10/22/05

Chief Editor,

 

I'm a kit builder; I build for hire to support my hobby. I have built 100’s of planes, most of which were 50” and larger R/C kits. I have hacked at many ARF’s adapting them to electric by lighting them, adding battery access hatches, modifications for motor mounts etc.

Most ARF’s of wood are some kind of hybrid gas conversions. With electric flight being the future, the ARF industry has a lot of work to do to catch up. When the manufactures start making kits designed for electric flight, it’s possible that you will see more kit builders making the switch.

Now ARF’s of foam are becoming very popular, but there is still a level of building involved. For many, the skill set to build a foam kit is steep and makes for a rough ride. These type kits such as Flying Styro, Graupner, GWS, and others allow the builder to make minor modifications. Painting, retracts, and maybe some kit bashing gives the builder much satisfaction.

With the evolution of laser kits, we have seen a major change in kit quality. The quality of the laser has made kit building much easier with quicker builds, lighter airframes and more accuracy.  These style kits are typically designed for electric flight; this makes it more attractive to the average builder. Laser kits are my choice for building, but the choice is limited.

ARF’s vs. Kit reviews for me should be balanced 50-50. The ARF reviews should contain information on types of glues, how-to’s on building modifications for hatches, motor mounts etc., and repairing ARF’s after a mishap with the ground. The kit reviews should contain information on quality, construction issues, and how-to’s on keeping it light. Another set of reviews could be more generic, talking about setting up servos and linkages, covering, motor mounts etc.

One last thought- How-to’s on 3D flying has been beat to the ground; an area that needs reviewing is "Flying a Scale Plane". This would cover issues such as  how-to ROG a warbird,  the rudder to co-ordinate turns and the rudder for landing, and how to limit the elevator to prevent that dreaded snap.


Thanks for listening,
Mike Morgan