apalsson

My Feedback: (1)

I guess that' a bit of an open-ended statement.
Which manufacturers exactly are you referring to?

The following brands are all made in China:
Kangke Supercraft, Wild Hare, Aeroworks, H-9 (some in Thailand), Great Planes (most of them), Precision Aerobatics, Pilot - just to name a few.
These are probably the best known "quality brands" in the industry.

I personally have a 50cc YAK that was made by the same factory that makes Aeroworks. The difference is that I didn't get a glossy box and the manual was 50% Chinese and 50% the original Aeroworks manual.

Before you jump up and down shouting at me for supporting unscrupulous copying of people's designs, let me clarify that I made a number of attempts to order the plane from Aeroworks but after approximately 10 un-answered e-mails, I gave up.
Large companies OEM their manufacturing to Chinese factories by placing forward orders of X units per month. When sales drop and the importer cannot maintain the order quota, the manufacturer sells the extra units to their own market.
There is no intellectual property theft in that or shameless copying. It is simple commercial facts.

da Rock

Referring to the subject line of this thread, "Whadaya Think of Cheap Chinese Ebay ARFs" as are almost all the posts.

The Toolman

I like all of the models, no matter where they came from. Some of my best flying & built ones are from China an Vietnam (World Models an Phoenix)

The Toolman

Haha...I just went back an looked at your first post. They look fine to me. I'd say that alot of'em are priced at what tower has to pay for'em before they stick there markup on'em. I'd fly'em. The only thing I don't like about them are usually the control rods, but I always put different ones on them anyway.

SpinnerRow

I've replaced the control rods on every ARF I have built so far as well. An Avistar that I put together had rusty rods and another was missing one.

I figure, go over the plane with some CA and Expoxy where needed, new control rods maybe and maybe better hardware in other places.

This may be all moot as I have a line on an OS 1.08 for a good price and that might be going in a Seagull YAK 54 but I'm always changing my mine. I always like to have a beater to fly if the wind is too high or if I just want to have something to knock around.

The Toolman

If you want a fun crazy plane to fly in the wind, try a H-9 Tango

SpinnerRow

Bought a Chinese ARF today - A 65" Aeroworks Edge 540T! Got it for a really good price at a swap meet today and also got a YS 1.10FZ for it. My first step into 4-stroke-dom. I hear this guy can be a beast to tune but I'm up for the challenge!



That is a weird looking little plane for sure. It has piqued my interest on a few occasions.

jship

My Feedback: (4)

When I first purchased the Super Sport’s 40 I got it as a experiment. What could You possibly get off flea-bay, delivered to Your door step for less than $80.00. I had also decided to try and use the accessorys that came with the plane were possible. More on the parts later.
Now, as I am near the end of the assembly process I can say that I am quite impressed with the covering and that it appears that the plane was accentually built with what appears to be C A. I am also well pleased with the fit and finish of all the air frame. I can also say that I am quite unimpressed with the clevises, had one break during assembly and two more crack. Any way, most people will throw them away with out even trying them, so no big loss.
I would much rather have purchased a kit from Great Planes and had the joy of building it, but was unwilling to pay an additional $50 to $75 dollars or more for the joy of being able to build a quality, 40 size kit.
Before I started on this ARF, I had just finished building a Four Star 60 ARF for a friend. I have had all three sizes of Four Star kits and have been well pleased with the fit, finish and durability of all of them. I have also assembly and flew the Sig Mayhem 90 ARF and was very well pleased with it. But sadly I was very unimpressed with the Four Star 60 ARF and when it was done I was glad it was not mine.
I did not like the covering and some of the wood that was used in the Sig ARF. Having just built the Sig ARF in the 60 size and then go to the Flea-bay Super Sport’s 40 ARF You would think it would have been a let down. It was not. I did run across some soft wood in the Super Sport’s 40 and the accessory bag was junk but the fit and finish was at least as good as the big name ARF if not better.
Would I recommend this ARF, yes. I have been burnt several times with the Flea-bay ARF’s, then again, maybe it was just My turn to get a good one!
Tell the next one.

Dauntae

I also have the super sports 40 I took a chance on and was also impressed with the fit , Got it to replace a well repaired many times Dazzler that finally got damaged a little too far for another fix. wanted to put a 4-stroke in it like I had when I had the US 40+ kit a few yrs ago but the engine is in use in another plane so I'm just using the OS 46FX from the Dazzler and plan to use this as my run to the field and get a few quick flight in in and have some fun, Compairing this plane to the US 40+ plans shows that it is a very close copy with few minor changes, It does seem built pretty well but plan to add some reinforcements like I do to all my ARF's. the only real concern I have is the landing gear blocks, I don't want to rip open the wing but don't really trust them but might take the chance. This ARF is much lighter than the kit so as long as I don't have any hard landings, Cant wait to get this one in the air, Just have not had a lot of good weather or time. Hopefully the winter flying will be good. And hopefully it flies as good as the US 40+ that it copies.

Dauntae

jship

My Feedback: (4)

I'm trying to ballance the plane right now. The plane seems real nose heavy, even with the battery in the tail. Have You noticed this?

dye2

I don't think those Chinese big OEM factories producing famous US brand models would sell these copies without permission from the oversea companies. I know some guy in one of the factory, and I was told they have very strict control on contracts, otherwise they will lose the big customers forever. These big Chinese companies have a whole R&D system. In many cases (certainly not always), a foreign company just buyout a design and monoply the product in the market, the same as many consumer electronical products. These Chinese factories do not deal with any retailer, no matter if it is domestic or foreign.

The fact is that there are too many small model airplane factories in China. Usually these factories do not have any facilities to develop a whole new model. The easiest and fastes way for them to make money is just to rent some space, buy some laser cut machine, employ some young worker, and copy some successful products. Their profit is just marginal. That is why I saw a lot of those factories undergo bankruptcy in current economical environment.

When we prepare a research paper, it is ok to "paraphrase" those great ideals, but it is always considered "plagiarism" when you just copy and paste other people's work. I don't know the situation in the industry if the patent of these airplanes is still pending or expired. In the case of drug, when the patent expires, everybody can make it. That's why we see a lot of cheap "generic" drugs in the market.

Anyway, I tried to buy one of these planes. I know other people bid on ebay are modelers like you and me, so I stopped when other people competed for it. A high price is not good for our rcuniversers

dye2

Could you let me know the weight of your model? Thank you very much!

hiflyer15

My Feedback: (5)

Maybe you folks haven't bought a Great Planes ARF recently. I just bought the Electrostik RxR. I am very disappointed with the quality of the hardware package. The covering job is atrocious!!! They claim it's Genuine Monokote covering, boy that's a lie. I don't know what that garbage is but it is not Monokote.

On the other hand, I have purchased a couple of "cheap Chineese Ebay ARF's" and have found them to be better quality than the Electrostik!!

I guess it all depends if you get one that's built on a Monday or Friday vs. the rest of the week.

The Toolman

Believe it or not, some of the best built planes I have are made by World Models. Can't say much for the control rods, but the wood an covering on all of the ones I've got have been great.

jship

My Feedback: (4)

I have a ten year old Super Stunts (from World Models), I don't even think they make it any more, I fly every spring. And love it. May be the best ARF I ever bought!

The Toolman

About 3 years ago I bought a LA Racer from WM for $89 I think at the time. I then proceeded to lay a glass strip along the wing joint seam after the 2 halves were glued together. Instead of using the LA 40 they recommended, I beefed up the firewall an put a OS.46 AX on it with a tuned pipe. I have been flying that plane since then with no troubles at all. When I pull a loop, I do it with power on all the way. I've also got an old mach II skyraider with a .61 on it that I haven't been able to tear up either.

dgrappler1

Earlb is right on the money. I bought a cheap model years ago that wascool looking on the box, but what a nightmare to build. The directionsconsisted solely of 1 big diagram that would take a doctorate inmechanical engineering to figure out. I should have known by the 1/2inch of dust on the box why it was still on the hobby store shelf.Needless to say, I ended up putting it in storage and essentially gaveup. You get what you pay for!

budshobby

I have tried some eBay ARFs, and they are not bad. The hardware is not good enough a lot of the time, but the quality is pretty good overall. Sure, you get what you paid for, but I am not sure I am all that impressed with GP and H9's ARFs. They are better than the eBay stuff, but not 2-3 times better. Get the eBay stuff for what it is - stuff that you would want to spend some time on figuring out and spend some money on making work, because most of the time the instructions are lousy. But GP and H9 had plenty of duds of their own if anyone cares to remember.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

"Get the eBay stuff for what it is - stuff that you would want to spend some time on figuring out and spend some money on making work"

exactly right mr bud , I cant not build a box of sticks for what I paid for a fiberglass fuse warbird , so what its needs some tweeking , I tweek the H9 and all the rest as well .
As far as hardware the only name brand ARF that I have used hardware out of the box has been the VQ on its P40 , all medal rods and clevis ect

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Also, instead of eBay, take a look at The World Models.

Bob

iflircaircraft

I might make this my signature: ARF's are like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get!!

SpinnerRow

Saw this on another forum.

"It's not that the Chinese are so cheap, but that everyone else is so expensive."

Busch1981

for what it is worth some of my best flying and pain in the butt aircraft and the cheap one i get from the LHS and ebay and most if not all i have had to fix or mod to fly out of the box they just wont die and i do crash alot (still learning) on the other hand i have had NIB aircraft that where POS's that had mid air failers tails breaking in flight in the middle of a loop and wings fold up after take off and most of the NIB where from H9, GP, and tower.
the one airplane i still have flying is a no name low wing sport plane that i cant read the instuction due to there is chineese i think? that i got for $20 in a plain white box this the model name and stock numder writen on it with a black marker.

so basicaly you don't know what you will get from any one company big or small there all the same thing a pre-built plane with some hardware and parts

I fly VQ, Tower, Black horse, PHX, no-name, H9, GP, and ebay buys

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

You know whats really interesting -cheap -Chinese ARFs -Ebay -generated over 4500 hits , so what ever the outcome , the rc community is interested in knowing what the outcome is all about

Busch1981

talking about the Aeromax airplanes from post 1 i have 2 on the way the four star bird 60 and the Ultimate Biplane RC Sport Bi-plane 40 hope they fly like my other cheap deal birds if not atleast i know i didn't spend a lot on a plane i would eventually crash of didn't like flying