ratshooter

I went to three hobby stores a couple of weeks ago trying to find a Great Planes fuel tank and no one had them in stock. Tower only shows three GP tanks and GP shows none on their website. Does GP not make tanks anymore? I bought a Hayes tank, I like them just fine too but really prefered the GP tanks. Even the selection of Hayes tanks was slim. Any ideas?

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

The poor selection of Hayes tanks was caused by what we thought was going to be a dropping of that that line only to learn several months back that they were returing (well heard that line before). The Hayes are my go to tank in most cases and least trouble prone. Anyway we just had our most successful club auction ever (fund raiser for a new runway netting.) Heck man we acutally raised 39 hundred bucks. For these auctions their are trashbags full usally of new arf tanks that folks changeout and never use, heck some of that stuff is unusable! But before the auction I spied a trashbag full of new hayes tanks. I made sure I won the bid on those and was delighted with more hayes to go into stock.

John

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I use most of the different brands of tanks but the most widely stocked seem to be DuBro??
Another GP product that seems to be in short supply is there motor mounts but I don't think it's a GP problem as much as the hobby shops lack of stock. It's like the hobby shops will only stock one of any item?
I also grab up any Hayes tanks when I see them on the shelf if it's a size I normally use.
I keep new replacement bungs on hand also for the DuBro tanks because I have several of them under the bench and rebuild them as needed for use.

ratshooter

John I like the hayes tanks too. Super simple. I will never buy another Du-Bro or Sullivan tank with the brass pipes you have to bend. I liked the GP tanks because of the hook tab at the back so you can remove them without adding a hatch to the top of your plane. Plus they seemed a little flatter and wider than the Hayes tanks. Oh well. i have a new 8oz Hayes and thats whats going into my new build. Good thing an 8oz was what I wanted because the other choices were a 4oz or a 16oz. Too small and too big.

I just hate to see a good product taken off the market.

ratshooter

Grey I guess we were posting at the same time. I also like the GP motor mounts. the best as far as I am concerned. I hope they keep making them and the shops keep them in stock.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

It could also be the transition from nitro to electric. The amount of nitro pilots is dwindling every year. One of my local Hobby Shops clearanced all his fuel tanks. Just a thought, Dave

ratshooter

Hey David I thought that might be part of the problem but I still see far more nitro planes at the flying field than electrics except for the little toy size electrics.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I don't see electrics as taking over either but it just depends on where I'm flying that day. I have two small fields I fly at and electric is number one at one and about 50/50 at the other. What I do see is far fewer builders left and more ARF pilots. Fuel tanks are for the most part required by builders. As Jonh said, a lot of the tanks that come with an ARF are throw away items but people still like to use what comes with the plane so the LHS caters to what sells and the tank selection has gone way down.
I think that could be why the LHS also isn't stocking motor mounts too. I never gave the reason a lot of thought until now though.

d_bodary

My Feedback: (85)

Thunder Tiger has the same fuel tank as Great Planes. I know Prop Shop hobbies in Warren has them in stock. Also last time i checked Tower Hobbies had them in stock as well.

ratshooter

D-bodary I have no idea where Warren is. I never see TT products in the Ft. Worth Tx area. See post #1 for Tower and GP info. But thanks for the info on TT. I will have to keep an eye out for them.