[Edge540]

Interesting topic and one I looked at very closely over time. We first got into distribution 11 years ago and I kept track of kit sales virsus ARF sales and have kept track ever since. The hobby has changed dramactically in the past 3 years. These numbers are indeed fact here in Canada and may surprise many of you.

1994 we sold 20 kits to every ARF.
1995 we sold 8 kits to every ARF
1996 we sold 6 kits to every ARF
1997 we sold 3 kits to every ARF
1998 we sold 1 kit to every ARF
1999 we sold 2 ARF to every kit
2000 we sold 5 ARF to every kit
2001 we sold 10 ARF to every kit
2002 we sold 25 ARF to every kit
2003 we sold 40 ARF to every kit
2004 we sold 150 ARF to every kit

This may answer why so many magizines are now putting their efforts toward ARF's.

Don't get me wrong I personally love building but the numbers speak for themselves.

Doug Currie

[Nuker]

Hi Doug,

I curious about the stats (yeah I'm a number nerd) but anyway, when you say 150 ARFS to every kit, are you including foamies, parkfliers, firebirds etc etc in those numbers? Or are they straight comparisons of say a 4-star 40 arf to a 4 star 40 kit type of thing?

Do you categorize planes that are not on the standard RC channels with a dedicated transmitter for $100 as an arf?

Nope not looking for I fight here, I am, in all honesty, curious what your numbers work out from.

I do agree though, financially, ARFS in general are where the precious advertizing dollars would go.

Bob

[ronm]

Doug, your chart pretty much follows the price/quality ratio of kits compared to ARFs over the last few years.

It makes perfect sense why people would buy more and more ARFs.

And of course, the magazines have to follow suit and cover what is selling.

[Kevin McGrath]

There are a lot of factors at work regarding this subject including the apparent North American need for instant gratification,cost,leisure time,and what an individual is looking for in the hobby.
I have dropped all my subscriptions because there is little of interest in any of the mags for me anymore,particularly with the net supplying endless information on any modelling flying or building activity.
The total scope of the sport/hobby is expanding which bodes well for the future of our activity,and there wont always be emerging nations where small assembly lines can be set up to duplicate a model and fill a shipping container for North America based on workers earning 10% of a US wage and glad to get it.The world is shrinking and that wont stop.
Personally I love building and tuning engines and dont have much interest in electric or indoor flying.However I fly a lot too ,so I consider myself fortunate to live where there are distinct building and flying seasons,and flying land is fairly easily available
ARFs are good value if you are looking at cost only to put a model in the air and the quality is still improving,but I believe competant builders can still turn out a superior product.
If you love scale or want something unique though you still have to build it or pay someine to do it for you.
Incidentally if you want something really unique like a Vaillancourt Hurricane or a Ziroli DC3 dont forget kit cutters some of whom turn out the most beautiful kits you will ever see,but they aint cheap.

[1936_flying_aces_stick]

I hope people stick with building kits just as much as ARFS. To me, I prefer to build a kit and find joy in flying it after it's done. I feel thats an accomplishment. The quality of ARFs are improving. I aswell as others feel that pulling off a maneuver that I have been working on is also an accomplishment. I guess it's just a personal preference as to whether your into Building, flying or both. That decides whether or not an ARF is for you.

Believe it or not in 1985 I learned on an ARF, a Thunder Tiger Skylark 40. It was a poor excuse for a plane but got the job done none the less. In the years between 1985 and 2002 all my planes were kits or scratch built ( about maybe 30 airplanes ) I moved ( for 9 - 10 months of the year ) to the Canadian Arctic in 1992 and still continued to build and shipped the completed planes to Halifax, #1 in '94 cost me nothing ( they let me take it as baggage ) #2 in '97 cost me $100.00 ( excess baggage ) #3 in '99 cost me $300 ( I had to send cargo ) #4 in '01 cost me $975 ( yes you heard it right ). These planes were boxed in plywood and were all very close in size.

In 2002 I bought my first ARF in 17 years, have bought 2 more since and am looking for another for the MVVS 1.60 gas engine I have on the way. I also have a dozen kits in my attic in Halifax waiting for my retirement ( about 1 year away ) and my permanent move back to Halifax. I quess what I am saying is I like building, no I love building, but ARF's filled a real nitch in MY hobby and have made it much more enjoyable for me, but given the choice I would rather build.

[wise guy]

I started building model in 1950s and enjoyed that aspect of the sport. Many hours were spent on building a model which i loved to do. Learned to handle an Exacto knife, read plans, paint, solder metal parts, make gas tanks and carve propellers and learn how to trim planes to fly right. I flew u- control, rubber , and free flight at that time or any thing with wings and embraced it all. Today rtf are another way to fly and enjoy the sport, also it is much cheaper compared to kits . Flying Models is the one magizine that I subscribe to because it covers all aspects of the hobby. Still get light headed to the smell of Bruitate dope and Ambriod glue older builder know what I mean.

[David_Moen]

I hope kits don't go away all together. I've only been in the hobby for a fewy years, and I have only kit-built one airplane, but it was one of the most satisfying thing's I've ever done. When life gives me enough spare time to build, I hope there is still a good assortment of kits to choose from. Until then, I look closley at the quality of many ARFs and I see that the build quality is superior to what I could do myself, and the price is so reasonable, it's hard to justify taking the time to build a kit.

[2thelmt]

My last two airplanes were ARF's because simply they are so cheap to buy.
If I could buy the same as a kit for a fraction of the cost, I would happily buy the kit form. Why is a kit more $ when you factor in the labour? ARFs require labour to build, even if its a low cost Chinese labourer, then why not offer the same plane in kit form for less $.
I don't get it...

[ronm]

Originally Posted by 2thelmt

Why is a kit more $ when you factor in the labour? ARFs require labour to build, even if its a low cost Chinese labourer, then why not offer the same plane in kit form for less $.
I don't get it...

My point exactly.......