r ward

I've been retired or 8 years, now and since then, I have seen , even in my relatively inactive area,....a noticeable reduction in r/c hobby, both in the shops and in the club sizes in my area. interest and growth,.... simply has all but stopped .

GallopingGhostler

On the Tower website, I noticed a great reduction in the available props suitable for glow engines. It is a very small fraction of what used to be available.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Hey Michael,

I haven't been able to get an email response from Eddie. Next time you go by can you tell him I'm interested in his Lewis Pancoast Spartan Executive 1935 kt and I would like to know where to find the plans. I would also like to know if he can reduce it to 70% to 75% of it's current size. It's a little bigger than I have space to build, store, and transport. Packup pan is the Jerry Bates 1/5" scale. Thanks!

Mike

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Another example of Horizon putting all their eggs in one basket.

TomCrump

The Bates Spartan is an excellent build. I suggest that you go with this modern design, vs the older,Pancoast version.

GallopingGhostler

I see what you mean. I went to the Horizon website, all the props are there. Will Tower Hobbies undergo a slow death?

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

Hi, Thats my feeling is that tower is already dead. I noticed that some of the Futaba gear is available again and the first thing you notice is a price increase. I looked a little deeper and the servo I want is still on back order. Michael

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Mike I will run up there today or tomorrow and see if he got your email. He didnt answer my email I sent him the other day too.
Michael

ira d

It's very possible with all the changes that has been made with Tower. OTOH the cost for Horizon to operate Tower I think is minimal because they are just maintaining a website and
I am sure all other operations have been consolidated.

GallopingGhostler

That may be but what little interest I had in Tower has been further diminished by these changes, not to also mention fuel being dropped.

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

I had a conversation with a guy who owns a local hobby shop today. He said that he believes that Horizon is just selling what Hobbico had left in their warehouse on line via Tower and Omini models. He said that in a year or two tower will close its doors and I am starting to think that too. Why in the heck would Horizon want Hobbico after they spent their entire business life trying to out do them? Which they won the war and it gives them the upper hand in this hobby. Now you can buy spectrum losi and most of the other brands at Tower that Horizon swallowed up just like Hobbico did in the past! It is very sad state that our hobby is in and it and the only thing left are the independents like Sig and Balsa USA and a few others that are still in business today. Our problems as builders as some one said earlier in this thread or others there is very littel demand for kits etc.
I've said enough
Michael

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

I'd say because people are brand loyal, the viable brands if not picked up by Horizon would just sell on smaller vendor sites or directly like Balsa USA or Sig,, Picking up Tower and or the Hobbico brands is picking up market share,, same reason Corporations pick up or merges with competitors in different industries.

Also, they know the guys who like tower will continue to shop at tower because that;s the site they've gotten comfortable with and trust,, Even though it's now just a Horizon shell Co.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

It makes sense to keep it. A local furniture store does the same thing. They have stores in several states some with their name on them others are showcase stores with the furniture manufacturer's name on it like Ashley and Lazy Boy or have a secondary name. They bought out Lady Americana Bedding so they sell it in their own stores as well as independent stores. Someone gets mad at them they still buy under another name without realizing its still the same people.

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

Brand loyalty, better website etc. I think the only issue I ever had with Tower's site is miscategorization. Horizon's sit is just terrible, even on it's fourth iteration.

Also like how Hobbico had Omnimodels, but eventually used it mostly for eBay sales. Keep in mind there are also a bunch of people that have no clue and don't care that Tower = Horizon, so they just buy where they have always bought.

hafidy

I have been buying from TH from the early 90s. I was showed to see how many models and items are on back order, out of stock, or discontinued. I called TH and asked why. The sales rep sounded annoyed by my question, and could not/would not give a straight answer. Finally, he said maybe it has something to do with their "merger." I asked with who, and he replied with Horizon Hobby.

I began flying R/C when most of the models were kit built. Slowly the hobby migrated towards cheaper ARF imports from China. People opted for these cheaper models versus building from kit. Now, players like Horizon stepped into the market with mostly ARF models.

Death of the Hobby

hafidy

I have been buying from TH from the early 90s. I was shocked to see how many models and items are on back order, out of stock, or discontinued. I called TH and asked why. The sales rep sounded annoyed by my question, and could not/would not give a straight answer. Finally, he said maybe it has something to do with their "merger." I asked with who, and he replied with Horizon Hobby.

I began flying R/C when most of the models were kit built. Slowly the hobby migrated towards cheaper ARF imports from China. People opted for these cheaper models versus building from kit. Now, players like Horizon stepped into the market with mostly ARF models.

Death of the Hobby

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

I boought a Great Planes easy sport 40 ARF from them back at the end of June the airplane came out tail heavy and took 3 onces of lead. One of the wing halves looked like some hard had dropped on it. I sent and email on a Friday about it and some one answered but I didnt hear anything so I called and I had a new wing in 3 days.The crappy tank they included with the airplane would not go through a former in the front end of the fuselodge. So I cut the top behind the engine compartment off and fix that and added a hatch to the area.I then proceeded to removed the covering on the center of the wing to wrap a piece of fiberglass around it. Once I got this done, I had heck time glueing the canopy and then i stuck my finger thru the top of the wing. I patched it and re glued the canopy on with Gorilla glue. I have flown it twice now and it seems pretty good in the air. I was hoping to fly again this weekend and it supposed to rain all day Saturday.
Happy Flying
Michael Johnston

fourstar40

My Feedback: (27)

I was on tower's site today and looking at the kits. The Pete-n-poke is the only one on the list for greatplanes and all the sig kits are backorder. I'm guessing that once the pokes are all gone that will be the last of greatplanes on tower. I started back in the kit days and love building them. I have built all the GP kits that I was interested in. The sad thing is greatplanes hasn't come out with a new kit in ages and that obviously because of the age of the ARF. I have found though, that there are quite a few of kits coming out of china for those of us who love to build. I'm waiting for one now. So maybe kit building isn't going away right now but Tower sure looks like it's on its way out. I hope not.

fourstar40

My Feedback: (27)

I also noticed lately looking around that I couldn't find any traditional trainers out there like a PT-40. I guess newcomers are going for the little foamies that have that self righting technology. Sometimes I miss the old days. You know, the adventure, the mystery of not knowing if you were going to go home with a plane in one piece. Man, I miss that adrenalin rush. Of course now I have so many planes if I crash one I have a whole mess of them to take its place.

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

When I got back into RC airplanes last year the president of the local club I belong told me to get rid of my nitro powered airplane and go for a electric powered foamy. I laughed at him and said why would I want one of those turbo powered screwdriver things because they are so much easier to fix. That might be true but there if you build your balsa wood airplanes right they should need a lot of trim or other things to fly right. I also have a golden rule that states if the model can't fit in my small suv I have no need for it. So my basis is the 25 size to 45 size airplane. There is only one engine maker left in the RC world and I don't know how much longer they will be available at tower.
Michael

ramboy

Sig still sells trainers in both kit and ARF form.

TomCrump

[QUOTE=mkjohnston;12470527. There is only one engine maker left in the RC world and I don't know how much longer they will be available at tower.
Michael[/QUOTE]

Care to elaborate on this statement ?

fourstar40

My Feedback: (27)

I must be losing my mind. I forgot about those. All is not lost! Thanks Ramboy.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

You are way off here are 5 just for starters.
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GallopingGhostler

If you go to Tower's website, for the .25 to .45 2 strokes, you'll see the only aircraft glow engines available are from OS with a limited selection. Hobby King has discontinued the ASP / AP glow engines. Any still available are what's left in stock. We don't see Thunder Tiger. Fox stopped a couple years ago. Sig no longer sells glow engines. Norvel's direct US site has a very limited selection and may soon dry up in totality. Also am seeing available stocks of fuel slowly drying up.