R/C Has Really Changed?

[Dwayne]

Every poster here that says there is no one building R/C models isn't seeing the reality of the local R/C scene accurately. Anywhere. Every single time I go to the R/C field (except the electric field) I see models that are balsa builds. Usually from the plethora of kits available. Gas engined models are really popular as the rise in small to medium sized gas engine become available.

FVP is legal with a spotter as long as it's flown line of sight.

Park Zone T-28 , 3S Lipo powered models are really easy to fly in a park or school yard without making people mad, and since they are quiet they don't seem to have the same effect on the neighbors as did glow powered models. My brother in law flies in the baseball field of the high school as long as there is no one playing, they don't care. He's asked me to build up an ARF Nobler electric for him (he doesn't have the room or time to build a stunter) so he can practice before work. If they can't hear it it's not there kind of thing.

I can fly my Radian power glider easily off of my street and no one would know, it's so quiet and flies along with the motor shut off for a longtime so no one would notice it.

I don't have a quad or a FPV model, I don't like them and think they are the tech that will get modeling the most restrictions but at the fields I fly operators have to conform to the rules.

There is a whole world of R/C and C/L models and modeling out there that is happening that many old timers don't know about and for those of us that longed for Cox, Aurora, Wen Mac, Comet, plastic RTF's as children because they looked so cool, the foam scale models available are a grown up version of that. They are light, fly well, and over the last 15 years have evolved into reliable and well built models. A big part of the hobby is custom paint schemes like plastic modeling. Airbrush skills and latex, acrylic and other modeling paints are used for finishing and Callie Graphics sell myriad markings in different scales to serve that need. Friends of mine call this the golden age of modeling! The very last model my dad flew was a Park Zone T-28, for those getting older and can't walk so well, hang on to the stunter anymore, etc, it's a nice alternative.

The unmuffled McCoy 40 and Dooling 29 will have to be flown at the dedicated C/L site, guys. It's nothing new, been that way for half a century now. Dyna Jets at the park are those cool stories from my dad in the mid 50's, just like buying ether from the drug store to make diesel. Don't be so surprised about reality.

Tomorrow I'll go fly Stunt with the old codgers at 6:30 and listen to some of this stuff posted here, but I'll say to them, "Hey, Whitely and I are going to the electric field and shoot landings for a while after it gets too windy for you guys." Most modelers can and have flown at least two of the three major modeling disciplines and if one wants to fly models there are lots of way to do it and more stuff available to do it with... it's just not at the just-closed hobby shop anymore... Brodak is so many of you guys savior, there are 10 times as many of him in RC and FF.

Chris...

Good point about Cox, Wen Mac etc. Probably the reason I've never had a problem with arf's is I started on them, my first plane was a Testors Silver Streak followed by a Cox Pt19 and  ME 109 Super Stunter, the first rc arf I saw back in the 80's was a Qudra 50 Hot's, the thing was awesome!!  At our rc field there are a few us balsa builders and we have a couple of guys myself included who build crazy  things from dollar store foam, and the ones that do build with wood are very skilled giant scale builders, Brian Perkins has won many scale awards with his WWI beauty's.