Top Flight ARF

[Russell Shaffer]

What do you guys think of this?    http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLXB6

[frank carlisle]

that's a nice looking plane and just what we needed, another arf.

[john e. holliday]

And what is wrong with that?  Maybe we can have an all ARF/ARC contest with no appearance points or concours.   DOC Holliday

[Andrew Hathaway]

It looks rather ugly...  With almost 700" Sq's, it probably won't fit in the Explorer, or a Camaro.   They've also tripled the fibreglass content.  Looks like an RC plane, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Nice to see that the Top Flite ARFs are selling well enough to merit a new design every couple months.  Maybe after a couple more there will be more diversity in what you see at the field.

[frank carlisle]

And what is wrong with that?  Maybe we can have an all ARF/ARC contest with no appearance points or concours.   DOC Holliday

we've already pretty much abandoned the arf rule. so no need for an arc/arf only event. and that is what is wrong with arfs.

[ash]

Sounds like F2B...

Why aren't there more F2B contests happening in the USA? It seems like there are more than enough competitors unhappy with BOM and the AMA in general to warrant specific F2ABCD contests. Such contests could also help the F2A and F2C guys to get the number of events they need to qualify for AMA assistance towards the WC.

Sorry I meant to quote you and insted modified your post which I didn't mean to.

Fixed it, Robert...

[Mike Foley]

  So does Top Flite have a top class Control line designer working for them that no one knows about? Anyone know who designed the Score? Not a bad looking model. Price will come down after inroductory period, always does. Should be available for a hundred bucks with coupons.

[wwwarbird]

 I'm no real big ARF fan either but hey, ANY new Control Line kit should be welcomed these days. We can think of it as ONE LESS R/C electric profile foamie 3-D release.
 Yes it does look kind of R/C like, and I don't like the cheesy plastic cowl but it's an ARF (thats A-R-F), let's not overthink this too much. For a lot of fliers it will make an OK sport or practice plane. The more people flying C/L, new or not, the better for all of us C/Ler's in the long run.
 After all you don't HAVE to buy one.

[Steve Helmick]

This was the first info I'd seen on the new Arf. It looks like a good match for a ST G.51, or maybe my favorite Double Star .60bb, but I wouldn't expect it to be stellar with a .46LA, from my experience with both engines. Seems like a bargain, actually, but a big model needs a decent control system, and they haven't got that figured out, yet. IMO.

I thought it interesting that anybody would think this ARF model would encourage F2B event to be flown here in the USA. Last summer, I went to two contests in Canada, one in Vancouver area, the other in Edmonton. The first contests I'd been to in Canada in many years, and I was wondering what rules would be used. Neither used F2B rules, or even MAAC (Canadian) rules. Both used PAMPA skill classes. The different scoring and 7 minute flight limit seem to be the most significant difference, and those might be considered negatives to many, especially the contest management and judges. Just my observations.
  Steve

[Ron Hofacker]

And what is wrong with that?  Maybe we can have an all ARF/ARC contest with no appearance points or concours.   DOC Holliday

or a triathlon with no swimming... 

[dirty dan]

Sounds like F2B...

Why aren't there more F2B contests happening in the USA? It seems like there are more than enough competitors unhappy with BOM and the AMA in general to warrant specific F2ABCD contests. Such contests could also help the F2A and F2C guys to get the number of events they need to qualify for AMA assistance towards the WC.
 Fixed it, Robert...


That's only true if one pays way too much attention to sites such as this one. When push comes to shove and it is time to actually vote on whether or not we retain the BOM rule, it's not even a close call. This last time around not a single such proposal made it past the first round of voting, and at that stage almost anything remotely close to making the second and third cuts will pass.

I know these sites are enjoyable, but they are most certainly not conducive to showing a consensus of opinion, especially with the more volatile issues put forth by what is in real-world terms a fairly small minority.

Nicely orchestrated, granted. But still a small group...

Dan

[Bill Little]

And what is wrong with that?  Maybe we can have an all ARF/ARC contest with no appearance points or concours.   DOC Holliday

Hi Doc,
Come South.  All the local contests have dropped BOM/Appearance points.  Doen't have to be an ARF/ARC, they can now be bought planes RTF around here, it makes no difference.  AND, I can safely say it hasn't caused the number of flyers to grow by leaps and bounds.  IMHO, it is simply a lot of CD's who don't want the hassle of worrying about the BOM and whether or not anyone is cheating. 
I have sold planes on contract, but that doesn't mean I am in favor of no BOM.. I am traditional in that I want the persons who beat me to have built their own plane as well as outfly me, or ast least have taken a hit in points when they don't/won't build their own..  If they can't build by the time they are Advanced level flyers, then they should get hit on AP>  Contrary to many, this isn't a "FLYING EVENT ONLY".  It is a "MODELING" event.   Maybe those in favor of a FLYING only event can have a new class added to the rule book.
I'll say this:  The whole situation is simply a microcosm of today's society.  "I want it now, so give it to me. And don't expect me to work for it since no one else expects that out of me."
This saddens  me.