Expert: Ken Myers - 9/24/2006

Question
Hi i am a 15 year old student currently constructing a modle glider plane. i have been asked to "talk to an expert" to find out what customers want from a modle aircraft. Could you possibly help me on this matter?

thank you for your help.  

Answer
Hi Will,

That is a pretty broad topic, "What customers want from a model aircraft?"

Since you mentioned gliders specifically, what they want depends on where they live and what their interests are.  I would suggest that you go to a place that sells magazines like Borders or Barnes and Noble (sp) and get an issue of Quiet Flyer.  It is a magazine devoted to gliders/sailplanes and electric flight.  You could also order an issue from their Web site, http://www.quietflyer.com and poke around a bit there, as they do have some free sample articles.

People living near good slopes, like slope soaring.  Folks who live in the flatland areas prefer thermal soaring.  There are a lot of hobbiests that like the history of full-size sailplaning and so they make scale models.  Some folks like the challenge of designing a better sailplane.

What do they want from their hobby, it's probably not what what you think.  They want the challenge of competing against the forces of nature, where sailplaning is involved. They want to spend time with friends of like interests, which all people, young and old, like to do.

Today, many newcomers to model airplanes, do not like to build, so they purchase Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) models made in China or southeast Asia by cheap labor, and just do the flying part of the hobby.  Many of us "old timers" really don't consider that aeromodeling in its truest sense.  But, it is what it is.

Another way to answer your question about the sport of model aircraft today is that, just as most of today's "younger generation" (this is not a knock on young folks!) the typcial person entering the hobby today wants instant gratification.  They want to walk into some place, purchase a model aircraft that is ready to go on a whim, crash it and be out of the hobby the same day they got into it.  They are not looking for the long term friendships that develop over years of aeromodelling, as they don't have time for them either.  I have aeromodelling friends on every continent, yes, including at one time Anarctica, but he's back in England now.

What does the consumer want, anything that gives instant gratification at a low dollar cost and the aeromodelling industry is supplying that in great quantity today.  

You might want to visit one of the largest mass marketers of aeromodelling supplies, http://www.towerhobbies.com

Not sure this really helps you in anyway, but just some of my thoughts and reflections.

Sincerely,
Ken Myers