I'm still flying a ten year old Fiberclassics Extra. Still weighs, and flys the same as it did ten years ago. I bought it 3rd hand 6 years ago- awesome IMAC airframe.

The only thing that would put me off an old wood airframe is when the glue weighs as much as the wood, OR their are repairs on top of repairs. Like, if the gear block has been glued back in so many times there is nothing to glue to except other glue- then it might be time to retire a plane. Or if the covering is so brittle it cracks by touching it. But- where there is a will, there is a way- I'm sure there are 50 year old RC airplanes still getting the snot flown out of them (if the owners can still see them that is).

Me, I have a hard time letting anything go. It takes me months to dial in a plane just the way I like it. Why trade it in as soon as the next best thing comes out? Doesn't make any sense to me!

Originally Posted by Mr.E

You rebuilt that thing?? That bad boy was nuked from the wingtube forward. I have pictures somewhere of it.

Took about four hours with a motorbox kit. Just needs a little sheeting on the bottom. It's almost like new except for the patches in some spots on the sheeting and some spliced in stringers. It'll be in better shape than it's first rebuild when it locked out and went in when Charles owned it. Motorbox kits are awesome!

Nice, is it going back to Chad or are you keeping it?

I fly comp-arf... I dunno what fatigue looks like!!!

i have an ultimate kit built from lanier. It has over 750flights on her. just recovered it for the 4th time also its 4th motor. never been crashed nore any hard landings

Plenty of old comp-arfs around here, but very few woodies.

Originally Posted by Mithrandir

I fly comp-arf... I dunno what fatigue looks like!!!

Originally Posted by Brutimus

I'm still flying a ten year old Fiberclassics Extra. Still weighs, and flys the same as it did ten years ago. I bought it 3rd hand 6 years ago- awesome IMAC airframe.

The only thing that would put me off an old wood airframe is when the glue weighs as much as the wood, OR their are repairs on top of repairs. Like, if the gear block has been glued back in so many times there is nothing to glue to except other glue- then it might be time to retire a plane. Or if the covering is so brittle it cracks by touching it. But- where there is a will, there is a way- I'm sure there are 50 year old RC airplanes still getting the snot flown out of them (if the owners can still see them that is).

Me, I have a hard time letting anything go. It takes me months to dial in a plane just the way I like it. Why trade it in as soon as the next best thing comes out? Doesn't make any sense to me!

I here ya, I have a hard time letting go of things myself,(although my ex g/fs would tell a different story but that's for another forum). Anywho, this is my favorite plane and other than the covering which started to peel, it has ZERO! structural repairs. If it lasts 'till the end of the year, i'll mothball it, maybe....

Originally Posted by Mithrandir

I fly comp-arf... I dunno what fatigue looks like!!!

Lol!!!

Originally Posted by Mr.E

Nice, is it going back to Chad or are you keeping it?

Back to Chad. As much as he let's me and Josh beat up his stuff, I figured it's the least I could do. I just wish I wasn't flying at the same time so I could have seen the entire thing.

There are some kits out there that are built so poorly that there is a chance of failure before you get 5 flights on the thing so try to go the well proven brands do regular inspections through the airframe before and after flying sessions. Personally I fly a 3m 260 composite ARF and can say I rarely find problems that Need fixing even after years of hard flying.

If theres so much glue it can roll without wheels, it's time to replace it