Originally Posted by
FlavaFave
From what I can tell, planes tend to be much more valuable after they are built, balanced and ready to fly. There are some people who have no interest in building, so they would prefer to pay top dollar for a nicely tuned aircraft. Here's a fair assessment:
and ARF (almost ready to fly, meaning minor assembly) kit can cost you about $700-800, then you need to get a properly sized engine which runs about $600. You'll also need a radio, but these days one good radio can control all your aircraft. So, an ARF model that any joe blow can assembly can run you up to $1400 or beyond.
If you buy an unbuilt kit, they typically run $300 or more, depending on the size. However, you'll need extensive knowledge of building and wiring, and then again there's the issue of an engine plus now you'll have to paint the sucker when it's done. Typically done with automotive paint, which isn't the cheapest. however, you could get a smaller model and engine and I would say total development cost could easily be under $500. I know it isn't exactly peanuts, but these are the models that you can find buyers for and double your profit. Also, if you get to the point like my old man is, he has so much extra balsa wood lying around from previous planes and stuff that he sometimes just orders the plans for an aircraft ($50) and builds it from scraps. Yes, it takes longer but the value of piecing together a plane from the absolute bare minimum must be gratifying.
In other words, it's kind of like Warhammer minis. Some people will pay an arm and a leg to get a hand painted set because they don't have the time or skill to do it themselves.
But to answer your first question about whether or not they are worth what you put into them, I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know if I ever manage to build one from start to finish :-)
