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09-03-2012, 07:34 PM | #1 |
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Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
Hi all, hopefully this subject hasn't been beat to death already...(I did a search of the Forum, and surprisingly couldn't find much).
There are many brands to choose from when looking into a balsa kit...From what I gather, some of the big ones are: ACE, BALSA USA, GREAT PLANES, HERR, TOP FLITE, etc etc etc I am assuming some brands are better than others in various respects. I am wondering if some should be steered-clear of? Likely, I will be building to fly as an intermediate level, ELECTRIC model, likely 4/5ch, size anywhere from 30"-60"... I realize this is a fairly subjective question, like asking if I should buy a Ford, Dodge, or Honda etc... but any personal experiences would be a great help. Thanks! Last edited by J_Budd; 09-04-2012 at 11:12 AM. Reason: Subject was unclear |
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09-04-2012, 06:23 AM | #2 |
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Re: Airplane Kits - Brands to Stay Away From?
I have a CL-415 from HobbyKing, 2 Parkzone (Extra 300 and F4U Corsia). All foam and easy to repair. Parkzone is better in this case. Hangar 9 is best for scale model such as my Piper J-3 Cub. I looked at E-Flite and hesitated before my purchase. Would have been a great choice. At our club, there are many other brands, and none have been marked as "stay away from". Price is often related to quality. Most important is the quality of the components you put in. Stick with recommendations to ensure proper Center of Gravity and power requirements.
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09-04-2012, 07:40 AM | #3 | |
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Re: Airplane Kits - Brands to Stay Away From?
Quote:
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09-04-2012, 01:30 PM | #4 | |
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Re: Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
Quote:
They are fantastic models though. There are all great flyers and the newer ones are designed around brushless motors. Many of Pat's newer designs can be found on his website: http://www.patscustom-models.com/ He also did several designs for Dumas, most notably the 1800 series. They are mostly 3ch and under 40" WS: http://www.dumasproducts.com/ And a few of his older kits can still be purchased from Dare Hobby: http://www.darehobby.com/airplanes/a...lectric-01.htm A few of my Pat Tritle Models: |
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09-04-2012, 01:35 PM | #5 | |
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Re: Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
Quote:
I've had nothing but bad luck with Great Planes. Mostly this stems from their lack of support and spare parts. This is just my experience though. |
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09-04-2012, 01:55 PM | #6 |
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Re: Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
I f building, you can't go wrong with Sig, Top flight, Great planes, balsa USA ect.....
There are a ton of manufacturers out there, some good, some not so good. It can be a crap shoot, if building scale, the desision gets even harder, as some manufacturers make some pretty dicy kits, and charge like a premeum kit. The fourums here can help with the desision as well. But once again, you can nt go wrong with the ones listed above, they have been around, and have stood the test of time for a reason. Manufatuerers who make junk do not last to long in the hobby. My 2c worth. Cheers Derrick |
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09-04-2012, 02:48 PM | #7 |
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Re: Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
Pica is another good kit maker, but IMO is for a more experienced builder. Balsa USA makes some excellent kits. Only complaint is some of the older models are a bit skimpy on instructions.
One other factor can be the quality of wood. A good kit will contain higher grain wood for higher stress areas and unfortunately I cannot offer any specifics. Glad to see someone still out there looking to start from a kit. There is a lot to be said for bringing a box full of stick and sheets of wood to life.
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09-04-2012, 03:03 PM | #8 |
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Re: Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
That's one of the reasons I like building short kits. Since the only the ribs and formers are usually included, it allows me to hand select the remainig balsa used for longerons, stringers, wing spars etc.
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09-04-2012, 05:41 PM | #9 |
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Re: Airplane Kits - Brands to Stay Away From?
Gotcha - missed that important word
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Heli: Blade MCX, MSR, CPP2, 2 x HK 450, HK500GT, Trex 450 Sport, Bell MD500 (450), HK500GT, Trex 500 ESP, Trex 600E Pro Quad: Gaui 330X, Gaui 500 with GU-INS Floats: GWS e-Starter, CL-415 Canadair Plane: F4U Corsair, Extra 300, Hangar-9 Piper J-3 Cub 40, Visionaire, Polaris Ultra, Focke Wulf 190 Micro: T-28 Trojan, Extra 300 3D |
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09-04-2012, 06:29 PM | #10 |
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Re: Opinion: Balsa Airplane Kits - Good Brands, Bad Brands?
I have built great planes (OK, nothing special), Graupner (Early electric or glow kit, again OK nothing special), and SIG (excellent laser cutting and wood quality).
my $0.02 Stephen |
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