weskel

Tell us all your experiences with KMP/Kondor models, good bad or other..



I am thinking of buying there Chipmunk and want to here all opinons about there products not just the chipmunk.



Let the stories begin.


weskel

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

Do a search too, youll find alot of info that way....

lord lucan

Kelly ..sorry i'm a bit late on this...these guys market under " YT international " in this country ...absolutly first class service from them...no question ...bought a " Cyclone " a couple of weeks ago ..got a thread running with loads of stuff on ...have a look if you get time " Cyclone..new 3D..." Bla, bla, Bla etc TTFN

grahamd1

My Feedback: (1)

I would 100% backup what Johnvh states and do a search for KMP on the whole site in subject matter.

Yes they are imported into the UK as YTInternational, and they get the same quality issues.

evan-RCU

We've had a couple of thread on the multiengine airplanes forum about the quality problems of the P-38. I asked if anyone else had flown theirs yet(I bought one of 500 in one of their shipments six months ago) and not one other person has responded from North America. THere was one response from Europe. Doesn't speak well of the product. I've also seen their GeeBee and it had problems too. I wouldn't consider buying another.

SeaHawk-RCU

I have the 71" Sea Fury with a Zenoah G26. I love it. The usual problems with the hardware supplied and raking of the u/c forward a fair bit and I have a lovely model.

Col

kerrydel

My Feedback: (2)

Post this question in the warbird forum and I'm sure you'll get some responses.

Kerry

josephair

This is a kmp plane i Think:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/ESM_...1750735/tm.htm

Kondor Models

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/KMP_...1689014/tm.htm

robert waldo

My Feedback: (1)

Don't buy anything just out or a prototype, you will be the test medium, wait two or three generations and read first and last reviews read the real problems by the different customers and take with a grain of salt the same people that always dispute the problems. I would buy another KMP airplane, but only on close inspection. Bob

Kondor Models

?

weskel

I love the look of the chipmunk you guys sell, are they in stock?

I know I could pick up the phone and call, but I'm Lazy.....


I would love to have a chipmunk and put a saito 91 in it, is that too much power or would it be ok.


weskel

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Checking out the 'factory tour' pictures on Kondors site it shows that this factory is quite modern by Chinese standards. I have seen several pictures from various industries in China and most still look like the Industrial Age from the early 19th century. Based on the pics from KMP of the Ever Soaring Model Co factory I would say that their product should be of very high standards. Maybe some engineering details need to be addressed, such as angles and incidences etc but that is certainly doable. Don't forget, these are 'models' and we are supposed to be 'modelers' so adjustments; hand fitting; grinding; sanding; cutting; etc is all part of what we are supposed to be doing.

I am looking forward to someday purchasing a KMP kit and I just have to make up my mind which one.

Peace...

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

Well, on a kit yes, On an arf, NO, IMO they should fit out of the box without having to be modified, thats the reason we buy arfs and not kits.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Kmot,
Put your "flame suit" on for this one, I bet you will need it.
I agree with you 100%, but most ARF builders (assemblers), believe that you should be able to "shake the box", and be ready to fly. Even if the ARF cost less than the sum of it's parts.

weskel

to get a truely great flying arplane, I am a "Modeler", and I dont mind doing a little work to get any plane flying great, whether it be an ARF or kit, they ALL need some fitting to make them work out right.


I have built plenty of kits and ARFS, they all need some work.


I do not mind having to spend 20 or more hours on an ARF because it still is alot faster than building the whole thing.

weskel

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I think it is quite possible to have "perfect out of the box" ARF's. I also think it would cost 5 times what I pay now to have that. And of course, when you get a moment of dumb thumbs you will find it splats just the same as the lower priced version.

robert waldo

My Feedback: (1)

The title is opinion, since I own KMP airplanes I do have first hand experience in dealing with you and your products. Bob

roltech

Have you had any experience with the KMP ParkPilot Skymaster 337 electric?? We have two members at our club who would take off real good to about 300 feet and 25'aprox, in the air motors would shut down and plane would come crashing to the ground. This problem happens every time so far a total af six time and two different pilots, same problem, think it could be a range transmission? no one here ever was able to maiden this one so far.
roltech

PointMagu

My Feedback: (11)

I believe the issue here is one of communication.

Communication from the hobbyist to the importer/wholesaler/retailer back to the factory rep back to the production manager back to the people working the "line" in the Orient.

How can we possibly know if the folks building these ARFS are modelers? I'll betcha they are not. Nope, working the line earning a wage and surviving just like anyone else with a job. They do as they are told and assemble the way their engineers tell them to. Anyone who has ever worked in a production facility knows that there's always assembly manuals and guidlines.

So, we have a breakdown somewhere in the chain of communication. Someone just isn't listening.
The end consumer, (us) post in forums, write letters, make calls to voice concern, praise or to vent whenever we encounter challenges or sucesses with an ARF, (however, I can see where the praise probably trails the challenges by a wide margin). This feedback is to the US distributor or retailer. Anyone attempting to grow a business or to turn a profit would be committing financial suicide NOT to pass this along to the people they represent, Stateside.

So we have these factory reps, wholesalers and shop owners defending the indefensible; inferior hardware, substandard glue joints, inexpensive lite ply structural design and often, a shortage or sporatic availability of replacement parts.

Someone just isn't listening and I don't think it's our folks this side of the big puddle.

Things are improving, however. Manuals actually have English translation. Measurements are in SAE (sometimes) instead of metric.
Photos match the model, etc. So, now all we need to realize is that to make the improvements that we seem to demand, the PRICE will naturally go up. We cannot have our cake and eat it too.

What's difference between buying low, spending $$ on upgrades, revisions, reinforcements and the like OR simply spending a few dollars more up front to get the ARF that DOESN'T need these mods?

There will always be the guys that tinker with anything, tweak and redesign because that's their thing. The masses however, would be able to "shake that box" and go fly.

It's our hobby but THEIR business.

:-)
PM

pumbadog

I have a September Fury from them that I'm getting ready to hang a Brillelli 36GT on. I'm overall happy with the aircraft, but you may as well take the hardware out of the box and dump it in the trash. Tail wheel control horn was crimped on a collar and untempered aluminum. Screws were brittle and broke easily, more like shattered. I had retracts included with mine. They're not as good as buying retracts, but I haven't tested how well they work yet. KMP tries to take care of their customers but I think they're caught in the middle with the hardware.

Trollmaster

How about that "Giant Velocity"????

jbarnes

I just finished putting together the KMP OV10. I had a couple of broken parts which were promptly replaced. In general I really liked the construction and covering. However, for the money I paid for this bird I would have expected the wing dowels and former holes to be already drilled and glued and the wing hold down holes predrilled. Better decals (vinyl or something much thicker than what was providee). A instruction manual that is professionally printed in larger font (Hanger9 has me spoiled here). And my biggeest complaint, hardware that is actually usable, this kit had the worst hardware of any ARF I have assembled.

Bottom line, KMP OV10 was what I would consider average in overall quality. If any of you have ever assembled a Aeroworks product I rank those as the #1 ARF in quality. I really wanted the KMP Tigercat but after assembling the OV10 I'll have to reconsider. I really wanted to be impressed by KMP like I was with Aeroworks but they missed the mark in my opinion.

Thanks, Jerry.