Just a daydream?

Just an addition to Dan's interesting review of the Jan Flying Models. On Page three, we see the Hobby Lobby ad. "Excellent trainer has EVERYTHING in one box. Assembles in 30 minutes"

Here is my daydream: "Excellent CONTROL LINE trainer has EVERYTHING in one box. Assembles in 30 minutes." Until that happens, control line is going to remain a small microspeciality in model aviation.

>Just an addition to Dan's interesting review of the Jan
>Flying Models. On Page three, we see the Hobby Lobby ad.
>"Excellent trainer has EVERYTHING in one box. Assembles in
>30 minutes"
>
>Here is my daydream: "Excellent CONTROL LINE trainer has
>EVERYTHING in one box. Assembles in 30 minutes." Until that
>happens, control line is going to remain a small
>microspeciality in model aviation.
>
>Jim

Of daydreams are careers and businesses made. I see no reason whatsoever that the technology found in that kit can't be converted to a CL application. Whatcha waitin' for?

The excellent control-line trainer already exists, only takes about 10 minutes to assemble and it can be done at the field. It is called the C*x PT-19. And, only takes about 1 minute to re-assemble after a crash!

>The excellent control-line trainer already exists, only
>takes about 10 minutes to assemble and it can be done at the
>field. It is called the C*x PT-19. And, only takes about 1
>minute to re-assemble after a crash!

Except that you DO have to reassemble the !@#$ thing after almost every landing - - I remember a couple of "teach 'em" sessions at the Hawthorne Airport. The Bratco SkyBaby may be a better alternative, and the NorVel glow plugs cost ½ as much in the bargain.

The best one ever put out with that description is the American Junior Fire Baby.. I now have four of them and see no reason why they don't reproduce them along with all the other stuff AJ is now putting out. It sure as heck flys better than anything Cox ever put out. Period. It came ready, engine, lines, handle. All you needed was fuel and a battery.

You guys are all missing the point. EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE BOX, including a CD. You don't have to go out and buy no steenking fuel! The airplanes you mention do not compare in any way. Wake up, it's the 21st century.

Look, I have five CL trainers which do fine when an knowledgable person with support equipment is there to help. One even has a diesel. But there is nothing out there which a person can buy and quickly get in the air without help, and without buying anything special extra.

Steve Brown at Duncan even puts How-To CD's in their $2 yo-yo's sold at WalMart. They also sell a $400, machined and forged magnesium ceramic ball-bearing version, too - but I don't think it comes with a CD.

Jim,
I don't know if they are still packaged with this option, but Cox made RTF's with everything in the box, just like you said. Battery, fuel, lines, handle, airplane, and instructions ( printed on paper in english words without "international" symbols) complete and ready to go. I believe it has been acomplished before, in fact I know it to be so.

I understand where you are coming from and agree and applaud anyone coming up with an equivelent to this type Cox RTF concept.

>Just an addition to Dan's interesting review of the Jan
>Flying Models. On Page three, we see the Hobby Lobby ad.
>"Excellent trainer has EVERYTHING in one box. Assembles in
>30 minutes"
>
>Here is my daydream: "Excellent CONTROL LINE trainer has
>EVERYTHING in one box. Assembles in 30 minutes." Until that
>happens, control line is going to remain a small
>microspeciality in model aviation.

And if it happens, I strongly suspect that we would CONTINUE to be a small microspecialty in model aviation. The general modeling public probably doesn't even know that you can't buy full stunt planes RTF right now. They assume that you can. They just don't care.

I could easily be wrong, and I'm not trying to discourage anyone from proving me wrong, but I think I'll be keeping my money in less risky ventures, like internet business stock and the lottery.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-04 AT 07:03 PM (CST)
 
We possibly can not turn the clock to the days when I could walk into the local hardware or drug store and find a model airplane kit. I remember the hardware store had engines for the plane kits he carried. That is where I got my one and only AJ Firebaby. Already had the Space Bug that went on it. Times are a changing and until some entrepenaur decides to go Tower Hobbies and Brodak one better and come out with a mass produced ready to fly plane that will fly, control line will be kept on the back burner. Later, -DOC

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-04 AT 07:07 PM (CST)
 
>
> I could easily be wrong, and I'm not trying to discourage
>anyone from proving me wrong, but I think I'll be keeping my
>money in less risky ventures, like internet business stock
>and the lottery.
>
> Brett

Brett..Brett the lottery? You chances are better to be hit by lightening than to win say the Big lottery draw. Well you could increase you chances by flying in a lightening storm.. DON'T Just a joke.

EDIT: Disclaimer.. "For those reading this I do not recommend flying in inclement weather."

Bad weather????Nats 2003

Jim:

It will happen! The nice thing is that most of the technology for electric flying is being developed for other, much larger, fields and we will be able to benefit.

I'd bet that in between 2 and 5 years you'll be able to buy Electric ARF's, from trainers to full stunters, at prices comparable to most of our gas jobs. Tower Hobby, Brodak, and our specialty folks will do what they do best: see a market and fill it. With no noise problem, most cities will look the other way to park flying and Junior ( and his dad ) can get in the air with the flip of a switch. Gee whiz, Grandpa might be able to act as the flight instructor!

HERE'S THE QUESTION: If and When that happens, will the control line community and AMA find ways to bring some of them "into the fold", or will they be frowned upon as kids with toys not worthy of our time until they "prove" themselves?

I did a thread on this a couple of weeks back ( "An optomistic look at the Future" ). This is an issue for the whole C/L community, so let's try to keep PAMPA politics out of it, at least for now.

In any case, I think it's inevitable. While I love my oily noise makers and have no intention of giving them up, I can see great things happening with electric, at least till they make dime sized nuclear power plants for us.

i quit flying altogether back in '99 and returned to another youthful pursuit...off-road motorcycle racing. huge advances had been made in engine design and suspension components since i quit that in 1982. now that i'm flying again after a mere 5 year layoff i'm amazed at the advances made in electrics. i'm talking subminiature servos, lightweight motors and batteries that put out more power than the 7.2 volt 6 cell pack and the "05" sized motor that i had in some forgotten RPM arf plane i had in '86. sooner or later one of the "big guys" in the hobby business will figure out that there is a goldmine waiting to be unearthed in the CL parkflyer. just give it a little time. shoot, cox was making electric CL planes in 1975 even if they were dogs!

Electrics wil replace IC engines in C/L, it'll just be a matter of time.
Chris...

I modestly call your attention to the C*x Electric CL Bearcat. At one RCHTA show, we set up a learn to fly booth in a "cage" and flew the socks off those things. They turned out to be a heck of a lot more rugged than ever I thought possible.

And, with two 6v car packs instead of the 9v AA size pack, it would really haul the freight (until the motor fried, but we can do much better now)

Larry, whilst driving back home this morning, I got to thinking about you and the Bearcat (which I have seen fly). If you ever decide to turn your hand to designing a trainer such as discussed here, I will be in your cheering section.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-04 AT 08:49 PM (CST) by LNeumann (admin)
 
>Larry, whilst driving back home this morning, I got to
>thinking about you and the Bearcat (which I have seen fly).
>If you ever decide to turn your hand to designing a trainer
>such as discussed here, I will be in your cheering section.
>
>Jim

No offense, but Mr. Renger doesn't need a cheering section, of that you can be sure.

What he needs is a big pile of R&D dollars. He'll probably even put some of them aside for marketing.

Look, all of this is just mental (word edit). Go out and make it happen, especially since you believe so strongly in the concept.

I don't share that view, but that shouldn't hold anybody back; in fact, it seems to motivate Spanky...

Chris,
In your dreams.