What's your airplane worth?

[Gerald Arana]

How do YOU place a value on your airplane? (stunt ship)

Assuming a normal size ship:
How many hours (of your life) do you spend from beginning to take off on each of your ships? (Yeah I know, what's normal? You tell me!)

I was just thinking about one of these (stupid) cops smashing my ship when I won't comply to his/her demands......

Something to think about.

Jerry

[Tony Drago]

Good point.  I would make up a bill of materials and keep tract of the hours to build at a rate of  X dollars per hour with a ton of pitchers of the build.
  You are right to assume some Leo would smash your plane. Back years ago there was some one flying a C/L plane at a school yard in Riverside Ca. when you still could. A police car came rolling up and the officer got out came over, sad there was a noise complaint. The officer told the pilot to land the plane. He yelled and said he couldn't.  She did not buy it and
( Yes it did happen, but she didn't ) She pulled out her side arm and yelled to land the plane or she would shoot it down. His friend was trying to explain that it had to run out of fuel which it shortly did so. She got 6 months desk duty for acting like a jerk.
 Now a days I would not put it past a Leo to walk out into the circle and yank that handle  out of one s hands.
 

[Motorman]

About $800 - $1000 anyway. Of course the Tom Morris components would survive a good stompin'.


MM

[mike londke]

My last big build was a Walter Umland Sakitumi. The kit, covering, paint, adhesives, spinner, carbon fiber gear, lite wheels, Morris bellcrank, Dixon LA .46 was just north of $500 when I was done. No idea on hours I did not keep track.

[Tim Wescott]

If one of y'all innocently trips in pit row (or has a heart attack, which is more likely given our ages) and falls into it -- free, no matter how hard you try to make it up.

If some public official abuses their power to take it or destroy it -- my shop rate as an expert control algorithm designer (high) at my building speed (slow), plus a sir charge for any contests missed, plus all the bad press I can generate for your agency and whatever elected official signs the checks for it.

If someone is negligent, or intentionally vandalizes, or acts out of anger -- somewhere in between, with forgiveness available for youth or other mitigating circumstances.

[john e. holliday]

Already been there when the park patrol caught me as I was getting ready to go to the handle.   Was told I could not fly.   So I shut down the engine and we talked.  Seems some one had bought a ready to fly RC plane and tried to fly it at the RC field which is north of a 3&2 ball park.  Naturally the person got confused and crashed into the stands.   Lucky no one was injured.  So the park powers at the time shut down all model aircraft flying.  I pointed out to patrol man that if I lost control of my plane and crashed I would have to walk to the end of the lines and pick up the pieces.  Showed him the lines, handle and safety thong.   He called headquarters and talked to the then park manager who knew me.   Was then told I could fly til further notice.  Flew a couple of flights,  rolled up lines and drove to the RC site.  Couple of guys I knew were there.   Any way here comes the patrol man to see why they were flying as they were limited to training night.  He seen me and started to apologize for stopping me and I told he didn't to apologize as he was doing his job.   The RC guys were a little up set that I was allowed to fly until one of the older guys pointed out the difference with my flying and theirs.

But, how can you put a price tag on a plane.  Mike Griffith builds planes for other people and I know he does not make any profit.  I have built for other people with no thought of price other than a matching kit.  A good friend of mine did that for years,  build for other people with payment being an identical kit. 

[Manuel Cortes]

Hi all. Very nice post, but.... what is a love action Worth? Stunt model builders and fliers are a strange portion in aeromodelling, IMHO. That Said....even an ARF metodically built worths a lot. I built my last complete ship in 1998, about 2000 flights later is in good shape with no play in the controls.....(that Bowman Ring in the Merco 49 woths another history).....sincerely, can't Worth it.


Enviado desde mi HUAWEI P7-L10 mediante Tapatalk

[Daniel_Munro]

Good point.  I would make up a bill of materials and keep tract of the hours to build at a rate of  X dollars per hour with a ton of pitchers of the build.
  You are right to assume some Leo would smash your plane. Back years ago there was some one flying a C/L plane at a school yard in Riverside Ca. when you still could. A police car came rolling up and the officer got out came over, sad there was a noise complaint. The officer told the pilot to land the plane. He yelled and said he couldn't.  She did not buy it and
( Yes it did happen, but she didn't ) She pulled out her side arm and yelled to land the plane or she would shoot it down. His friend was trying to explain that it had to run out of fuel which it shortly did so. She got 6 months desk duty for acting like a jerk.
 Now a days I would not put it past a Leo to walk out into the circle and yank that handle  out of one s hands.
 

Gee I sure feel lucky here in lil Ol New Zealand. I am a Police Officer and know many others that also fly model aircraft. in my area I don't think there has ever been an incident involving model aircraft where Police have been called, we have separate noise control officers for that. But they would simply laugh at anyone complaining about model plane noise.

I also consider my luck with my local council allowing me to fly on either the cricket ground or the show jumping arena. Both immaculately cared for and perfect for flying on. They haven't noticed the little died patches of grass from fuel drips.

Anyhow, back to the topic of the cost of our planes, I just done an add up of what I've spent on bit for my current build. $840 for materials alone, that includes a high end brushless motor, ESC, timer, batteries, wood, Tom Morris controls and various other bits. No time included, I don't even log the time as it doesn't matter to me because I enjoy building.

[afml]

What's your airplane worth?
Really depends on the airplane to justify an accurate response. Several of the posts are 'spot on'.
A good friend of mine had an unfortunate contact with a large dump truck upon slowing down to enter the gate at the club field.
The large dump truck just about ran him over. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt. However the pick up truck he was driving and the PAMPA ship inside the cab didn't fair too well. Total cost estimate to replace a 60 sized piped PAMPA plane was about 5K. Had it been a Ringmaster with a Fox 35, the cost estimate would have been substantially less. Hope no one has to cipher up a loss this year!
"Tight Lines!"
Wes

[Clint Ormosen]

If I break one of my planes, it's was worth 10 bucks.
If someone else breaks one, it was priceless.

[Bob Reeves]

Priceless..

A competitive stunt ship must be built by the pilot. You simply can't buy a stunt ship at any price and be competitive in the US.
I already have about $700.00 invested in my next ship and haven't even started building it yet. What will it be worth to me when it's finished is an impossible number to even imagine. Only way it can be replaced is for me to build another one.

[M Spencer]

If its custom designed & custom built & it flys better than a yatsenko ( Russian Nobler )
its worth more than a yatsenko . 

If your talking replacement cost , do you factor in the time & costs involved in aquiring the materials , and research ?
Starts to get scarey if you look at it as a comercial proposition , as in time , costs and overheads etc .

After All , the Monalisa's just a bit of paint and canvas . Probly replace it for ten bucks odd. 

[bill rutherford]

Years ago I had a guy try to pull my lines when he told me to land it now. When he had hold of the lines I stepped back and pulled hard. He let go really fast with a bleeding hand.  The engine quit a few laps later and I landed then walked over and asked him if it was worth it. He was paid to cut the grass and felt that was his field. Amazing we became friends. That was a long time ago.