Radio Control Aircraft – (ARF) Versus (RC Kit)

Flying model airplanes is something I have enjoyed most of my life. Like many people my age, I got my start in the hobby as a child, flying control line planes. My first aircraft was a Cox PT-19 .049 Flight Trainer. It was heavy and didn’t fly very well, but I loved it. After the Cox was damaged beyond repair, my dad took me to a real hobby store where we picked out my first gear. My father was a long time model airplane enthusiast. In those days, they built all the models of him from kits. ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) pre-made models weren’t even available at the time. So from the very beginning, I had to learn to build airplanes before I had a chance to fly them.

Years later, I started flying with radio control. I started with a 2 meter glider, then moved to powered flight. The first type of ARF plane I bought was a Duraplane Aerobat 40. It was supposed to be nearly indestructible. However, I finally managed to destroy it. It was heavy and had to be flown at high speed. What I learned early on is that these pre-built ARF planes were convenient, but they were a bit heavy and didn’t fly as well as my team-built planes.

The same is true today. The best flying plane is the one that is built strong, light and true. The old saying goes “build light flies well” and “build straight flies great”. When you buy an R/C ARF or RTF (Ready To Fly) airplane today, you are most likely buying a product that was put together in some factory in China as quickly as possible, using the cheapest parts and supplies to get the job done. . done. It’s true that some ARFs are better than others, but even the good ones don’t compare to the quality of materials you’ll find in a reputable RC kit.

Unfortunately, the final cost of a kit built aircraft versus a pre-built aircraft is about the same. Because you can buy a good .40 size RC trainer kit for around $75, it might lead you to believe that it’s cheaper than buying a similar type of ARF plane for $110 somewhere on the market. What you need to consider is that you may still need to purchase a fuel tank, wheels, wheel collars, fuel tubes, stickers, covering material, and other items that are not included in your RC kit. Most good RC kits will list the items needed to finish the job. This alone is enough to guide some people who are eager to fly towards purchasing an AFR or RTF aircraft type. Why would you want to buy something that will take days or weeks to build if it costs about the same as a pre-built airplane?

The answer for me is simply the enjoyment of the building process. If you like to play games or use your hands to make things, then you’ll probably love building an airplane from an RC kit. But if you hesitate to try to build something after the disaster with the particleboard entertainment center his wife brought home from Wal-mart for you to assemble, take a breather. The blueprints that come in good kits are usually full size and very well written. Most people have an average skill level and will build just fine with a kit.

I also realize that some people just don’t have any desire to build an airplane out of a box of bits and pieces. It’s okay. Building an airplane from a set of blueprints and a box of assorted balsa and plywood can seem a bit daunting. And, if this is your first time building an RC kit, you may also need to purchase some building materials and tools which will again increase the cost of the plane. These are all good things to consider. However, the nice thing about tools is that you can keep them for the next project. .

Also, if you enjoy learning all the intricacies of your chosen hobby, you should consider building from a kit. I have learned a lot about aircraft design, construction techniques and aerodynamics by assembling my own aircraft. If you’re just getting started with flying RC airplanes, then the knowledge, skills, and ability you gain from building your own airplane will be invaluable. I would also suggest that people who have purchased an ARF for their first and/or second plane consider building an RC kit for their next project. It really takes you to a higher level of the hobby. Once you’ve built a few kits, you’ll find yourself making slight modifications to customize or improve your aircraft. You’ll borrow design ideas from one sheet set and apply them to another. Or you can try something completely different altogether…

I used the design model (TLAR) to make my first aircraft design modifications. Which is a very precise and intricate method which means (That seems right)! The first time I tried to modify an airplane was when I found the wing of a crashed glider in the woods near my house. I guess I was about 15 years old at the time. I took two feet of the wing of the crashed glider and attached a solid balsa fuselage to it. Next I added an engine mount, tail feathers and then installed an extra bell crank I had from a previous crashed model. I put a .049 engine in it, started it up and was in business! Granted, building a line of control model from scratch is a lot easier than an RC plane, but I was still proud of my creation.

The first time I did a modification to an RC airplane it was also a memorable experience. I was in my .40 size trainer. I had already learned to fly and had switched to a more aerobatic plane. So the trainer had been sitting on the perch for a while. Then one day my friend asked me to teach him how to fly. I hadn’t really thought of myself as an instructor, but I was looking forward to having a partner to fly with. These were also the days before I joined a flying club.

So I dusted off the trainer and took my friend to a large empty soccer complex to give him his first flying lesson. He was a very fast learner and after flying around for a while, we got some attention from the neighborhood kids. This was a pretty normal occurrence. I have always liked the way model airplanes appeal to children. I guess it reminds me of when I was a kid. In fact, if I have a buddy box hooked up, I usually let one or two of the kids fly around for a bit at a decent altitude! On this particular day, one of the more creative kids asked, “Hey sir, can your plane drop bombs?” Of course I said no, but the kid in me thought, “That would be great!”

When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about that boy’s question. My creative juices started flowing and soon I found myself in the garage dismantling my plane. I used the aircraft design knowledge I had gained from building kits to decide the best place to carry an additional payload. Of course, it only made sense to place it above the center of gravity. That way it wouldn’t be heavy on the nose or tail. If I kept it balanced, I felt the added weight wouldn’t affect the flight characteristics as much. However, to my dismay, the receiver, servos, landing gear, and battery were already piled high above the center of gravity. So, to make room for the intended bomb bay, I had to move the receiver and servo locations towards the rear of the ship. I also had to move the battery forward and then add a small amount of nose weight to keep the plane balanced. The landing gear had to stay put. It really wasn’t that hard.

The next step was to design a hinged door that would open and close via a servo using the extra channel on my 6 channel radio. Clever! The result was a remote-controlled bomb bay that was large enough to fit an extra-large AA-grade chicken egg. It worked wonderfully! However, we soon had to drop the “egg bomb” idea. It ended up being a bit too destructive. It’s amazing what a silly little egg can do to the hood of a 1972 Dodge Dart from a height of a hundred feet! Oh! So I switched to skydivers and the kids liked it even better!

I have really enjoyed building and flying model airplanes over the years. Most of the planes I have built and flown came from RC kits. But I think the pinnacle of any kit building career is when you design and build your first plane from scratch, without a purchased set of blueprints. Scratching has turned out to be the most fun and challenging part of the hobby for me. I’ve learned how to cut my own wing foam cores, boost my engine power, and make airplane parts out of the most unlikely and ordinary elements. Talk about being frugal. The last plane I created cost me $20 to build and it flew like a bat out of hell!

Although I could probably write an entire book on building from scratch, the scope of this article is to discuss the pros and cons of building an airplane from an RC kit instead of buying an ARF or RTF. So here it goes!

The benefits are: you’ll learn a lot more about the plane you’re flying, you’ll learn more about aerodynamics and aviation, you’ll learn how to modify and improve existing designs, and possibly discover a whole new side of the hobby. of RC airplanes to enjoy. The downsides are: you may end up spending more money on tools and supplies initially, you’ll spend more time in the shop before you have an airworthy ship to fly, and building a plane from an RC kit requires a basic level of skill.

The fact is that building airplanes from scratch or with an RC kit is not for everyone. If you’re just starting out and eager to fly, perhaps an ARF trainer is a better choice for your first plane. If you simply don’t have the extra time to devote to the hobby at the moment, then an RTF or ARF might be more suitable for you. But keep in mind, at some point in your hobby, you may want to reconsider building a model airplane from an RC kit. For me, there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment and a sense of pride when I stand back and admire a newly completed aircraft that has been built from scratch or from a kit. In fact, it’s fair to say that I enjoy building as much as I enjoy flying. And that’s the truth.