[pianodude]

i was at the field last week and out of seventeen!! planes only two were built from kits(mine and another older dude). this is not a slag against arf's but i really want to know why most fliers don't build anymore. we are all busy with work, families, home stuff, etc. i have as little time as anyone, but still managed six complete builds this year(.40 and .60 size airplanes).thoughts? john

[hifly2104]

I love to build I have two I have been working on for the past two/three years. Quality cost and speed is the main reason I buy arf's. Most arf's now the quality is very very good,weight usually is lighter than I can build. Speed just a couple of nights for most arf's and they are flying. Cost definately cheaper,time you buy a kit and the covering oh the glue just put you way over the cost of an Arf hardware etc etc. Yes I will probably always build but Arf's for most are here to stay. Now Ed on here has a real talent so has Jerome out west. If they build a plane and you or I buy it it is a custom made ARF

[cassat]

Yes John,

A lot of people do not have the time anymore. One of the reasons that interested me in the heli world.....5 minutes of work each time and you are flying pretty soon !
Other reasons are some people just can't handle the balsa dust etc.

[Hughes500E]

Most couldn't build to save their lives, this is not a bad statement, just fact.
ARF's keep them in the hobby. Those of us that love to build will build. Unfortunately finding the materials to build scale is not always easy. I would like to see everyone build at least once, highly recommended

[Bdegan]

I used to build all my planes. I would still build and have time to build.
But I do not currently have a space to build.



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[Guest]

For me it's lack of time and lack of a space, mostly the lack of space, however that will be changing soon, moving into a new shop which will have a model airplane room! Looking forward to that!

[roscoe]

With about a four month flying season, if I didn't build, I'd go nuttier than I already am! The sad fact of the matter is that a builder will have to spend more for the materials than a lot fof pretty nice ARF's come down for.
That fact notwithstanding, you cannot beat the feeling when you roll out the new project, and it flies like a dream. It's a real rush in m y book.
The only downside these days is all the crap I heard about all the building time I would have after retirement turned out to be just that!
Man I love the smell of balsa dust and cement!

[hevee]

This topic has been discussed so many times on this forum. Arfs vs kits, glow vs electric and it goes on and on. As stated before some people like to build, some don't. Myself, I have built half a dozen kits over the past 5 or so years I have been in the hobby and it's gotten to the point where I find it sort of redundant. What I enjoy doing is taking an existing arf or already built kit airplane, and go over it's airframe and make improvements to it's design. I might change the control surface area, servo locations whatever I don't like I change.

Another thing I look at is dollar wise, it make no sense for me to build a kit by time you ad glues, covering and replacing the garbage hardware supplied with the kits. Also inhaling all that balsa dust and CA glue isnt good over the long term.

[Lash]

Dollarwise,arf's might win, but the satisfaction you get from creating something from plans or a kit and then showing up at the field with something that is different from all the cookie cutter airplanes is worth more to me than the dollar value.
Building is a great stress reliever too.

[Tomahawk]

Down the road we will be reminiscing about arfs because every thing you can buy is bind and fly. You can see it now with the planes coming out. Take the plane out of the box, charge the batteries and fly.

I have a friend now who assembles arfs for people because basically they can't be bothered. All they want to do is fly the plane.

Chris