The RC world changes

[Onepoint]

I have not been paying too close of attention the last few years,   but I did not know Hobbico declared bankruptcy early this year and Horizon hobby bought it up.  That pretty much brings all US RC stuff under one roof. Probably not so good for competition, except they are getting a ton of that from China though the likes of Hobby King etc. 

Interesting times we live in.

[stetto]

Huh huh huh....and without your post I would blissfully gone on not knowing about it. My Telemaster has approx. 3 inches of dust encasing it, and likely a family of rodentia inhabiting.

I've been flying vicariously through the rest of you. 

[jetmex]

Hobbico also owned Revell, the plastic model maker, which finally found a buyer early last week.  Tower Hobbies was part of Hobbico as well, not sure what will happen with them.

I don't fly much anymore, just not much bang for the buck and the fun factor goes way down when you're getting older and it's 98 degrees / 70% humidity in the shade.  I still build for people - currently doing a pair of 96 inch P-51's for a friend.  There aren't many kits out there anymore, but the bigger ARF's like those I'm doing now need enough re-engineering to damn near qualify them as kits.  My 23 year old Astro Hawg last flew about five years ago and is under just as much dust as Stetto's Telemaster.  There may be a garage sale soon.

Interesting times indeed.

[Frazz]

I haven't flown in a bunch of years.  Last time I was at the Denver auction and I tried to sell some narrow band radios, they told me they had been illegal for several years and I needed to buy the new frequencies again. 

I still have 4 kits in the basement, an ercoup, couple of Comanche's, and a mooney, some jack Stafford and another brand of kit I cant remember offhand.  I bought the drone this last winter and had fun flying it, well, it flies itself but you know what I mean.

I had looked a year or so ago at hobbico because I like some of their tools and I like to buy their ca glue as it was always reasonably priced in quantity.  I didn't know they were in trouble.  Sign of the times.

[balsum fractus]

Hobbico's stuff went on the auction block. horizon hobbies only put in a courtesy bid to guarantee they woul get a minimum price for the assets they are selling. There are lots of small distributors out there so their good stuff will find a new home...

I still fly when I can although not since last November due to the crappy weather.. I have started thinning the herd a bit and have a backlog of projects to build for other people....

[stetto]

I have kits, from a neat Musyak that I should have built 15 years ago when I still had the dexterity in my fingertips, a neat little .049/electric sized water plane won in a guessing game at the old Flightlines, an R/C Nobler that I got at half price when one of the last two LHS's within 200 miles closed, and a lazer-cut Lazer 3D electric bought at the same defunct store. I craftily snuck a Global Hobbies Tecate Bipe kit to a friend a few years back, I think I forgot to tell him how notoriously tail heavy they are known to be...

I have quite a few old engines, glow and diesel, even a couple of those mean little Czechoslovakian/Yugoslavian/Russian units, and a couple boxes of Fox parts.

A yard sale would be a great idea, if I weren't so lazy...and most fliers around here anymore are flying RTF and drones, wouldn't know which end of a spar doubler went up their butts...

[Onepoint]

Stetto can attest that I have shit er stuff er valuable assets stacked up on everything in the "plane room" so much so if I wanted to actually build anything it would be a major project in itself to clear enough stuff out of the way.   But I am going to want all that stuff...someday... when I get time. 

I still have A Top flite 60 jug,  a couple hog bipe kits, the partial built Dynaflite Fly baby,  and a Dynaflite Decathlon kit and a few  Skyshark kits that includes a dauntless, and Tempest and the others I can't recall off the top of my head anymore along with some others I am sure I am forgetting as well. 

That's not counting the 'lectrics and used planes I have around still.   But I am stubborn about thinning it all out, it  will make heck of a estate sale someday. 

[stetto]

I hearby attest to all of the Honcho's claims.



I can't wait to come "look" at it again.....

[balsum fractus]

Okay, it's cofirmed.....Horizon did purchase Hobbico's RC line.....