Wots with chris foss?

[john metcalfe 1]

Cant help noticing that al the chris foss models wot 4 ,acro wot etc are all out of stock everywhere

Anybody know whats happening?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Braddock, VC]

Are you referring to the artf or artb ranges?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[john metcalfe 1]

Posted by Braddock, VC on 06/05/2019 21:53:06:

Are you referring to the artf or artb ranges?

HI ARTF

[Bob Bertram]

I have had a fuselage for a foamie Acrowot on order since October, not best pleased!!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Jon H]

I have flown the Wot4 XL, AWXL, WWXL and Wot4 Extreme. All were great performers in the air but the quality of the kit, and especially the hardware, was poor. The choice of colours is also an interesting one on the middle two. This could explain the poor sales?

I customer told me that the WWXL was discontinued but apparently noone told Chris himself as it came as a shock when the customer called him for help.

 

 

Edited By David Ashby - Moderator on 08/05/2019 16:04:18

[John Lee]

Spiros at the RCHotel has nabbed them all! Taken about 10 days ago:

[Bruce Collinson]

Did find an Acrowot ARTF on about the 58th page of Google in the nick of time for a significant birthday pressie (well strictly a clubmate found it) and it was probably the last one in the UK. Word was, Ripmax are expecting a container in the next few weeks but with no idea what's in it.

Whilst I and doubtless lots of us have had issues with Ripmax, we'd be worse off without them. Even a clean merger/takeover would be further disruptive.

BTC

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Scott Edwards 2]

I spent 6 months trying to find a Wots Wot ARTF, I eventually found one last week in Abergavenny, possibly the last one available! There's very few ARTFs in the country, Hangar 9's, Great Planes, YT International and Blackhorse all seem to be drying up or gone. The few that are left have got damned expensive too.

One big reason I think is foam, the cost of manufacturing an injection molded foamy is peanuts compared to a labour intensive scale ARTF, so the profit margins are greater. Add that to the reduced demand for ARTF's and before you know it they're gone. Both of my clubs are 50% foam now , that must have an impact?

[Sheldon Holy]

Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 07/05/2019 10:00:15:

I have flown the Wot4 XL, AWXL, WWXL and Wot4 Extreme. All were great performers in the air but the quality of the kit, and especially the hardware, was poor. The choice of colours is also an interesting one on the middle two. This could explain the poor sales?

I customer told me that the WWXL was discontinued but apparently noone told Chris himself as it came as a shock when the customer called him for help.

 

 

Do you still have your AWXL with the OS four cylinder engine?

Personally I love the colour scheme on the AWXL and prefer it to the standard size model, but that's entirely subjective. The kit is cheap and quality is about as I'd expect, however the quality of the construction is quite good, I thought. Still, you have to fuel proof the front end and do various other bits if you want the model to last. I find that most ARTF kits I've had, no matter the manufacturer or price, really aren't built to last as a homebuilt model might be. Therefore, I've made various improvements on models that I want to last. My Hangar 9 Super Cub has been as good as gold after some strengthening and other improvements, for what is basically just an overpriced Seagull kit.

The main thing with all ARTFs I've had has been covering. I've never seen any sort of extra adhesive (balsaloc etc...) used and so the covering always comes off at the edges after some time. The stripes on my AWXL tried to fall off when I took it out the box...

One thing I don't quite understand is why sell the kits with poor quality hardware, such as clevises that will make the model crash? You'll end up with upset customers with broken models, and then once word spreads around everyone will have to factor the cost of extra hardware into the cost of the kit, so it's a false economy.

I'd imagine that the main reason for poor sales of the XL models (Wot 4 Xl aside, as they seem to be everywhere) is that people buying a 30-40cc size model will usually be going for scale or 3D. Not that many people have such models as normal Sunday hacks.

Hopefully it works out with Ripmax. I highly doubt they will go bust but I expect a lot of restructuring will be happening, in which time other distributors such as Perkins and CML could pick up the product lines.

Edited By Sheldon Holy on 07/05/2019 14:08:54

Edited By David Ashby - Moderator on 08/05/2019 16:04:59

[flying pastor]

Interesting that on the back of the latest RCME there is a full page ad for the new Chris Foss Phase 5e artf which is , as usual, distributed by Ripmax.

Many shops appear to be showing a new import of Wot artf's round about the end of June. I will probably get a Wot4 xl when they materialise...providing that there is some light at the end of the tunnel regarding the CAA situation. If not I have enough models to last me out anyway!

All the best...Chris.

[Jon H]

Posted by Percy Verance on 07/05/2019 13:53:38:

I take it you're referring to the artf hardware there Jon? I have read moans about that before.

The Wot kits I've had did have quite usable accessories.........

yup. I wasnt at all impressed by the stuff that came with my AWXL.

Sheldon, i sure do and its rapidly becoming my go to model. I flew it on sunday in fact and set up a mix to help with landing. Due to the big fat engine up front its a bit nose heavy so tends to land very fast as i run out of elevator power when it slows down. As flight performance at all but landing speed is great i dont want to alter the balance so added some up elevator using the flap/elevator mix. As i dont have flaps i only get the up trim, but this combined with more faith in the engine gave me much nicer landings last time out. I just have to remember to click the mix off if i go around as it will climb like crazy if i leave it on

[Sheldon Holy]

Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 07/05/2019 15:13:18:

Posted by Percy Verance on 07/05/2019 13:53:38:

I take it you're referring to the artf hardware there Jon? I have read moans about that before.

The Wot kits I've had did have quite usable accessories.........

yup. I wasnt at all impressed by the stuff that came with my AWXL.

Sheldon, i sure do and its rapidly becoming my go to model. I flew it on sunday in fact and set up a mix to help with landing. Due to the big fat engine up front its a bit nose heavy so tends to land very fast as i run out of elevator power when it slows down. As flight performance at all but landing speed is great i dont want to alter the balance so added some up elevator using the flap/elevator mix. As i dont have flaps i only get the up trim, but this combined with more faith in the engine gave me much nicer landings last time out. I just have to remember to click the mix off if i go around as it will climb like crazy if i leave it on

Interesting, I bet it sounds good too. It seems the Wot designs are usually happy being a bit overweight, which is one reason I chose it for my turboprop. What does the OS weigh?

Have you tried flaperons?

On mine I've replaced all the supplied clevises for Kavan M3 ones and moved the two elevator servos to the tail.

[Jon H]

The engine is nearly 5lbs so its a bit of a porker. I havent bothered with flaperons as there is no need. With the model re trimmed using my mix it lands very slowly and without any fuss, especially now the engine has earned my trust in holding a low idle for a long period and not dropping a cylinder.

I replaced all of my clevises too and i cut off all the threaded rod ends and soldered on proper ones. The only one that i didnt cut off was at the servo end of the aileron linkage and that was soldered on as i didnt need adjustment at both ends

[Nigel R]

"One big reason I think is foam, the cost of manufacturing an injection molded foamy is peanuts compared to a labour intensive scale ARTF, so the profit margins are greater. Add that to the reduced demand for ARTF's and before you know it they're gone. Both of my clubs are 50% foam now , that must have an impact?"

Built up ARTFs must be hugely dependent on a good exchange rate to make the labour and shipping parts of the equation work. I don't imagine recent political turns have really made the UK-to-rest-of-world rates better. I also imagine labour rates tend to creep up over time as well. Bit of a double whammy.

The point about moulded foamies is very well made. Very much reduced labour portion of that final sale price. No building, and no covering. HK must represent a bellweather of the RC world, and most of their stuff appears to be foam, now even going up to sizes I would not have previously expected foam to really work in.

[Martin McIntosh]

John Lee,

I am going back there on Friday but judging by the large line up of foamies I doubt if I shall spend any money flying, just take a break. They used to have `proper` i/c aerobats. Nothing in particular against the foamies but on my last visit a couple of years ago there was not much else worth flying and I got bored because they are too easy. I do like Acrowots though.

[Simonl67]

I've been told by one Model Shop that the Wot4 has been re-designed and they are having trouble proudcing it. Adivsed me to look at other models.

[Lima Hotel Foxtrot]

I don't know where you guys have been looking on the web, but I earlier today I was in Addlestone Models and they have ARTF Wots Wot, Acro Wot and Wot 4's. I also asked them about the others and (according to Ripmax) the XL types are now totally out of stock, prob not being made anymore) and the others are slated for end of May.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Folks,

I've deleted the posts relating to financial speculation of a hobby distributor. Unless you know the full picture then highlighting bits of financial info is just uninformed speculation.

Please keep the posts factual.

Thanks, David.