ARTF Manufacturers Really Try My Patience!

[Adrian Smith 1]

Earlier in the year I bought (albeit reduced) a Thunder Tiger 28% 50cc Katana from Kings Lynn Models. The helpful chap I spoke to admitted that one or two mods. might be required. Anyway I thought no worries there as I can adapt most things. However, the list just gets longer!

1/ The instruction book relates to the 35% version (100cc motor) and to all intent and purpose completely meaningless in terms of CoG and working surface deflections and construction.

2/ The supplied firewall I doubt would hold a 120 OS four stroke glow for long let alone a 50cc gasser. New one now made and strengthened appropriately. The two metal reinforcing brackets need attention as one is bent to take account of the side thrust while the other one is at 90degs!

3/ Aileron pushrods, both ends threaded, too long even screwing the horns right in. Spares box raided for those.

4/ Numerous bolts don't fit supplied nuts (spares box again).

I am now getting quite cross!!

5/The four holes drilled in the U/C leg bear no relation to the holes in the fuz. I now have an U/C leg with 8 holes in it to make it fit.

6/ The supplied petrol Tygon fuel pipe has the smallest internal diameter I have ever seen, totally useless. Replaced with my own stock.

I am only half way through the fitting together so now I am wondering what else I need to do. On the plus side the wood construction of the kit is very good quality with an oracover finished and comes up very light. So much so I am considering putting at OS 33GT up front instead of a 60cc which might shake it to bits. As a foot note both KLM and myself have tried to get a correct manual from Thunder Tiger. You guessed it zilch response. Anyway when I get round to maidening it I am sure it will be very interesting!

I did try and find other folks' experiences on the forums globally but to no avail. Ho Hum ……….

[Lee Smalley]

i did see these on line and was really tempted as the price was great, but quite glad i did not bother now

[Former Member]

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[Adrian Smith 1]

Yes quite correct Percy. KLM had a container of these kits (different sizes) delivered to them at the beginning of the year. They were at least 5 years old then according to the guy I spoke to. Mind you that's nothing compared to the Wild Hare 540T 28% I have built recently from Probuild, which by the way flies very well on OS 60GT and is very robust, as the packing check list was dated 2005!!

[Former Member]

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[cymaz]

You have my sympathies A.S. 1. I'm doing my Ripmax DH60, urghhh

Edited By cymaz on 04/11/2014 21:01:35

[Former Member]

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[cymaz]

Don't get me wrong Percy, it's a beautiful plane to fly, It's a Boddo. it's just the instructions are dreadful.

I found in the box 8 half moon pieces of balsa covered in silver solartex. After looking at some full size photos they fit under the L.E. of the wings. No mention of this in the instructions.!

[Former Member]

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[Dave Bran]

Brave man buying a "vintage" ARTF!!

However, it isn't automatic that newer is better made, and I flinched on the Hangar 9 praise. I like hooligan fun fly planes, a result of my flying style (max throws and use them) and a home patch that is small and tree lined/obstructed so poorly arranged for "normal" real world type flying.

I bought a Hangar 9 "Tango", which with a large two stroke and maxed out throws was great fun. I bought another secondhand with a four stroke (so had two at once!). After many many months of use several times every week, they started getting "tired", so I bought the more recently announced low wing equivalent, the Hangar 9 Twist 40.

On delivery I found that unlike the Chinese built Tangos, this one come from Vietnam, and the quality had not just dived, it had plummeted. Fittings and even basic structure were abysmal.

Even the simple parallel chord thick section wing (which is exactly the same article as the Tango by design apart from fixing method) was rubbish, poorly made, visibly gapped/offset joints through the film, loose film with poor tiny overlap joints, and lots of bits rattling around trapped inside. HH were not at all helpful and stated (blind in an EMail reply!!) that the rattling loose parts inside were not a concern and would not affect flight or strength!!!

It quickly became obvious that the small section fuselage stringers (at least) had been made from the softest possible balsa, even a light touch dented them and they were always going to break in even minimal handling. I'm not heavy handed but two broke before I'd even got it assembled. I had to open it up (not a pretty sight), splint the breaks, and run CA down them and all the rest to stiffen them all up.

Frankly, for a 3D design that was always going to have a lot of stresses and strains, as it came, it was FAR from fit for purpose!

That was the last H9 product I bought!!!

[cymaz]

In the defence of th DH60 the quality of the wood and construction is great.

Though I have to say the strength of the metal used in the bolts and screws is abismal. To say they are as soft as butter is about right. If artf manufactures keep doing this, well, ModelFixings will be in business for many years to come.

[Former Member]

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[Adrian Smith 1]

I have looked at H9 big stuff on IAD Model designs (CAP, Edge etc) for 50cc and above, and as you say up there on price. Quite easy to pay £600+ …….ouch! Mind you next time I need to look that may be the way to go 'cos if you are using big gassers the integrity of the airframe must be beyond reproach and save me a lot of unnecessary work.