Do you mostly build from plans, kits, or ARF for your foamys?

i go for ARFs. i have no idea on how to cut foam or what types you should use etc etc.

phreak - think you forgot to vote? (0 still for ARFs)

Nice logo BTW

i voted b4 i replied... it showed up for me

66.67% vs. 33.33%-i think we're winning!

hardlock,

Trouble is, I'd need to vote in all 3 categories (like a lot of people I suppose)!

While I'm grateful for the convenience of an ARTF, I've no objections to scratch building, if it produces the model I want. And it's generally cheaper too...

tim

I didn't know what to vote for either... I've got (flyable) 2 ARFs and a hand-me-down already-built kit (that ARF or kit?) and non-flyable are 2 scratch-builds and another kit. Which makes it 2/2/2...

Of course "mostly" is another relative term! I could have 20 ARFs and a single scratch-build, but if it averages 1 hour to assemble each ARF and I've got 50 hours in the single scratch-build, does that mean I'm "mostly" scratch cos I spent more time on it?

Hey !!!

you left out the "All the above" selection from your poll

I'd have to vote all the above too. I have arfs like the great tigermoth. I also scratch build and though they are usually crude by kit standards, there is just something about watching your own design fly. It's all good.

Hmmm.........let's see.
I've built arf's, kits, and now I've built my first scratchbuilt "E" powered plane. The Seawind from S&E mag April 2001. I enjoy the "quick build" of arf's and kit's. But I am receiving the most satisfaction from scratch building. Now let's hope she flies.

Nice job rudderman! Any thrustline problems?

Any "all of the above" votes would cancel out relative to percentages? If so then a no vote would be the same I guess.

By "most" I mean that you make and fly. I've always bought balsa ARFs but myself a builder from way-back. Just never enough time, and want to fly more.

Recently I not only discovered the ease of foam bashing with the Wally Wing project but that even scratch building w/foam doesn't have to be much more work that some ARFs!

In fact, I've "re"discovered the pleasure of building again along with what mattk17 said about the feeling of seeing an original fly.

I read recently (related to competition at least) that building planes is a hobby, and buying ARFs to fly makes it a sport.

Not sure I agree, but just thought I'd get an idea of the #'s out there.

well... it's kinda like is golf a sport? is rc planes a sport, if you're just standing there twitching your thumbs and swiveling your head?

now, if you're bad at rc plane flying, all the jogging to pick up your planes pieces after a crash is kinda athletic...

flying is a skill...

now scratchbuiling is more than a hobby... kitbuilding is a hobby... some of the stuff I've seen scratchbuilt assures me that scratchbuilding is an art, more difficult than sculpture... your beautiful work of art has to actually fly! name an artist that wouldn't mind their painting flying through the air 60mph 100 feet above the ground... a good scratchbuilder is an artist with cojones.

I voted for the ARFs, although if I had more free time I'd be leaning towards the Kits and lately, the way its been going, I've been looking at the RTFs.

I will never, never ever, buy another ARF or kit. Scratch building from depron is so much fun - easy and quick!

Meet my depron fleet:
MiG-7
Entaes_Nyt?
Garden Cub
The Rook
SlowWing

... and cheap too - material cost of each of these planes was less than 30 FIM (5 USD)...

Hardlock,
No thrustline problems as far as I can tell. Everythings lining up as per plan. We'll see how she does on her first flight after the NW Model Expo in Puyallup WA. in February. Until then, I'll have to resist temptation of flying her before the show and (gulp) taking the chance of crashing her.
Perry

Interesting breakout, so far; 40%, 20%, 40%

It looks like you are either a modeler or a flyer...for the most part.