interest up.....much better than the Hotspots and Roos we all teethed on....

Not sure about scale ARFs.....seems like they are more of a predominately scale step-up for those who can't or don't want to build up one of BVM's and other's "Scale Builder's Kits" after getting tired of sport planes.....


Tom

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Most jet purchasers are well-heeled for obvious reasons,and a great many have their airplanes built for them. I M H O whether an airplane is an ARF or a kit is of little consequence as the "newbie" would be purchasing the completed product either way.

avicom

My Feedback: (14)

Agree with you Tom. I crashed my first jet, a Kangaroo on it's 12th flight. After that, got a Boomer XL and have over 30 flights with only few not prefect landings. A great plane for new commers into jets.

Alejandro