Originally Posted by NoFlyZone

Exactly! It never died. While we were busy looking elsewhere, it actually steadily got more popular than ever before, with dozens and dozens and dozens of new companies starting up to satisfy the craving for builders.

This is what I find funny about this thread. People really need to look around and see just how immensely popular building really is...

Chuck

Exactly. And if you include modding ARFs, it is amazing how much is going on.

At some point, many pages back in this thread, I came to the conclusion that model airplane building is alive and well. If I could change the title of the thread to "How to Promote Model Building", I would! It seems as though since that point in time, I have had to reiterate that I think building is doing fine every couple of pages. Here it is again!

Many of you espouse that building in foam is popular! So, lets have some of you foamy guys do a build thread on a quick building foam airplane right here! This isn't the first time I've asked for this to happen, either. As Pinecone has stated above, let's be inclusive of modifying ARFs! Got a project your working on, talk about it; or, post some photos of it here!

There will always be biases! I have them! Since I started working with Balsa in the 1950s, when I think about building, I gravitate towards balsa, spruce and plywood! I have no interest in changing and don't need people to suggest that I do, as this is my hobby and it's about what I want to do with the small amount of free time I have available! This doesn't mean I have never had a foam airplane, to the contrary I've had many!

We need to stop trying to suggest to people they need to do anything different than what they want to do, with their hobby! That is a stupid endeavor!

"Many of you espouse that building in foam is popular! So, lets have some of you foamy guys do a build thread on a quick building foam airplane right here!"

Well, that would mean that we'd have to move away from a forum that's 100% dedicated to building and one that's pretty much busy all the time to a forum that's still mostly about building, but not nearly as active. It would also mean that we'd probably be double posting, since we'd want to post it on the scratchbuilt foamies forum as well to get input and ideas from others there.

Originally Posted by springer

"Many of you espouse that building in foam is popular! So, lets have some of you foamy guys do a build thread on a quick building foam airplane right here!"

Well, that would mean that we'd have to move away from a forum that's 100% dedicated to building and one that's pretty much busy all the time to a forum that's still mostly about building, but not nearly as active. It would also mean that we'd probably be double posting, since we'd want to post it on the scratchbuilt foamies forum as well to get input and ideas from others there.

Yep, it would definitely get warned for cross posting.

We could ask permission you know.

Originally Posted by Legot

We could ask permission you know.

Probably, but like springer says, this area is not visited nearly as much as the scratchbuilt forum, and wouldn't get the kind of back and forth feedback that the correct forum would.

FYI.. I'm building the Funder and Lightning.... search for it. full size plans in the thread...easy to build, fairly fast aerobatic twin boom, single motor foamie!

Originally Posted by springer

Well, that would mean that we'd have to move away from a forum that's 100% dedicated to building and one that's pretty much busy all the time to a forum that's still mostly about building, but not nearly as active. It would also mean that we'd probably be double posting, since we'd want to post it on the scratchbuilt foamies forum as well to get input and ideas from others there.

Yes, and you'd be exposing people who might think they have no interest in building in foam/do not know about it, to the wonders of your craft! Isn't that how people become educated/interested in different ways of doing things?

Yeah, I suppose so.... (he said, scuffing his toes in the dirt) Perhaps I'll do a build thread on the 24" span Dollar store foam mini racer that I'm going to get back on right after the new wing for my 34" PV2 30's racer and the onesheetBipe. Might be fun to try a thread to introduce folks to foam building.

Thermalin: havent' built a funder, but follow the thread and they look like fun planes. (I was in a twin boom kick a couple of years ago, and did three versions of slow cats. Got it out of my system for a while, but one never knows.....)

I'm surprised at how little folk seem to browse all the amazing stuff that's here on RCG. Even on slow dial up, I pick a forum I haven't been to from time to time and just browse a while. It's how I stumbled across this thread and the interesting conversations on it....

One thing that would help bring back building is to support those who supply you with what you need in your hobby. The reason kits have dwindled is because they ain't selling. Some of us have been trying to keep various kits alive and design new stuff but from my experience it is a labor of love and not a money making venture. I do it because it is part of how my hobby has developed and it is what I enjoy. ARF's are the bulk of the market because they are selling and able to make money for the manufacturer/distributor and retailer involved. It has nothing to do with which is most pure. The kit business has been voted out of popularity. Only you can bring it back.

Mark Miller
www.isthmusmodels.com

True... but when kits were in their hay-day there was a lack of interesting models as well. If you wanted something different you were plans building. The only difference I see today is that the ARF market offers a bit less variation than kits did some years ago.
This is a stretch but it's similar to the automarket. The majority are RTD (ready to drive). If you want something different you carbash (similar to kitbash) or build it however the overwhelming majority of consumers are satisfied with mass production
Mike

As a kit producer, it's following the market demands and their tastes which drives it, so it's really back into the hobbiests hands. If there is more interest in any area, even if it has zero merit unto a direction to go, if anything, just a change of pace or visuals, then this is what gets produced. A couple of years ago, it seemed people were more interested in this or that particular model, so they talked about them. The kit mfg's have to guess as to where their tastes will lean towards in the future, so they have to wait and see, and be prepared to react quickly, or they pioneer their own stuff and hope it sells.

It's a viscious loop when it comes down to it, but that's the reality of it all. What I see in kit manufacturing, volume wise is one thing poor, what's worse is the lack of diversity, we are so very limited, not a whole lot to choose from, and I'm really not wanting to build "yet again" another Guillow's kits, I've done plenty, time to move on folks.

I enjoy the scratch building process, if anything, so that I can create exactly what I want, not wait for the market to catch up or what ever. If I want a faster bash, I'd like access to quality, lazer cut out kits with clear written instructions. Why is this so hard to ask? The kits need to be park flyer size or larger, not scaled back so much, you have to really struggle to find the appropriate gear for it, can't just toss in what you typically have on hand.

I'm at a loss here as to why, when I walk into the LHS and see many thousand K in plastic models, crafts, etc. it totally increases the volume of cash they have tied into it, doing nothing, especially when those shelves could be covered with kits, materials, parts, ect. Even many of these store owners simply are not being focused enough about what they stock, if something does not sell, move it and replace it with something that will.

So, we typically walk in, see a stack of boxes, thrown together RTF's, massively overpriced gear, and are told that we should frequent the places more often... We are paying more because these guys don't know how to properly fine tune their businesses. That's the bottom line here, and the ones that give you the "Franchise won't let us do it" excuse, mention to them that if they started another LHS without the franchise umbrella, and listen and put into play what us rc guys need there, then you would continue to be a loyal customer of his even if the spot wasn't as convenient for you to get to.

We have options here folks, and I had to point out some things we keep overlooking. If we want to make this work, we have to all speak up, you know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease type of thing. This is what's needed here.

Originally Posted by Thermalin

True... but when kits were in their hay-day there was a lack of interesting models as well. If you wanted something different you were plans building. Mike

I don't remember it that way! To me there were so many great kits I wanted to build and so little time to do it! Of course my interests have always been airplanes that looked like airplanes! Never got into Pattern flying, so pattern ships just held no interest for me. However, I've always liked good flying airplanes too. I've had couple Ultra Sticks, a couple The HOTS, Sig Kougers with .60s in them, Caps, etc...

Originally Posted by Mode One

I don't remember it that way! To me there were so many great kits I wanted to build and so little time to do it! Of course my interests have always been airplanes that looked like airplanes! Never got into Pattern flying, so pattern ships just held no interest for me. However, I've always liked good flying airplanes too. I've had couple Ultra Sticks, a couple The HOTS, Sig Kougers with .60s in them, Caps, etc...

Interesting. Here you wonder how to get people to start building again but in another thread you request people not to post builds. How can we promote something with out spreading the word?
Mike

Mike, It's my opinion you were hijacking that thread. I asked you nicely 3 times to start your own build thread!