[J_Budd]

Hi all, hopefully this subject hasn't been beat to death already...(I did a search of the Forum, and surprisingly couldn't find much).

There are many brands to choose from when looking into a balsa kit...From what I gather, some of the big ones are: ACE, BALSA USA, GREAT PLANES, HERR, TOP FLITE, etc etc etc

I am assuming some brands are better than others in various respects.

I am wondering if some should be steered-clear of?

Likely, I will be building to fly as an intermediate level, ELECTRIC model, likely 4/5ch, size anywhere from 30"-60"...

I realize this is a fairly subjective question, like asking if I should buy a Ford, Dodge, or Honda etc... but any personal experiences would be a great help.

Thanks!

[gi1mo2]

I have a CL-415 from HobbyKing, 2 Parkzone (Extra 300 and F4U Corsia). All foam and easy to repair. Parkzone is better in this case. Hangar 9 is best for scale model such as my Piper J-3 Cub. I looked at E-Flite and hesitated before my purchase. Would have been a great choice. At our club, there are many other brands, and none have been marked as "stay away from". Price is often related to quality. Most important is the quality of the components you put in. Stick with recommendations to ensure proper Center of Gravity and power requirements.

[Ramz]

Originally Posted by gi1mo2

I have a CL-415 from HobbyKing, 2 Parkzone (Extra 300 and F4U Corsia). All foam and easy to repair. Parkzone is better in this case. Hangar 9 is best for scale model such as my Piper J-3 Cub. I looked at E-Flite and hesitated before my purchase. Would have been a great choice. At our club, there are many other brands, and none have been marked as "stay away from". Price is often related to quality. Most important is the quality of the components you put in. Stick with recommendations to ensure proper Center of Gravity and power requirements.

I think he is looking at kits...not ARF's. A kit is usually a box of precut pieces and various sizes of balsa and hardwood sticks and sheets.

[gi1mo2]

Originally Posted by Ramz

I think he is looking at kits...not ARF's. A kit is usually a box of precut pieces and various sizes of balsa and hardwood sticks and sheets.

Gotcha - missed that important word

[philipa_240sx]

Originally Posted by J_Budd

Likely, I will be building to fly as an intermediate level, ELECTRIC model, likely 4/5ch, size anywhere from 30"-60"...

I have built several of Pat Tritle's models. He tends to design electric park flyers in the 30-60" range. The designs are very light and won't take heavy abuse so I tend to recommend them to more experienced modellers/pilots.

They are fantastic models though. There are all great flyers and the newer ones are designed around brushless motors.

Many of Pat's newer designs can be found on his website:

http://www.patscustom-models.com/

He also did several designs for Dumas, most notably the 1800 series. They are mostly 3ch and under 40" WS:

http://www.dumasproducts.com/

And a few of his older kits can still be purchased from Dare Hobby:

http://www.darehobby.com/airplanes/a...lectric-01.htm

A few of my Pat Tritle Models:

[philipa_240sx]

Originally Posted by J_Budd

There are many brands to choose from when looking into a balsa kit...From what I gather, some of the big ones are: ACE, BALSA USA, GREAT PLANES, HERR, TOP FLITE, etc

I've built a Herr Mini-Sport kit. Not a bad plane really. The kit is self jigging and goes together quickly. I would build another.

I've had nothing but bad luck with Great Planes. Mostly this stems from their lack of support and spare parts. This is just my experience though.

[tallone66]

I f building, you can't go wrong with Sig, Top flight, Great planes, balsa USA ect.....
There are a ton of manufacturers out there, some good, some not so good. It can be a crap shoot, if building scale, the desision gets even harder, as some manufacturers make some pretty dicy kits, and charge like a premeum kit. The fourums here can help with the desision as well. But once again, you can nt go wrong with the ones listed above, they have been around, and have stood the test of time for a reason. Manufatuerers who make junk do not last to long in the hobby.
My 2c worth.
Cheers
Derrick

[Cougar429]

Pica is another good kit maker, but IMO is for a more experienced builder. Balsa USA makes some excellent kits. Only complaint is some of the older models are a bit skimpy on instructions.

One other factor can be the quality of wood. A good kit will contain higher grain wood for higher stress areas and unfortunately I cannot offer any specifics.

Glad to see someone still out there looking to start from a kit. There is a lot to be said for bringing a box full of stick and sheets of wood to life.

[philipa_240sx]

Originally Posted by Cougar429

One other factor can be the quality of wood. A good kit will contain higher grain wood for higher stress areas and unfortunately I cannot offer any specifics.

That's one of the reasons I like building short kits. Since the only the ribs and formers are usually included, it allows me to hand select the remainig balsa used for longerons, stringers, wing spars etc.

[Madman]

I have built great planes (OK, nothing special), Graupner (Early electric or glow kit, again OK nothing special), and SIG (excellent laser cutting and wood quality).

my $0.02

Stephen