What would you think of a mid line to upper end plane coming with servos installed ready for your receiver? Even the CG marked and templates for you to set your control surface throws for you? As in no more building, GASP done at a fair price. Not Cheap China junk but nice planes.

One of the top selling planes in the world now is the MPX easy star ready to fly they will do 20,000 units THIS YEAR! For FLYING FOAM! What are all those pilots going to move up to? They do not build they will be hooked on ARF at least. Why not some preformance planes done RFR? Your thoughts?

at this stage of my life, I'd probably welcome something like that. I can't afford a bunch of time to build any longer.

I think there could be some profit in it. The manufactur could even add the rec. set the throws, balance the plane and then give you a spec sheet with the values to plug into your transmitter. This could be done with several different transmitters. People would pay for that

Stylus owners selling planes to other Stylus owners simply upload the plane to a memory card and download the plane to the next transmitter. Lost your memory?? Re-download the plane.

When you buy a used ship, that's exactly what you get.

For a new ship? I personally I wouldn't require it, certainly wouldn't pay for it. If you hate to build and setup, there is always someone in the club who will do it for a nominal cost.

I'd argue parkflyer guys don't necessarly move into soaring, more then likely more sophisticated slimers or electric.

The market for RC sailpanes of "middle or high" quality is a small niche, ask the guys kitting now, from what I hear there is little to no margin.

Just $.02

Originally Posted by Smashed_Toad

One of the top selling planes in the world now is the MPX easy star ready to fly they will do 20,000 units THIS YEAR! For FLYING FOAM! What are all those pilots going to move up to? They do not build they will be hooked on ARF at least. Why not some preformance planes done RFR? Your thoughts?

EasyStar pilots are going to move on either to a plane like the Twinstar or the Space Scooter, or then they will move on to the MPX EasyGlider which is a 1.8m sailplane (looks a lot like a small Alpina made of Elapor). Or...

From the EasyStar I moved on to a Mini Ellipse, then a Miraj, then a Pike WR, etc., with a 2m ASW-20 (a Benfa kit 20 years old) along the way. I now compete in F3F and am beginning training in F3B.
I do admit I still have a 3.3m ASW-27 in mid-build and an unbuilt 2.4m HF Jantar (but building that one will take me two days, plus a week for the canopy, and I'll probably fly it even if the canopy is not finished...).

I still fly the EasyStar when there is no wind at the slope... As well as a PicoJet and an e-Hawk 1400.

My thoughts are to get Tangent the new owner of the MPX planes they made in the first place to do some test runs of RFR planes.

Sure you can get a club member to do it for a little money or for the same if not less have a plane from the factory set up. I think it would be a hit. The market moved to ARF and Molded planes but ready for receiver planes for $1,000.00 or less. Your going to have that much tied up in the Air. Even plans like the EVA having the servos (including the famous Spoiler set up) pre-installed would not cost much more and would move more people into them.

Jet guys even gassers pay big bucks for all set up ready for your receiver planes why not soraing?

Thats right. A company could get top notch equip, servos, rec, etc,and could charge a fee for this service. The break they get on the equip over what we pay for it would help them make a profit. Once you look at the final bill. The hourly rate would make it tempting. Plus, after a few planes, they would get really good at it. You watch, it will catch on.

Originally Posted by Smashed_Toad

... Even plans like the EVA having the servos (including the famous Spoiler set up) pre-installed would not cost much more and would move more people into them.

Jet guys even gassers pay big bucks for all set up ready for your receiver planes why not soraing?

I can't believe guys are shying away from a high end molded ships or an Ava because they are not willing to install servos When you get to that level you have specific setup requirments based on experience. Have a look at HKM-USA or F3X.com and you'll see these ships are essentially ready to fly, install servos, battery and radio and go fly.

I don't fly model jets but I'll bet setting on up is a whole lot more complicated and the implications are serious if you screw up.

A pilot who is not willing to invest a few hours installing servos in a high performance sailplane is likely in over his head. Getting the ship in the air is the easy part. Servo's get installed in one or two evenings, fine tuning can take weeks, which is frankly the whole point We don't think like slimers ....

Originally Posted by Dan Ahearn

We don't think like slimers ....

I like to think that Glider Guiders are ahead of the plane. Most of the power flyers I've seen over the years are way behind the plane. Even those with lots of hours.

Dan you and I both know that even with top end planes there are those who pay others to install the RC stuff. Then tune. Just another way to get a few more planes sold.

I think RFR would be a good idea. I do own one of the Easy Stars, but I purchased it to use as something to fly when I crashed a built-up (at home) Spectra. Now the repairs on the Spectra are all but completed, and I find that I can still use the Easy Star as a sort of thermal test plane before going for the big guns as it were.

I do not think that it is an all or nothing situation. Some folks, like me, may want the option to have something quick and easy to fly while working on other building/rebuilding projects.