I have not flown an R/C airplane since the summer of 1978 . . .

[Bob A]

. . . with one exception of last summer when one poor soul allowed me to fly his plane at a meet and didn;t take it back quick enough. It was meant for first time fliers but we were talking and well . . .

I renewed my AMA license a year ago this month and again today; and I've bought some Flight Test models, but have not build any of them. One day (soon).

Back in the 70's most planes were build from balsa kits, no ARF's back then, and I really enjoyed building both from kits and paper plans. But, that was then and this is now, a whole new era. Not surprising what 40 years can do for a hobby.

Bob

 

[Turbojoe]

I started in 1973. Good people provided a LOT of help that kept my in the hobby all these years.

What is your city and state? You never know. Someone in your area might read this and offer assistance. If you were local to me in Arizona I could really fix you up for help and maybe even aircraft..... There are many others willing to do the same.

So where the heck are you located?

Joe

 

[Merv]

In my opinion, foam board planes are far more durable than balsa. Foam board will take a beating that would have destroyed a balsa plane.

 

[TooJung2Die]

Hi Bob, welcome. Similar story here. I stopped building and flying in the early '70's but I never could afford a radio. If it wasn't for Flite Test airplanes I wouldn't have gotten back into this hobby or stayed this long. Build, fly, crash, repeat. It's easy with foam board airplanes and no tears shed when you crash. After a couple of years of flying foamies I had the confidence to get back to balsa. Foam is fun but balsa flies better.
jon

 

[mayan]

Hmmmm I just wish I would have found this hobby at an earlier age. Welcome back!

 

[SlingShot]

Welcome Bob. In the '70's the hobby was still very elitist. It took some money, and knowing the right people. Now, with the internet, foamboard, lower radio costs, and the FT Crew, anybody can break in. The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll need a bigger space for all of your airplanes!

 

[mayan]

The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll need a bigger space for all of your airplanes!

I second this. 6 months into the hobby and I have no room for any more models, and there are a lot more that I want to build.

 

[Joker 53150]

I second this. 6 months into the hobby and I have no room for any more models, and there are a lot more that I want to build.

I've said I'm out of room numerous times, but always happen to find more space!

 

[Bricks]

Up until 2 years ago the last time I flew RC was back in the 60`s when you had to wind up a rubber band to control your escapements. Push button once for left rudder twice for right no such thing as proportional. Came across Flight Test cheap foam board planes why not, well why not what is in my avatar is only a small sampling of what I have collected. When my nephew seen what I was doing he really got into it too. Between the two of us we have accumulated over 80 planes from gassers, nitro and electric, all because of Flight Test, d-mm them anyway.

We started going to swap meets Craigslist and auctions cheapest way to get into the larger planes. We bought out a couple of guys that were getting out of the hobby sold off what we did not want. At one point we had around 195 planes by the time we sold those off we had everything paid for. Money wise we really do not have a lot into our obsession. Just came back from an RC auction where I picked up 3 more planes UGH 2 72 inch planes complete minus receiver and a new in the box Horizon Mini Apprentice RTF for $180. The Apprentice I am going to put up on Craigslist and sell it for $180 ( new $259 ) that gets sold I have nothing in the other 2.

Long winded but this is how we fund our horribly bad addiction buy cheap and make a few bucks.

 

[mayan]

I've said I'm out of room numerous times, but always happen to find more space!

TEACH ME HOW!!!

@Bricks you call that small?!

 

[Joker 53150]

TEACH ME HOW!!!

Ha! For me, the answer was building racks from PVC pipe and storing fuselages horizontally. I've seen many people with enough room to hang fuselages vertically on the wall, but that ain't me! I've got 9 of my .40 and .60 sized planes staked on a rack 5 feet tall that holds just the fuselages (2 or 3 per level, 4 levels total). The wings are kept in a different PVC rack which gives me better use of space. Putting caster wheels on the fuselage rack would help quite a bit as well, so you can move or rotate the rack for better access.

Currently my four 1/3 scale planes are either sitting on the floor or stacked on a couple sawhorses in the basement. Not very efficient use of space, unfortunately. There are 8 (maybe more?) 1/4 scale planes in my fleet, 4 of which are racked and the others go wherever there is room. A taller (and stronger) rack would be a nice change.

 

[Bricks]

@Bricks you call that small?!

Next time I get over to my nephews I will take pictures of the rest of them he has more room then I do. My avatar is just a small sample of what I have these are just ones I fly regularly........I have a problem

 

[mayan]

This is my fleet.

And some that just won’t fit there anymore.

EDIT: some are hidden behind the TT fuselages.

 

[earthsciteach]

Welcome back to the addiction, Bob! So much has changed! Things are so much more affordable now. Balsa still exists, thank goodness! Foam is wonderful. Foamboard is amazing. Life in RC is really good!

 

[PsyBorg]

You started about the same time I got my first plane. It was Christmas 78 or 79.

Got a cox / sanwa cessna kit. Was a really nicely done foam kit for the time.

Needless to say it was from then to about 4 years ago I tried fixed wing again which is when I turned to the dark side of multi rotor.