Chris Adams brought the issue up about the affordability of our hobby.
Chuck Anderson covered this quite well a year or so ago, about the cost
of being in R/C for him in the 1960's. When I ask someone "how much
did something cost way back then", I try to phrase it as "how many weeks
of your salary did it cost to purchase". This gives me a very good feel
for how INEXPENSIVE our planes and radios are now vs. in the past.
For example, in 1980, I purchased a Futaba 3-channel with no batteries
and 2 servos for $135.00. Guess what? A 4-channel Futaba sells for
about the same price now. In inflation adjusted dollars (4% / year
historical avg in the US), the price has been cut in half. The
sailplane kits of today that are all balsa & spruce are still the same
price (< $50), so they are cheaper in inflaction adjusted dollars also.
In 1980, 99% of sailplanes on the market were boxes of balsa. So most
of the labor cost of completing a plane was borne by the hobbyist. In
today's market of composite construction, most of that work is done by a
manufacturer. So it is no surprise that the purchase price of a bagged
or molded plane is higher. The buyer is transferring much of the labor
from himself to the mfgr (in addition to getting a much stronger plane).
Finally, think of the "features". Like cars over the last 3 decades,
the "standard" feature set has increased greatly. To be considered
"competitive" today in an American TD contest, you need at a minimum, an
8-channel computer radio, a $400 plane, and $180 of servos.
As you said, it's time vs. money. For the (employed) hobbyist, with
little time to build and a hectic schedule, he can justify the increased
purchase price. If you have the time and skill, you can build a
bagged plane equivalent to a Sapphire for ~ $200 in parts. Half of that
cost is buying a fiberglass fuse.
I consider most of today's bagged kits great deal for the consumer. I
have cut & bagged a few planes myself. Considering the hours it took
me, I would have to earn about 1/8th my current wage if I tried to make
sailplanes for a living.
I have a lot of respect for the folks manufacturing the toys we love to
fly. I think they supply planes at a great value !
Jon Stone
Madison, Alabama
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