Some "cottage manufacturers"

[Bradley Walker]

[quote;

I know of one designer that is holding out for big bucks. I guess he hasn't heard the news. 

Well, everyone needs to have a dream...

My dream is to be a towel boy for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  I am just waiting for their call.  Sweet!!!!

[MikeyPratt]

Well, everyone needs to have a dream...

My dream is to be a towel boy for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  I am just waiting for their call.  Sweet!!!!

WOW Brad!  Cool idea. 
Let me know if it works out for you.  BTW: I would be really jealous if it does <LOL>.
Mikey

[MikeyPratt]

Mikey,

I follow exactly the same procedures,  from the CAD to making non cad parts, instruction manuals with assembly pictures, and ALWAYS a fit check model finished and flying. And don't forget the advertisement copy. etc etc. That is the only for us lone eagles to guarantee a quality product. It is slow but necessary.

Tom,
Not to mention the time required to test fly and trim the model to see if your assumptons were correct <LOL>.  Not always an easy thing to determine if the end result was worth all the trouble.

At this time I see very few reasons to go to the trouble of reproducing a Classic or OTS model.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy building and flying OTS & Classic, but I believe that my time is better spent on new design ideas and procedures.  My dad designed and built a model that was OTS legal but there is very little info on it, so it is doubtful it would ever be legal.   He wasn't much on names so he called it the White Stunt Job

I did find an old drawing of a model I designed in 1969 that should be classic legal so that may be worth considering as a kit.  From what I remember it flew pretty good back then but it may not be up to Classic standards of performance.

Later,
Mikey     

[LARRY RICE]

          Here is something that has been overlooked. There has always been several "Cottage Industries" in the hobby business, in fact it has been the main industry for most of the history of modeling. O&R, McCoy, Atwood and most of the other engine producers started in their garages...some never left their garage shops. Most model kit producers did the same, the few that did operate from factories did so because their original business was cutting Balsa wood. Things have changed now....I depend on "out sourcing" a lot of the things that goes into my kits, most to Sig, Du-Bro, Perfect, Lonestar, and Trillium......but that is the way ALL business operate today. Things change but YOU are the cause for those changes....You decide what we manufacture. If you order everything on line and never go to a Hobby Store guess what you will get, if you buy nothing but toys....guess what you will get; to make a living we have to give you what you want to buy.
 
Larry

[MikeyPratt]

[quote;
Only in CL stunt could a design that is nearly 20 YEARS OLD considered MODERN!!!
quote;
Personally, I have never even HEARD of a designer that would not allow his designs to be kitted for nearly nothing.  Most do it for a few kits. 

Considering that the pattern is old. most planes are designed to fly it, so the advance in designs is going to be in very samll increments. Thus the Saturn, Imitation, etc, are, for better or worse, cutting edge. So does anyone kit the Patternmaster??

I know of one designer that is holding out for big bucks. I guess he hasn't heard the news. 

Hi Ty,
I sure hope that designer is not holding his breath either <LOL>.

Designing a good flying model is the easy part.  Designing a model to put in a box and making a reasonable profit selling it is the real trick.  Generally, cottage manufacturers work on a lower overhead and sell their designs to the public for less money than a comparable kit sold from a big manufacturer.  I can’t speak for other cottage manufacturers, but I manufacturer kits because it is what I like to do.  I get a big kick from watching my designs flying in the hands of other people.  If I was worrying just about the bottom line from my kit sales I would be better off working part time at the corner gas station.  I spend a huge amount of time on designing and producing kits, way more than I will ever get paid for.

Later,
Mikey       

[Bob Reeves]

Hey Mikey..

Are you still making/selling the cool carbon fiber profile landing gear?

Bob

[MikeyPratt]

Hey Mikey..

Are you still making/selling the cool carbon fiber profile landing gear?

Bob

Hi Bob,
Yes, only the price has gone up a little.

Later,
Mikey

[Mike Foley]

>>>The highest profit item being sold today is IMHO Windy's video business.  He records himself screwing off in his basement, burns to a 50 cent tape and sells it for $15!!!!  Now that is a business!!!  <<<

  I emailed Windy a while back enquiring about a video he made on setting up the Strega ARC.  His reply was it is a several video set and the price was about ninety bucks.  That's a lot of hours screwing off in the basement to show some tips in Assembly of a ARC. 

" I passed "

[john e. holliday]

It all depends on how bad you want the product.  Just look at the E-Bay sometime.  I would swear that some people have more money than brains.  Also seen at one of the auctions the local RC club used to have that has tunred into a gigantic swap meet.  A couple of individuals were sitting in the crowd with all the catalogs.  They were actually bidding more than some items were worth.  I have watched a few of Windy's video that a local modeler had.  He does do a lot of talking while doing things and why he does it that way.  He also at times showed a different method on some things.  Anyway the tapes may be low priced, but, the equipment is not cheap to produce them.  Have fun,  DOC Holliday

[Chris McMillin]

Hi Steve,

In mentioning Frank Warburton, it is odd that he just "disappeared", isn't it?  He was such a well know figure in his time period.  I know of at least 3 planes that were published that I have seen.  I built his "Tony" in 1971 (not real well, but the frame work still exists! LOL!!).

I would have thought that Dave Day or Tug Wilson, or one of those guys *might* have known something.  But I understand that no one knows where he is.

Knowing a lot of the "cottage industry guys", I appreciate the fact that y'all DO contact and work with the original designer if at all possible.  That is VERY honorable in this day and time.  I have a good idea (in my mind) as to why that is, but it probably would not be expedient to vocalize it in this day and time! LOL!!

Bill,
Jim Mayfield is the designer of the Playboy kitted by Bill Sawyer. He dropped off the Earth also, no one knows his whereabouts in the C/L community!
Chris...

[Steve Hand]

     Well. This has certainly been a little adventure in personalites and motives. One could write a doctoral thesis about either one, based on the replies and/or rebuttals on the three threads concerning BOM, cottage, or consequences. My curiosity was so piqued and I was so bored last night, that I went back to Stuka and reviewed some of the same topics and contenders from 03, 04, and 05. Not much has changed. Me either. I think 60 years of perpetuated artistic heritage in this small world, is a reflection of a man's inner soul.

[Bill Little]

Bill,
Jim Mayfield is the designer of the Playboy kitted by Bill Sawyer. He dropped off the Earth also, no one knows his whereabouts in the C/L community!
Chris...

Thanks, Chris!  I only knew about Norm Whittle's involvement with the Playboy.

Any progress on the California Shark??  (had to ask )

[Dave Nyce]

I saw the mention of Black Hawk Models, and I just wanted to add my opinion that they are really great.  I've been working with some kids at an orphanage to teach them to build and fly 1/2A C/L planes, and Black Hawk Models has supplied some kits for the kids to build, including paint, glue, and other items.  (Thanks again Larry!)

I am a "baby boomer" returning to C/L after many years of being too busy doing other things.  I bought a few ARFs to get started (Nobler, Oriental, Flite Streak, Cardinal), but also bought a few kits that I will build soon.  I enjoy building from kits or from scratch, or combinations of same, but was also happy that the ARFs were available.  When the kids move up to the larger aircraft, I'll show them with the ARFs.  That way, it won't feel like a big loss in time and effort on my part when the planes are damaged in training.

Dave

[Iskandar Taib]

I suppose one COULD make a case for the BOM hurting (or preventing the existence of) one potential class of cottage manufacturer. That would be someone who might produce a ARF (or RTF) of the caliber and price of the Yatsenko Shark. Needn't be anything like a Shark, of course, but there COULD be a thriving cottage industry of people producing, say, fully built Impacts for $3000 each.. Economies of scale and tooling might actually make it profitable even if one only sells 20-30 models per year.

As for what would happen if cottage manufacturers dissapeared - well, F2D as we know it would dissapear. All those F2D RTFs we buy from the Ukraine and Moldavia are produced, I've been told, by an army of housewives equipped with jigs. Put the pot on the stove, glue in a some ribs until dinner is ready.

[peabody]

Yup....the current crop of ARFs/ARCs.....are generally lighter and straighter than most Beginner/Intermediate builders are capable of creating, and certainly lend themselves to modifications by Advanced and Expert flyers.

The SCORE, in the hands of Expert flyers like Bill Hummel or Bill Suarez, has certainly proved that it can perform as well as most kits/home-made designs.....

PLUS, they assemble quickly and may be built without the need of toxic finished....

[Bill Little]

Rich,

Billy Suarez has been flying long enough to make a 1/2A hollow log competitive in Expert on the local level if he wanted to.

Arfs/Arcs are *GENERALLY* straight and decent as far as weight goes.  Of course any expert level pilot can make one perform to levels approacing their own designs.  Trimming, power, etc. are all areas they are well versed in and can make the necessary improvements to almost anything to make it competitive. 

So, what's your point??

[Randy Powell]

>>As for what would happen if cottage manufacturers dissapeared - well, F2D as we know it would dissapear.<<

Wow, Isky. Did you forget how to build? How to cut foam?   

[Ted Fancher]

>>free women in the world <<

Free women? Gee, all the ones I know are expensive. I could buy a PA engine a month on what my wife spends on horses.   

Ony one PA, Randy?

Shoot, horses must be a lot less expensive than when #1 daughter was keen on 'em.

Ted

[Randy Powell]

Ted,

Yea, she gets a deal. I should have said one complete setup. Engine, pipe, header and a selection of props. She out today spending another couple of hundred on a vet "checkup". Sheesh!

I keep trying to talk into motorcycles (hey, the just sit there when you're not using them), but so far no deal.