How about building planes we can actually build too !

[TheFlyingBrit]

I love you guy's to bits and if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't have got back into the hobby. But these large build projects are becoming a regular occurence and to be honest all the same. They are not really practical either, well for the average home builder anyway. How about something we can all aspire to building again like the old days.
Like a WW1 biplane, a slope soaring glider or a Vintage style plane like the old Ben Buckle models. Better still here is a challenge, build a foam board plane that takes an IC powered engine ?

 

[LitterBug]

There are a TON of FT plans out there. Have you built them all???

Just Sayin'

 

[Monte.C]

Yeah I've heard this before, that we miss the more humble & more frequent planes.
Hey they don't have to all be destined for kits. I'd venture a guess that we might even like seeing a close-but-not-quite-there experimental new design every once in a while. And a review and brief discussion about why it isn't quite working.
But oh well that doesn't lead to online kit sales.

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

There are a TON of FT plans out there. Have you built them all???

Just Sayin'

I have built a fair few to be honest, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. You may have loads of space to build gigantic planes and experiment like the FT guys, but the majority of us dont and dont have funds to build big nextravegant models like that.
So once in a while why dont they just build something a bit more down to earth we can all appreciate, they dont have to make a kit from it or give away free plans. Just watching something different being built, thats not outside the scope of the average builder would be nice once in a while and as Monte said review how it flies and how it could be made better or what not to do ?

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

What made Flite Test what they are today, is the original concept of making the hobby affordable and accessible to people new to the hobby as well as experienced builders. That has somewhat lasped sadly, just saying

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

Yeah I've heard this before, that we miss the more humble & more frequent planes.
Hey they don't have to all be destined for kits. I'd venture a guess that we might even like seeing a close-but-not-quite-there experimental new design every once in a while. And a review and brief discussion about why it isn't quite working.
But oh well that doesn't lead to online kit sales.

Too be honest I cant see flying mail boxes selling kits either but it didn't stop them posting that video. Unless the sponser asked them specifically to build and fly one ? At the end of the day its the people who pay the bills who ultimately dictate the content !

 

[DinosEatPeople1]

I think they are trying to entice people to enter. Today the world is based off of entertainment and this is the content they will make. I think that the core values of Flite test will live on. Heck that is what the history of flight is! Making it available to the everyday man, or woman, has been the dream. At this moment in time it has been the closest to that dream it has ever been! All you have to do is some good research and scrounge up a few hundred bucks for electronics! Admittedly still a bit out but certainly closer than it has been. Like in the 1930s it still was expensive to get into it but at that point it was the golden age, as so many like to call it. Flite test is branching out in a new direction to fit how the world is, for that is where the people are. You still can do what the core values and roots of Flite test are, but now they are expanding so if people want more scale builds than they can. I think what would be nice is to build a bridge from foam to balsa much more well known. I know that Vintage Model Co. is doing a good job at this but they are in Britain. If they had a thing in the US that would be a dream come true. That is my point I make, to throw my hat in the ring. If you have read this far go do something else!

 

[LitterBug]

Going all the way back to the start,I remember a bunch of crashing and "rocket" planes that most people would not build from way back in the day. I think it is ALL in good entertainment and they have a good balance

 

[Monte.C]

...If you have read this far go do something else!

"Well that's all I've got. Go away now." (!!!!) Ha ha like that drunk movie reviewer on YT. "The critical drinker" I think. He's awesome.

Yeah I don't mean flying outlandish things that shouldn't be flying. But I think the golden years of FT were when they really went all in on the earlier FB designs, and before the Master Series. Their videos are still entertaining and informative despite the commercialization. It would be nice to tone it down a bit though. Maybe do more of what we ourselves do. Get an idea, make it real, put it in the air.

 

[Monte.C]

Going all the way back to the start,I remember a bunch of crashing and "rocket" planes that most people would not build from way back in the day. I think it is ALL in good entertainment and they have a good balance

You're right.
What I think I most enjoyed was seeing them with a new FB plane. Build, fly, be real happy about it. Then see it show up in other vids with rockets or doing stupid stuff.

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

I think they are trying to entice people to enter. Today the world is based off of entertainment and this is the content they will make. I think that the core values of Flite test will live on. Heck that is what the history of flight is! Making it available to the everyday man, or woman, has been the dream. At this moment in time it has been the closest to that dream it has ever been! All you have to do is some good research and scrounge up a few hundred bucks for electronics! Admittedly still a bit out but certainly closer than it has been. Like in the 1930s it still was expensive to get into it but at that point it was the golden age, as so many like to call it. Flite test is branching out in a new direction to fit how the world is, for that is where the people are. You still can do what the core values and roots of Flite test are, but now they are expanding so if people want more scale builds than they can. I think what would be nice is to build a bridge from foam to balsa much more well known. I know that Vintage Model Co. is doing a good job at this but they are in Britain. If they had a thing in the US that would be a dream come true. That is my point I make, to throw my hat in the ring. If you have read this far go do something else!

Sadly the price of balsa is set to soar to ridiculas levels, Ive heard rumours of 110% price inceases for 2021.
That aside you made some very valid points.
However, wonder if Flite Test has reach the end of its usefulness as a teaching and mentoring programme, with respect to what they originally set out to do.
This forum now exists and has developed for modellers everywhere to carry on there work ! sharing knowledge and experience. Sadly the Flite Test crew appear to have lost touch with grass roots modellers, in there pursuit to expand and grow. I can understand they need to make a living just like the rest of us, but sometimes that comes at a cost.
I agree the Vintage model company are doing a great job promoting affordable balsa kits, I am lucky living in the UK as I can avail myself of them. I am sure as there popularity increases they will become more global, but with popularity comes the enevitable increase in price. Vicious circle I am afraid.

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

"Well that's all I've got. Go away now." (!!!!) Ha ha like that drunk movie reviewer on YT. "The critical drinker" I think. He's awesome.

Yeah I don't mean flying outlandish things that shouldn't be flying. But I think the golden years of FT were when they really went all in on the earlier FB designs, and before the Master Series. Their videos are still entertaining and informative despite the commercialization. It would be nice to tone it down a bit though. Maybe do more of what we ourselves do. Get an idea, make it real, put it in the air.

Totally agree very good points

 

[Tench745]

Threads like this come up fairly regularly, I'd guess about twice a year.
In the years I've been on this forum and read people's complaints I've come to this conclusion: FT isn't aimed at me anymore and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing and the reason is two-fold.

First: Flite Test has always been about drawing new people to the hobby and getting them started. At first is was educational content with the occasional big build to draw people in. Now they have a large archive of video and other resources to help people just starting out, so the content has shifted to more impressive feats to grow interest and draw people in.

Second: I am not a beginner. I have flying experience. I have building experience. I love doing scale details. I love working with balsa. My income and thus my budget has grown. I have researched aerodynamics more in depth than any 20-minute FT video would ever try to go.

So, when they make a mailbox fly or build a plane I could never fit through a doorway much less get into my car, I watch. I enjoy what they do and then I keep doing whatever it was I was doing. Their content doesn't really engage me anymore because it's not meant to.

I've said before that I want FT to grow with the people they've brought into the hobby, to show when and where and how to improve. But if they did that they would risk leaving behind all the potential new pilots they could still bring in.
Over the years I've decided that it is better they keep reaching out for the newbies and let those of us who are already hooked find the next step ourselves.
Do I wish they still had content aimed at me? Definitely. Do I wish FT had some more in-depth discussions of the build process? Sure. Would I like them to explore different build methods or tips on fine-tuning your flying skills? You bet!
But in a way they don't have to, because that is what I can come to the forums for. FT hosts these forums so that we can explore, educate, grow, and share with each other once we learn the lessons they have tried to teach.

TLDR:
I get the disappointment; I feel it too. Now it's up to us to be the change we want to see in the community.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Piotrsko]

Dont forget that they can get paid for clicks, and being outlandish generates clicks

 

[Corsair714]

I 100% agree with you @IanT I'm also sad about the turn that FT has made. That being said I'm still very grateful for them. Their earlier videos are what got me into the hobby. I really wish they would make more cotent for us little guys, but they're more of a buisness now and less focused on getting peolple into the hobby. I'd say they've become just like every other youtuber, trying to get a bunch of views, but they're slowly losing some of there loyal watchers. I haven't even watched some of there new videos cause it just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

 

[Matthewdupreez]

I have built a fair few to be honest, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. You may have loads of space to build gigantic planes and experiment like the FT guys, but the majority of us dont and dont have funds to build big nextravegant models like that.
So once in a while why dont they just build something a bit more down to earth we can all appreciate, they dont have to make a kit from it or give away free plans. Just watching something different being built, thats not outside the scope of the average builder would be nice once in a while and as Monte said review how it flies and how it could be made better or what not to do ?

I think that the new simple planes designs are left to the forum members, flitetest isn't interested so the members have to build/design them.
personally I want to design a flamingo A PEGASUS EDA 100 FLAMINGO

 

[Intashu]

I find I've been scratch building customized planes based on FT designs more and more.. And also seeking people in the forum that published designs based on the FT style of scratch building more with time.

I do wish there was a better way to quickly search all published designs users have made and be able to vote on the better ones for visibility. I've only so far found a few members who post and publish some really good designs.


I agree I wish flite test official made more normal planes more often, but I don't blame them for the direction they're taking. What they do DID draw me into the hobby this year, and led me down the path to starting to make my own planes

 

[Whit Armstrong]

I think that the new simple planes designs are left to the forum members, flitetest isn't interested so the members have to build/design them.
personally I want to design a flamingo A PEGASUS EDA 100 FLAMINGO

My opinion on the new designs is that why would we want them to make something we can make ourselves? As of now, it's pretty easy for anyone on the forums to design and fly their own boxy plane. On the other hand, it's tough to design and build master series style planes, so Flitetest can do that for us. Although, sometimes it's fun to have a new boxe design that we wouldn't have thought of. My point is, if Flite Test was spending all of it's time on boxy planes, then they wouldn't have any time for planes that we actually couldn't design ourselves.

 

[Flyingshark]

What if FT compared multiple RTF/PNP/BNF planes too? That would be useful consumer advice, and really helpful, although it wouldn't sell SBKs...

 

[The Hangar]

I love you guy's to bits and if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't have got back into the hobby. But these large build projects are becoming a regular occurence and to be honest all the same. They are not really practical either, well for the average home builder anyway. How about something we can all aspire to building again like the old days.
Like a WW1 biplane, a slope soaring glider or a Vintage style plane like the old Ben Buckle models. Better still here is a challenge, build a foam board plane that takes an IC powered engine ?

I agree. There was something special about the olden days of FT. The videos held charm and magic that just isn't there anymore. Now it's all about the money, not like when they started...