RC Report

[bob forest]

RC REPORT is now on line. This was a mag that I use to receive. lots of good reading.
Bob
http://www.rcreport.net/Feb%202008%20Full%20Draft.pdf

[beto9]

R/C Report has folded, another victim of the recession.
I received yesterday the March (and last) issue.
It was the last of the independent magazines of our hobby, publishing construction articles from staff and readers alike. They had a format for contributing writers. It was a family enterprise, running on suscriptions and some advertising. Did you ever read a negative comment in the two titans of the hobby magazine field?
Another indication of the strains to our hobby, besides the Chinese manufacturers trying to sell direct (EG Aircraft, Pilot R/C) and previous wholesalers (Highflight R/C) also trying to reach the public.
However, by the number of postings and the variety of new aircraft being built, the heli guys (I didin't say the dark side) seem to be doing OK, thank you! At least somebody is thriving!

[Denis Cloutier]

The economy is hurting everyone, MRC the Hirobo US distributer is only going at 4 RC Trade Show this year: Toledo, FAI, IRCHA and XFC, the did not go to the AMA event this year.

[loflyer2001]

It is not only the economy that is hurting our hobby. Our hobby has changed
from a group of model builders to a group of flyers. Our magazines like
RCM and others all they had to offer were ads and ARF reviews. Soon,
builders of our hobby will no longer be able to buy material to build from
plans, kits are dying out. Kits will be something of the past like tubes to
radios. We do have better flyers today but eventualy I think that boredom
will set in and this hobby as we once knew it will die out. It is no longer
about building, experimenting and flying. For someone to JUMP into this
hobby is not only about spending thousand of dollars in buying a super
ARF with a super engine that will make this hobby/sport prosper. Those
individuals do get discourare pretty fast.
We had more to talk about when we were building.
I might be wrong......Guyl:confused:

[zorba]

I agree with you Guy.
I think also that kits will be a thing of the past, but materials will still be available.
Don't forget crashes do occur and people will need to re-build.

I am sure that if anyone wishes to build from scratch he can obtain a set of plans from a friend or the net and scratch build.

When I started building my CL-415 about 5 years ago, there were no kits for it.
I got the plans from a guy that worked for Canadair (now Bombardier)
and had the balsa lasercut from a guy in Texas.
Is still in the building stage, cause I got involved with helis, but one day I'll finish it.

An old timer like my self will always find time to build from plans.
Is the new flyers that might struggle cause they prefer ARF's..


just my two cents

cheers

[finnegan]

Flying is always more fun when it's something you made.
Or, at least in the case for helis, something that was assembled!

It's still about the flying and camaradery at the field for me.

[Paul Weijers]

I have to agree with Guy. I like the flying well enough but I am old(76)fashioned enough to get a great deal of satisfaction from building, either a kit or from a plan. Hence I am presently building a Storch from a kit.
Which brings to mind a song from my youth:

Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to a Fiesler Storch

Slightly paraphrased, but o so true.

Paul

[Nicdub]

Even though I'm kind of a new commer in the hobby, I do believe it's better to build from scratch, allows you to know your machine inside out & (I do have to admit) I almost enjoy building more then flying. I'm still working on my first helly (hirobo sdx, came as a set of spare parts & a building manual) & I will probably start working on an kit airplane as soon as budget (& time) allows it. (Thinking of a hellcat or maybe an f4f wildcat, cute little stubby guy)

[turkana]

I agree the hobby has changed and the problem I see is that everybody wants cheap cheap cheap. If you look around there surely is a load of crap around for sale and on the web. I refuse to jump onto that bandwaggon because I still belive you pay fir what you get. Then the other thing I have noticed is that people do not read manuals!! It's all about plug and play and quick quick , no more patience with trying to tune something or set it up properly. But the worst is that these people who cannot or do not have the patience to setup things start putting the produkt down indiffrent forums and suddenly whatever they bought is crap just because they cannot set it up. They go online and spread their frustration etc.
I still get my kick when something I build just flies great and runs perfectly it's not all about flying IMO it's also understanding the technologie espacially if it's as complex as a Heli. And I really don't feel comfi around some cheapo mashine trowing huge blades around and questionable electronics. So bevor somebodys flames me, this is just my opinion. Regards Pete