5 Reasons that You Should Build Your Next Plane and Ditch the ARF
If the time from box to flying field were the only factor in choosing your next plane, then I would admit that ARF airplanes have scratch or kit built planes beat hands down. That’s a no-brainer. But why choose your next plane based solely on that one factor?
I have compiled a list of 5 reasons why I think that you should build your next plane, whether from a kit or from scratch, and here they are in no particular order:
1. Customization – Building provides you with infinite possibilities for customization. If you don’t like the dihedral of the wing, change it. If you aren’t happy with the way the canopy blends with the turtledeck, change it. If you don’t think the spar is strong enough for the way you fly, beef it up. And I have only scratched the surface; think about covering options, materials, retracts, etc… Let’s see that kind of versatility in an ARF!
2. Community – Read through the forums on RCUniverse or RCGroups, and you will find that the build threads for kit and scratch built planes have more posts, more questions, and more readers. Why? Because there are more details involved. A build thread for an ARF can be pretty limiting: Open box, glue wing halves together, mount tail, install radio, go fly.
3. Sense of accomplishment and pride – There is nothing like watching a plane that you built with your own two hands rise off the runway for the first time. It is simply different from the feeling of watching an ARF take off. Of course the feeling that you experience if you crash is vastly worse, but hey it’s all part of the hobby right?
4. Taking the time to slow down – Have you noticed that life seems to be accelerating? We do everything fast these days. From the drive-thru Starbucks coffee in the morning to watching your favorite TV show in fast forward on the DVR, we spend so much of our day running. Why would you want to do that with your hobby too? There are things in life that deserve to be done at a slower pace, and investing time in your hobby is one of them.
5. Playing with tools – Whether it is the ease with which a sharp new X-Acto blade cuts through balsa, or the way that a perfect shape emerges with the help of your favorite sanding block, there is just something about working with tools. I think that there is something very basic and very human about working with tools, and building provides you with the opportunity to experience that pleasure.
So there you have it, a list of 5 reasons to build. I could go on for hours; in fact, maybe there will be a future post on the 100 reasons to build (don’t hold your breath)! For those ARF fans who haven’t tried their hand at building yet, I highly encourage you to do so. Grab some balsa, some tools, and a set of plans – it is time to get those hands dirty!