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Building Tips and technical articles. => ARF'S => Topic started by: JohnPrator on March 21, 2011, 03:04:45 PM
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I've got a hankering for an ARF model and as a new guy I'm always browsing all the different kits available(mostly from Brodak) with a speckle of drool running out of the corner of my mouth. Which one could I, should I get? What color? #^ BUT, they only have one photo(and not too good of one either) of one color for each model and that's it. Each ARF is available in four different colors but what do they look like?? HB~> They(Brodak) don't have any photos of the different color options available so what's a guy to do? I think they are dropping the ball in this area of their website(among others; Control Line magazine) and would sell more product if they made the product more accessible to the buyer. I know that my wallet has been itching to jump out of my pocket many times and all it would take would be a nice photo of the particular plane I'm eyeballing to push me over the edge but I have no idea what a "black" Strega or a "white" T-Rex looks like so won't pull the trigger. OK, sorry about the rant but this bugs me and I wanted to bring it up as I just can't imagine why they won't put photos up of their product. My wallets-a-tremblin....make it jump right out of my pocket!!
What do you guys think? Can you point me towards some photos of the different color options available for models such as Strega, Vector 40 and T-Rex?
John
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John
Welcome. See folks! ARF's do bring new fliers in... or back... like they did me. ... sorry, nother discussion and been done to death so don't anyone start on it, sorry.
I agree with you John, 100%. I think Brodak is missing a major marketing opportunity. Their color schemes do not change just the priamaru color but especially in teh case of the Strega, a number of colors all at once. RC companies have learned the power of marketing different colors. One color will turn one person off and turn another on. Case and point, my son and I both fly RC. We fly only ARF's. There are several planes we each have the same model of but in different colors and neither of us would even consider the color scheme the other chose. We would not even have considered the model! Brodak should learn from what they can find on some of the really good RC websites. ExtremeFlight and Precision Aerobatics are very good at it.
bob branch
ps, oh, the black strega is not black, btw.
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The crumby film they use bugs me, man! Get the ARC, and cover it your ownself! LL~ Steve
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I agree whole heartily with the get an ARC. I got the ARF Oriental. This is after doing the ARF Nobler. Replaced the bellcrank and leadouts. Used flap horn that came in kit, big mistake. Also could not keep the wing attached to the fuse with epoxy even after removing the covering in the gluing area. After almost losing it after about 30 flights it got real squirally. Wing loose again, so I cut into it. While doing that decided to recover and cut top off so I could get some gluing area inside the fuse. That is when I discovered the flap horn to bell crank rod had worn/wollored a big hole. Replaced with ball link set up and got control back. The Plane hangs in the shop as I do not like how my repairs came out. It still flies better than I do, it just doesn't look good.
So go with an ARC of your choice and do it right from the start. Good controls and finish. H^^
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Brodak is using Ultracote now on the newer arfs developed since the T-Rex. It was a big step forward. I do not know if they have updated the older stuff, but I would be suprised if they had.That would get advertising if they ahd it would seem.
bob
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The crumby film they use bugs me, man! Get the ARC, and cover it your ownself! LL~ Steve
Steve,
Ha ha, I know I know, I should but I'm lazy man-dig it dude? ;) Seriously though; I bought an ARC Vector and covered it myself, did an ok job but those workers seem to be much better at it than I am. Have also read that they are now using Ultracote on them, love that stuff!!
Hi Bob,
Thank you for the comment. Darn right ARF/ARC's bring new guys back in and I'm living proof of that. I'm not a very good builder, just never could seem to develop the skill though I've tried, so, pretty much got out of planes years ago as I was tired of paying someone to build planes for me(expensive and deservedly so), moved to helicopters due to being able to build them myself. Got out of them due to field politics/expense and pretty much just gave up on flying.....then I saw the ARF/ARC control line models, even better the electrics-and I was hooked. Bought two Baby Clowns(ARC) for my son and I for Christmas and had a blast, went from there to StevensAero Ring Rat 250 which I did manage to build but it's VERY simple and now finally have an ARC Vector 40(electric). Yes I did cover it but really would like an ARF T-Rex or Strega but as I mentioned before have no idea what the different color options look like. If Brodak would do a little bit of work on their website I think they would sell a whole lot more product, even browsing for parts is a nightmare on that site. HB~>
Bob, are you saying that the Brodak planes only have one base color and the four different color options are just the different trim colors? If that's the case then it makes it a little easier but still would like to see photos of the different trim options. I'm actually leaning towards the T-Rex because of your thread on your electric Bob. Getting all the electrics to fit properly into this Vector was a royal PITA and the T-Rex appears to have plenty of room for a really nice install, even someone like me could breeze thru it! I could get an ARC but just thought since they were using Ultracote and it seems those builders do a great job at covering them, well thought "Why not"?!? But, I do worry about a few things like the trailing edge being fragile, wonder if they have fixed that in the newer models?
Doc, the bellcrank and leadouts seemed pretty darn well made on my Vector, are they different on the T-Rex?
Thank you,
John
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John,
Flag the ARF T-Rex - if you get one - get the ARC and make all the mods that are described in mulitple threads here - they need a bit of work to get them airworthy - and if you get the ARF - you will need to take the covering off in places to do the work,
far better off getting an SV-11 or Legacy.
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Hi Wynn,
Good hearing from you, hope you're doing well. Thank you for the tip, much appreciated! I'll email you, have some photos now.
Best,
John
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SV-11! H^^
W.
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Wadded up the Vector and got myself an SV-11! Sure is more room in the nose to mount the motor in this baby-I'm liking it!
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ARC v ARF—if you want the ARF to last any time, based on my experience with an ARF Oriental, there is as much time involved in sealing the openings in the film on an ARF as there is in painting the fuselage and film covering the wings of an ARC.
And you can install decent fillets on an ARC that you can't with an ARF.
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Geoff's got it right. You've got to seal those edges. I seal it with an iron and MonoKote solvent. Then take a little bitty modeling brush and seal the edges with clear lacquer.
I've got a couple of models that had real bad reputations of losing their cover and after this I've had no problems.
I also clean and polish the model just like a stunter that I built and painted so that is another important aspect. I don't wipe into the edges, either.
Chris...
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I have been going over this SV-11 and the covering looks to be of high quality and I was told it was Ultracote. The overlaps are a good 3/8"-1/2" but I did go over them with my iron just in case. This plane is electric so no slime to get up under the covering but I'll keep an eye on her and see how it holds. Thanks for the advice everyone!
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~> S?P I'm used to a box of sticks, and haven't progressed to building a plane from plans, and have been advised that good quality balsa, is hard to find and expansive! HB~> mw~ I'm thinking of obtaining an ARC?! :! n~ My CL Club CME friends don't trust ARF's and will only buy ARC's, because they can see in the insides and then cover?! <= y1 H^^