Is traditional building a disappearing art?

[Cuban8]

Posted by Timothy Harris 1 on 27/12/2017 09:37 ARTFs can be the “lazy way “ of flying if all people do is just slot them together, but they can also be very good when augmented, and I love modifying them to improve their performance . I still buy them and intend to keep doing so, as well as building as time for me is also limited. I definitely will still keep building but I am happy to do both building and ARTFs as long as the quality is high enough. By the way Peter I would like to thank you for your excellent books on building which have given me a lot of tips!

Edited By Timothy Harris 1 on 27/12/2017 09:45:50

I suppose I've put together a dozen or so ARTFs over the years and without exception, they've all needed modification or improvement in one way or another. Broadly speaking, it's usually issues with poor quality mechanical retracts and associated mechanism, poor quality fuel tank, control links that are only fit for the bin, weak fixed undercarriage, very tight and poorly routed control snakes, glass cowls that require an extra internal layer of glass and resin to reinforce the usual paper-thin offering supplied as standard, brittle cyano hinges, tight and/or misaligned wing joiners, covering coming off, firewalls about to fall out etc etc.......no names, no pack drill.

I've spent as much time on the mods to give a safe and reliable model with a couple of ARTFs, than I've spent completing the rest of those builds, so there's usually plenty of scope to get stuck in and learn something for the flyer with no time to build!

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by Scott Notman on 26/12/2017 09:35:56:

Cheers Percy!

Who doesn't like building wings it's transporting them I don't like.

Me - I'm a fuselage man...wings are a necessary evil when I'm building. As far as I'm concerned, multi wings are buyplanes!

Edited By Martin Harris on 27/12/2017 12:32:40

[Scott Notman]

Lol fair enough Martin I always get a bit freaked out over the straightness of a fuselage particularly with open frames, I find wings easier somehow.

[Shane Sunday]

I love building traditionaly. It's the finishing I've a problem with. As a model build drags on I tend to lose steam. I want to build them all. Funny enough I've lots of models I've bought but the few I've built and completed are my favorite to fly.

[Peter Miller]

Of course Shane

You have put a lot of yourself into the model so it means far more. IT has a soul if you like.

[Broken Prop]

I am building a Peter Miller Sky Rover from a plan published in another magazine a few years back. Billed as a plane for rough field use, the construction may be simple but it sure is rugged. It should survive even my 'arrivals'.

The external telescopic struts for the undercarriage add a bit of fun to the build as well. Nice plane Peter and thanks for publishing that one.

Pete.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by Peter Miller on 28/12/2017 08:21:15:

Of course Shane

You have put a lot of yourself into the model so it means far more. IT has a soul if you like.

There's always some of my DNA in any model I build...usually red in colour!

[Peter Miller]

Hi Broken Prop

Yes, it was a fun model and the undercarriage made it.

Just make sure that the undercarriage parts are firmly held together, thread lock is a good idea.

Martin

They always fly better if you bleed on them. Been my belief for many years!! But it must be accidental

[Broken Prop]

Thanks for the tip Peter. I can see why thread lock might be a good idea on this model. The way I land, it will be a must have!

It may be a little while before it is finished, but I'll post some pictures come the day.

Oh....and I've bled on it as well. 

Edited By Broken Prop on 28/12/2017 15:46:24

[Peter Miller]

I will look forward to them

[Mark Stevens 1]

Certainly not a dying art for me,

When it comes to planes, The Traditional method of building with balsa either from a plan or a kit is the only way I've ever done them. I've even designed a small number of planes back in the 1980's. That was the time when I would actually draw my own plans and have them dyeline printed.

This one might actually see the light of day this year as I fancy having something to chuck off the Great Orme. I can't really do that with my Helis. I will probably do a slight mod on this one now to make it 3 channel, easy enough to do.

You can see the date I designed this in the pics.

Mark

[Shane Sunday]

There deffinately is some kind soul Peter. At the moment my favourite model to fly is your Ooladally. Ive had it for years now but but somehow im only this year really getting to know it. Also when we are building traditionally it gives us an excuse to buy tools. And who doesn't love tools?

[Chris Reid]

Very late in on this one. Designing and building have always been my thing from my earliest years, (age 13). Now getting rather elderly, I still get a buzz from laying out a clean sheet of paper, and working out how to create a new model. February's RCM&E has my Mignon, very simple, but fun to create and build. If I'm honest, the build is the best part, getting the lines on paper to become a 3D object. Once built and flown a few times the urge to do it again re-emerges. In short, I suspect I find design and build more fun than flying the result. The latest model just begun is a twin electric DH84 Dragon. The wing components are made, and a build blog follows. It will be a classic balsa and ply structure - I've tried depron, but it's not for me.

CR

[Peter Miller]

I Agree Chris.

I always say that if a new model destroys its self on the first flight it is still not a waste of time because I enjoyed the design and building.

As for tools, oh yes, any excuse for a useful addition

[Robert Parker]

Hi All,

I get more building time than flying time and I have recently started doing my own designs just for fun, designing eats up time and costs little

Going to attack this lot and persuade it into a Dornier Do24 with a bit of luck over the coming weeks

Should keep me busy for a couple of months

Regards

Robert

[Peter Miller]

That will be impressive

[Robert Parker]

Hope so Peter,

I've had some head scratching moments here and there as well as how to attach the wings, hopefully I've got it sorted now.

Regards

Robert

[Peter Miller]

When I have a tricky problem I usually find that the answer comes at about 4 am in the morning.

[Chris Reid]

That's some project Robert, rather more complicated than my DH84. I too have been pondering biplane wing attachments as I want to avoid a 20 minute rigging period when I get to the field. I designed/built a DH60 Gypsy Moth some years ago and managed a system where the wings were permanently rigged in pairs and plugged in to the fuselage. Worked fine, and I'm going to try it again.

Should be obvios why I' chose this Dragon.Edited By Chris Reid on 29/12/2017 13:39:24

Edited By Chris Reid on 29/12/2017 13:40:07

Edited By Chris Reid on 29/12/2017 13:42:02

[Robert Parker]

Hi Chris,

I love your DH84, I don't think I've got around the rigging time but it is only six bolts or at least that's the plan.

By the way the wingspan of the Dornier will be 72" and powered by electric motors although I have drawn up a wing for three .15's!!! which was my original intention, but I have gone for electric power plant to be confirmed.

Here's what I came up with, though it does not give too much away in the way of detail

Regards

Robert

[Chris Reid]

Your preliminary drawings are rather more detailed than mine Robert. I tend to do just the basics and let the build process create the detail. If David Ashby likes the design, I draw up a detailed plan from the basics and the model. DA is interested in the Dragon so I will write a build plan and take photos as I go, and I'll do a build blog here as I did for my Vickers 151. The Dragon will be 58" span with two 28mm brushless motors cabable of 350W each. Should be enough.

Happy New Year.

Chris.

[Timo Starkloff]

Although more difficult, building models and cooking is always more satisfying than buying ready to use stuff. And you're learning a lot through that!

Sadly it just isn't the trend of this time. There is not so much money earned for big companies, when people are doing things on their own.

But there are still many active modelers and it's interesting to see, that self built models get more attention in German magazines again. The sad story here is, that it's either a very simple or a very big and expensive model. So it's up to us, to keep the interest for building models awake and alive.

Timo

[dan h]

hi all, I came into this hobby about 7yrs ago I bought myself a hobbyzone supercub rtf I took it to a field where I know no one goes. I flew it there many times then decided to join my local club which by then I was hooked. I have been flying foamies with good success so I thought I would have ago at building a plane myself from plans. so I chose a 3 channel high wing plane [this year] what was relatively easy as I did not want a plane that half way through the build I would get utterly stuck with and decide not to carry on. as I knew it would put me off of building any more. so I found this 3 channel plane I built it and flew it it went really well so then I decided to build another plane which is a 4 channel sport plane I have just finished the airframe.at the same time I have built the mini blitz I am well and truly hooked on this balsa building stuff I am looking forward to building bigger planes I have learnt a lot off this forum.my favourite plane now is the one i built from plans even tho it is only a basic 3 channel high wing plane i plan to keep building for along time to come..........Dan

[Roo Hawkins]

hi I started building and flying large scale gliders about 4 years ago. because of the very hi cost of 1/4 and 1/3 scale gliders can be in the 1000s of £ I started to build them my self from epoxy and glass carbon as I built sailboard in the 1990s so the skills are nearly the same. carve the fuz out of foam then glass it. so far I have made 8 from 4 meters to 6 meters . so i am one for building.

[Graham R]

Posted by Roo Hawkins on 18/04/2018 16:02:32:

hi I started building and flying large scale gliders about 4 years ago. because of the very hi cost of 1/4 and 1/3 scale gliders can be in the 1000s of £ I started to build them my self from epoxy and glass carbon as I built sailboard in the 1990s so the skills are nearly the same. carve the fuz out of foam then glass it. so far I have made 8 from 4 meters to 6 meters . so i am one for building.

Sounds good, I like gliders. How about some pics.