boxbeam

My Feedback: (188)

Just wondering if Tower Hobbies is in the process of dumping Sig's entire line of aircraft? They have just recently discontinued both 1/4 scale Cubs, the 1/4 Spacewalker, the 1/5 Cub, the Rascal Trainer the Kadet LT 25 & 40, the Fazer and the Four Star line of sport planes. Anybody know whats going on with Sig and Tower, thats quite a drastic drop of some nice, big kits.

Ron

Live Wire

Just a little fude like the Hatfields and the McCoys. They had it out once before. I can't see why SIG,s dont sell for the same price as Tower and keep the market to themselves. If they did this they would also be helping their dealers and tower would not be selling SIG,s aircraft and parts.

RCFlyer

Hi, a club member of the Fremont County R/C Club, Colorado(We fly on the South end of the airport) that we belong to told me that he noticed that some Sig kits were discontinued that Tower Hobbies carried, so he called Sig to find out why.

This is what he told me.
Sig had ordered balsa from a overseas supplier, and half of it was bad, so they have to order more.

You might call Sig for more info.

Clarence

Smacka

Yep, Sig aircraft are all but impossible to get anywhere. It really sounds/smells like Sig is going under...My wife tried to get replacement parts for a bird they have had in production for years. It was a motor and cowl. It took her 3-months to get a reply from Sig as to if parts were available. It took another 3.5-months to get the parts.

Live Wire

Just kidding but I order my own parts my wife loves the HOBBY. I don't think SIG's is going under, just trying to cope with the hard time and keep what the have

boxbeam

My Feedback: (188)

I called Tower today and asked them what was up and the person I spoke with knew that they were not reordering a lot of Sig's products once they sold out, but didn't know why. They do have a projected time for a restock on their Astro Hog and Bipe kits for Aug. Go figure.[sm=confused.gif]

psb667

What the? Sigmanufacturing.com try it they direct mail to the consumer at cost. sigs are the easiest kits to get that exist.

avidflyguy

My Feedback: (48)

i used to buy from tower a lot, but they are don't have the selection like they used to have anymore, i love the sig kits and have built quite a few over the years, a couple kits i have built twice because i had to replace what i sold to some flying buddies, i was also disappointed when Lanier went out of business, went tower was discontinuing lanier i bought up a lot of lanier kits knowing that i would never see them again. pretty soon great planes will be all that is left

boxbeam

My Feedback: (188)

I think you are right about that, hopefully Balsa USA will continue on in its great tradition. It is sad to see some of the old kit mfg's falling by the wayside, hope there will be a renewed interest in kit and scratch building again, it really rounds out the hobbyist to be able to do that as well as assemble an ARF also. Building really is the roots to our hobby, we will find out as time goes on who will last and who won't.

Ron

Showtime100

I have had very positive experiences with Sig and will continue to buy from them as long as they are around.
I agree and I'd love to see kits offered in the future but I don't have high hopes. I don't want to be doom and gloom but I can see a lot of market changes in the next 5 to 10 years that will basically wipe out kit building as we know it. I think a small handful plan makers and kit cutters will survive and scratch building will still happen here and there but I doubt you will be able to buy a Top Flight, Sig, or Great Planes Kit in 10 years; not enough demand. My guess is that Plug -N- Play will eventually take a chunk out of the ARF market too. RTF and PNP electrics will be king for the next generation of Fliers.

beau0090_99

It's SigMfg.com, not sigmanufacturing.com
Try that, I think it still works.
Curtis

reincarnate

Try [link=http://www.advantagehobby.com/product.php?productid=72614&cat=165&page=1]here[/link] for a Sig kit. A lot cheaper even than [link=http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/MainMenuFV4.html?E+Sig]here![/link]

psb667

I want it. It would just be to expensive for my wife to divorce me.

Hossfly

Not being an expert in the business today, I still doubt it very much. Back in the '80s, Great "Pains", big-daddy of Tower and Hobbico, bought up every kit mfger. that would sell out to them. They absolutely decimated the kit mfgers out in this country. Same old trap that Sears used to lure all the small machine-tool suppliers back in the late '40s. Give 'em great big orders each year with looong payment times, then when the small operator could not make the payments, Sears took 'em out.
GP is not quite that sophisticated but they gobbled up everybody except Lanier, Midwest, and Sig. Of course they finally got Midwest Kits and Lanier and took them out of the competition. Looks like they are at it again, with SIG. [:'(]

In June, I ordered direct from Sig a Clipped Wing Cub kit to use for CL Sport Scale competition. I already have, from many years ago, a very good documentation package. They had it here in 4 days. NBFD!

The GP family may be under real pressure since they went ESOP a few years ago, and with the infusion of the chinese industry - look at the magazine ads - my money (a small amount anyway) says GP is back trying to eliminate some competition. SIG is a tough business to negotiate with, or it was when her-majesty was running the store. BTDT! [>:]

I suggest you guys go direct, and help the industry types that have stayed-off the big giants trying to destroy competition, and tell YOU what YOU want and can have.

edited; punctuation