Why Balacraft has hit the skids
Chris MacLeod
Balsacraft is no great loss.
In the past I have only built kits form the lower end of Precedent range,
and have therefore had nothing to benchmark the quality of the kits against.
That is until coming across a kit from Graham Mcallister of Sheffield fame.
WOW what a difference, parts that have been cut out accurately, decent
instructions with a full set of plans also wheels and collets provided. The
cost of the kit is comparable to the precedent range until thy dropped the
prices earlier in the year. I goes to show that we are a fickle lot and
quality is preferable to low prices (although we would like both).
Bye Bye Balsacraft
Chris
Brian Cullen
Chris MacLeod <ch...@vwbeetle.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in
message news:8tpqs2$q5e$1...@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I know this subject has been done to death, but IMHO the
demise of
> Balsacraft is no great loss.
<snip>
I goes to show that we are a fickle lot and
> quality is preferable to low prices (although we would
like both).
> Bye Bye Balsacraft
>
> Chris
>
Hi Chris
I take you have never seen or built any of the Balsacraft
kits - as opposed to the low end Precedent kits. Your
description of accurately cut parts, proper well though-out
plans and instructions together with complete accessory kits
was a characteristic of Balsacraft electric kits (and they
even included parts for conversion to IC power).
As someone else has posted- I couldn't believe how they
could do it for the money- around £45 for the single engined
warbirds- obviosuly they couldn't. I for one will miss those
kits if they don't make their rumoured comeback. The quality
was incomparable for the price. I won't mourn the passing of
the Hi-Boy though - at any price.
cheers
Brian
Silent Thunder
to remove junk)
=======================================
In a one word answer yes. We are already out of stock of the Fun Fly,
Stampe, Bi Fly 25 and the Electra Fly.
Best regards
Elaine Rudd
-----Original Message-----
From: mike.watts1 [SMTP:mike....@ntlworld.com]
Sent: 16 October 2000 18:19
To: Janet...@Balsacraft.com
Subject: Re: Is it true?
So, does this mean that all the planes you make will eventually run out of
stock, and not be replenished???
----- Original Message -----
From: "Janet Hull" <Janet...@Balsacraft.com>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 5:02 PM
Subject: RE: Is it true?
The rumours unfortunatley have some truth to them. Balsacraft as a
manufacturor is closing down. Balsacraft as a mail order service is
continuing. Some of our range will change over time as we go out of stock
of various items. We hope this does not affect our customers too much
although I can't garanutee this will happen with out any hicups.
Best regards
Elaine Rudd
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 09 October 2000 14:05
To: 10175...@Compuserve.com
Subject: Is it true?
Is it true that you are going out of businness?
Steve
news:7A%L5.13933$5j5....@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
>
<snip>
> I take you have never seen or built any of the Balsacraft
> kits - as opposed to the low end Precedent kits. Your
> description of accurately cut parts, proper well though-out
> plans and instructions together with complete accessory kits
> was a characteristic of Balsacraft electric kits (and they
> even included parts for conversion to IC power).
>
> As someone else has posted- I couldn't believe how they
> could do it for the money- around £45 for the single engined
> warbirds- obviosuly they couldn't. I for one will miss those
> kits if they don't make their rumoured comeback. The quality
> was incomparable for the price. I won't mourn the passing of
> the Hi-Boy though - at any price.
>
Having built two of 'em, I quite like the Hi-Boy. Also done a Turbo. Now
that *was* a bit of an overweight pig ... but maybe it was just my
ham-fisted building and flying! I've also built a brace of Bi-Flys (the
little .25 ones, not the .40 size). First one was a disappointment (my
fault, didn't get the top wing incidence right until *after* the first
crash) but the second was a beauty. As to parts, if you're building a
cheapo knock-together kit then a bit of knife trimming and a rub with the
sanding block is all part of the process. Incidentally, having had similar
'adjust and sand and replace with more appropriate wood' experiences with a
couple of the lower end Flair kits I reckon British kits have all suffered
the same problems. Micro-Mold? Complete-A-Pac? You didn't need glue if
you kept to the kit contents, you were more likely to be sparking up the
welder!
Steve
Harry Curzon
whatever new guise, DB in whatever new guise, Complete-a-Pac, Skyways et al
are from the 1970s and they have steadfastly refused or failed to keep up
whilst the rest of the world sped off without us. The designs are usually
great, the planes enjoyable to fly, but the kits seem to still be stamped
out of the same old blunt die-cutters of 30 years ago.
Harry
Steve wrote in message
<3d1M5.2118$1B5....@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com>...
Deepee
impressed with the kits. Superficially very nice, but flawed with old
thinking.
Ah well,
david
"Harry Curzon" <ha...@curzon.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8tq87s$28i$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
Brian Cullen
Deepee <David....@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:NtbM5.15126$5j5....@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
> Yep, have to agree. I built botth the Hurri and the se
Fury and was not
> impressed with the kits. Superficially very nice, but
flawed with old
> thinking.
>
> Ah well,
>
> david
Hang about David and let me get this straight
You are not referring to the Balsacraft (i.e. Model Designs)
electric Hurricane and Sea Fury when you say they were
flawed with old thinking are you?
IMHO Pete Nicholson's designs are some of the most
innovative things that have happened in UK kit manufacture
in the past ten years. They were just about the first
CNC-cut electric kits available here and the modular crutch
construction was a fantastic breakthrough for electrics. The
plans and instructions are head and shoulders above what was
available in most of the cheaper kits - like some of the
"old time kits" that Harry referred to - which were not far
removed from sticking together a huge block of balsa and
sanding away anything that did not resemble the model you
were trying to make.
I'd be interested to hear what newer thinking you have found
that has improved on what you found with your Hurricane and
Sea Fury.
cheers
Brian
Ken Battersby
<steve...@nospamvirgin.net> wrote:
<SNIP>
>Having built two of 'em, I quite like the Hi-Boy. Also done a Turbo. Now
>that *was* a bit of an overweight pig ... but maybe it was just my
>ham-fisted building and flying! I've also built a brace of Bi-Flys (the
>little .25 ones, not the .40 size). First one was a disappointment (my
>fault, didn't get the top wing incidence right until *after* the first
>crash) but the second was a beauty.
I built a Precedent Stampe several years ago. I have no complaints
about wood quality (possibly the die cutting could have been better -
but it was adequate) and it flies superbly.
>As to parts, if you're building a
>cheapo knock-together kit then a bit of knife trimming and a rub with the
>sanding block is all part of the process. Incidentally, having had similar
>'adjust and sand and replace with more appropriate wood' experiences with a
>couple of the lower end Flair kits I reckon British kits have all suffered
>the same problems.
Hardly a lower end kit admittedly, but I am in the process of building
a Flair Tiger Moth at present. I am extremely pleased with the way
the kit is going together, the wood quality is excellent and the only
"problem" is that the die cutting is so good that parts tend to
literally just fall out of the ply sheets, resulting in having to fit
them back in the sheets like a jigsaw to try and figure out the part
number!!!
In the past, I have built a couple of Flair kits and have no
complaints regarding quality. Certainly my Puppeteer went together
fine and flies superbly. The only wood I had to replace in the
Puppeteer was the entire fuselage!!!! I had just finished building
the fuselage in my loft workroom, walked across the loft holding my
superbly constructed fuselage - and fell straight down the loft
access. I ended up on the floor below holding a mass of splintered
and broken balsa. Certainly not Flair's fault and a quick trip to my
local model shop got me enough new balsa to remake the fuselage. A
definite candidate for dickhead of the month award!!!!!!
Regards
Ken Battersby
Greg Middleton
<ha...@curzon.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> And there's the typically British problem. Precedent, micro-mold in
>whatever new guise, DB in whatever new guise, Complete-a-Pac, Skyways et al
>are from the 1970s and they have steadfastly refused or failed to keep up
>whilst the rest of the world sped off without us. The designs are usually
>great, the planes enjoyable to fly, but the kits seem to still be stamped
>out of the same old blunt die-cutters of 30 years ago.
You can add MFA to that list from my first and definitely last
experience of them (an Islander).
Greg
Harry Curzon
Greg Middleton wrote in message <3a0133bb.3425255@gateway>...
>You can add MFA to that list from my first and definitely last
>experience of them (an Islander).
>
>Greg
Which is exactly what wrote about originally - a kit from the 1970's which I
doubt has been updated one little bit. The problem is not just the quality
of cutting, but that design knowledge has improved so much in 25 years,
along with materials, that the latest designs weigh quite a bit less than
they used to. My next scale job is the Roy Yates plan for the Piston
Provost, the plan is early 70s and is built like a battleship.
Incidentally, mention of MFA strikes a happy note. In the 70's I always
fancied the MFA Mini-Chevron but never had one. Last month I bet my local
shop that I would not buy another kit for 3 years unless he could get a
Mini-Chevron. So he phoned MFA and yes, they still have a few f/g fuz at
the back of the warehouse, so now I have the fuz and the shop is arranging
for wings and a plan to be available from the original designer. Yippee.
My shop mentioned it to someone else who wanted several Chevrons and
Mini-Chevrons, so years after it went out of production, MFA has suddenly
had a rush of orders for left -over fuzs! Mini-Chevron is a gorgeous model.
Don't know what Depee was referring to when said the Hurri and Sea Fury kits
were poor, I have the Model Designs Fw-190 and Spitfire, and they are top
notch kits beyond reproach, I really mourn their passing.
What is happening to SLEC? How will we survive without the country's
favourite fuel tank?
Harry
FriedFreddy
Eastern Europe where the wages are about 20p a month, then shipped over and sold
through the usual Ripmax outlets including a Balsacraft shop, however production
was not due to start until the new year as tooling etc has to be
moved/repaired/replaced, i was also warned that stock would be short until then.
Being a Doubting Thomas I've edged my bets and scarfed up a Seafury, Blenhim,
and Bearcat just in case - don't want to risk not having a model to build during
the long nights - swmbo would only find me loads of stuff to fix stuff round the
house otherwise.
As to kit quality - excellent - not even finished the Foker yet but impressed
enough to buy 3 more for ron.
John duxbury
that somebody has not said that if your Puppeteer was made by Great planes /
Global / Top Flite et al (& priced at £150!) it would have survived such a
trivial fall..........
I have built 4 kits from Balscraft & all have been excellent, they had all
the parts mentioned in the instructions, had good quality hardware & lot's
of it. 2 were newer kits (Hurricane & Coyote) & 2 older precedent kits
(Lo-Boy & T180) & I thought all were excellent value for money & were
excellent flyers.
I shall be sorry to see them go.
--
Regards, John
Reply to group or take out NOSPAM & e-mail me at
dux...@NOSPAMntlworld.com
"Ken Battersby" <ken...@kokopelli.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3a01549e...@news.freenetname.co.uk...
Rob Sten
weeks??? I've
built a whole model and not managed any stick time at all because of the
weather! :-(
Rob.
Thank God for the Sim :-)
FriedFreddy <Fried...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:3A01B73A...@btinternet.com...
Steve
news:8tq87s$28i$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
> whatever new guise, DB in whatever new guise, Complete-a-Pac, Skyways et
al
> are from the 1970s and they have steadfastly refused or failed to keep up
> whilst the rest of the world sped off without us. The designs are usually
> great, the planes enjoyable to fly, but the kits seem to still be stamped
> out of the same old blunt die-cutters of 30 years ago.
>
> Harry
Is it typically British? Pilot kits were from high quality wood with superb
cutting and (my two at least) flew nicely. The world seems to have sped off
without them too. I don't know, never having had one, but I wonder how good
the cutting and raw materials are under the skin of most ARTFs. No, I think
the British problem is that Brits spend £50 on a cheap and cheerful kit and
then seem surprised that they haven't got £150 quality.
Steve
Steve
news:3a01549e...@news.freenetname.co.uk...
<snip>
> In the past, I have built a couple of Flair kits and have no
> complaints regarding quality. Certainly my Puppeteer went together
> fine and flies superbly. The only wood I had to replace in the
> Puppeteer was the entire fuselage!!!! I had just finished building
> the fuselage in my loft workroom, walked across the loft holding my
> superbly constructed fuselage - and fell straight down the loft
> access. I ended up on the floor below holding a mass of splintered
> and broken balsa. Certainly not Flair's fault and a quick trip to my
> local model shop got me enough new balsa to remake the fuselage. A
> definite candidate for dickhead of the month award!!!!!!
>
I've had a Baronette and a Cub. The Baronette was the better of the two,
although as it was about 14 years ago I may have the rose tints on as I look
back and I did change most of the back end wood for lighter stuff. The Cub
was (still is in fact, as I've still got it) more a traditional 'shake the
ply sheets hard and then go around with the knife before shaking them again'
model. No, if you want diamond quality then the only way is to start with a
plan and create your own kit of parts. As to the Precedent Stampe, I'd
ummed and aaahed about getting one for years but never did. I guess now
I'll never know whether it was good or bad. Oh well.
Steve
Brian Cullen
Yippee <yip...@glasvezel.net.do.not.spam> wrote in message
news:8l650torngrjqno9h...@newsfeed03.glasvezel
.net...
> Whatever happened to Pilot, anyway?
>
> --
> Y.
Hi Y
AFAIK the factory in Japan burned down a good while back.
There have been no new Pilot kits available for at least a
few years. The big kits disappeared pretty quickly IIRC. The
smaller (.25-.30cu in) sized ones were available around this
neck of the woods for a while after production ceased - in
fact they were generally sale items. There were rumours a
while back that a new factory had been set up and that
production may start again but we've seen no evidence of it
in the shops (or the ads for that matter).
It's a shame. They were really nice-looking kits even if
they did tend to use twelve parts where two would do.
cheers
Brian
Steve
news:8l650torngrjqno9h...@newsfeed03.glasvezel.net...
>
> in just two days (and nights). Lovely kits, best I ever came across, even
> considering the quality of some of the CNC-cut kits of today.
>
Mine were a QB 1800 glider and a QB 15-H three channel power trainer thing.
Don't know what happened to the company though. I thought for a while that
one of the other far east makers had picked them up (Thunder Tiger??) but
there isn't much that looks like any of their offerings around these days.
Pity.
Steve
Steve
>
> It's a shame. They were really nice-looking kits even if
> they did tend to use twelve parts where two would do.
Back to one or two big blocks and sand them to the finished shape eh? ;o)
Steve
Anders Karlsen
Me too!!
Had a QB 1500 and a QB 15 H. Did you also learn to fly totally without
help with this combination???
The QB 1500 would loop once from a solid handlaunch.
Anders Karlsen, Norway..
Steve
news:3a068d43....@news.eunet.no...
> >
>
> Me too!!
>
> Had a QB 1500 and a QB 15 H. Did you also learn to fly totally without
> help with this combination???
>
> The QB 1500 would loop once from a solid handlaunch.
>
> Anders Karlsen, Norway..
>
I learnt to fly R/C with a Veron Impala slope soarer. I sort of self
taught - already flew full size and fell into the trap of "if I can fly the
real thing then I can fly anything". Fine whilst the thing was heading away
from me .... then it turned around. Total flight time around 14˝ seconds!
Still learning, I used to wait for fairly windy days and then walk/trot
along behind the glider as it tacked along the slope - then when I had to
turn around I was always 'behind' the thing. Got quite fit!! I was doing
ok, but hadn't cracked the 'heading towards me' bit. Then one day some
bloke turned up at the slope, watched me getting hot and sweaty running up
and down behind my glider for a while and said "why don't you just stand
still and when it comes towards you prop up the low wing with the stick".
No more energetic exertions for me! So, I can't claim it was entirely self
taught. The QB-1800 was one of a number of gliders in my pre-power arsenal.
The QB 15-H was my first power model though, and yes I self taught power on
that. Much less physical than the slope soaring - I just treated it as
'built-in slope lift' and it was no problem. All that was about 18 years
ago. You won't find me sprinting up and down a slope after anything much at
all these days. Well, maybe there are one or two things that I would ...
wind-blown Ł10 notes being one of 'em and the other involves the rasp of
nylon and a whiff of perfume!!! ;o)
Steve