Used to watch a show dedicated to all things RC.
One guy spent three years and 10k sterling building a Lancaster bomber
It crashed on its maiden flight.
I was seriously considering buying a RC plane at the time.
But after watching that happen I decided against it.
But you can purchase a parachute device that you fit to your model if you loose control it will activate.

That JU-52 was incredible.

Two words for the builder of that Gripen: Carbon Fiber.

I dunno, as long as it's expensive toys/hobbies it's kinda entertaining to watch stuff break. No pilot or onlookers died so it is what it is.

That is seriously cool.


Wheels

Sure was. Never really thought about the logistics and work involved in flying one of those large scale aircraft. Assembly and disassembly required every time, a million little things to check.

Hey, it's a JU-52 made specifically for Verne Troyer!

JU 52 is amazing, trying to figure out how he did the scale corrugated metal finish. Putting them together is part of the ritual. My 75 pound B-17 took about an hour to assemble and my 1/3 scale Stearman about the same. The 250 pound C-47 I flew for an air show took a day to assemble and test and was left assembled in a special hangar during the week long show.

It always fascinates me, and somewhat bewilders me, when i see RC aircraft projects that approach and sometimes exceed the cost of an actual general aviation aircraft. To each his own but I'd rather build an RV-8.

Warbirds, he had his own roller press.

F-14 with movable wings.


This Yak 130 is insane.

50k WTF throw antothe 50k and buy a decommissioned Mig21 and a pilots lic...dumbos

It's not the initial cost that is the problem with an aircraft of that type.


Wheels

Right, it's the costs when the inevitable divorce occurs.



The Jedi Master

Same here, I don't really understand the appeal of RC planes beyond toy ones. To each their own but the fun of flying is actually flying to me.

The only thing I find bewildering in this thread is a bunch of flightsimmers and computer gamers making qualitative value judgement on another hobby that is not their own.

What do you care what people do in their spare time with their own money ?

Who said I was judging them? Don't get into a wad, I'm just saying I don't understand it. Couldn't care less if they want to spend money on it.

Was I referring to you ?

I don't mean to inadvertently ratlle your cage and excuse me for carpet bombing.

What's there to understand ?

It's a hobby and a pastime. Just ask those of you who go out on a stretch to build an expensive simpit or even a scaled down flight certified Nieuport.

Must have been me then. I'll just repeat what Peally wrote: "Don't get into a wad, I'm just saying I don't understand it. Couldn't care less if they want to spend money on it."

I believe what drives a lot of these guys is that the cost of becoming an actual pilot and the actual cost of the plane far exceeds what they can afford in their respective countries. Or for other reasons, like unable to pass a flight physical.

A Carbon Cub for example, costs around $190k, not including fees, maintenance, hangar storage, etc.



I don't think you can operate a MiG-21 for that cheap. Buy, maybe; but converting it for civilian use adds a 6 figure number to that.



The reasons that people do it are widespread, but for me it's always been the chance to build a classic warbird that I'll never be able to fly and try to get the detail as close as I can. I'll never build a $50,000 jet, but I've got a giant scale SBD Dauntless waiting to be built that will cost a tiny fraction of what the real thing would set me back.