Today, we had a round table discussion about the hobby. In a nutshell, the topic was building/innovating vs. flying/driving.
Over a meal today, we had a very interesting topic come up, as to whether most modelers prefer building and working on their planes/cars/helis, or rather flying and driving. With so many RTRs and RTFs, it would seem that most modelers would rather have their products finished so that they can just use them. However, all 6 of the hobbyists swore up and down that they prefer working and tinkering and that flying is just the icing on the cake. During a walk through our Fountain Valley store today, I asked 10 of our customers what they preferred, and 8 out of 10 said they really enjoy working with their hands and minds and the hobby is more about working on their projects. I asked why then they mostly bought arfs and rtrs, and all responses were time, limited time. The hobby is about using your brain to get the most performance out of your project. In many ways it is a brain game, and there is great satisfaction in making something good into something great.
It is amazing that in a very informal survey, most everyone likes and prefers the upgrading, modifying and fixing more than actually using their hobby products. So tell me, what do you prefer?
Tags: ARFs, kits, Radio Control RTR
November 6, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Definitely prefer the tuning of my car. I have bought both kits and rtrs, and I do like racing lot, but most of my time is spent on breaking car down, tuning, and improving. Thanks.
November 8, 2007 at 2:33 am
Being an old time modeler as well as a craftsman I love working with my hands. Back in the day, all kits were just that, kits you had to build. Including cars/trucks/buggies. I really, really enjoy assembling vehicles because it is a ‘bolt together’ proposition. I have never been really fond of sanding blocks of balsa wood though. Although I do enjoy building a balsa model airplane.
That said, time is of the essence. And I love ARF’s for the time savings they provide. Anymore, ARF’s from Asia are just as good if not better built than many models I have seen at the field by the so called “builders”. And the covering schemes are usually better done than 95% of the home brewed jobs.
One of the things I truly enjoy is personalizing an ARF or RTR. Speaking of boats in particular, there is so much that can be done to make one stand out from the crowd.
I hope kits will always be available. But I am an avid ARF buyer and I have seen the evolution of the ARF from the 70’s to the present and I like what I see!