hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

I have a new in box Seniorita! Bought it years ago when on of my daughters show interest in RC airplanes, She then went another direction and I have had it stored in my shop since!

futura127

My Feedback: (57)

I have two Kobra's and a King kobra that I fly now and have had at least a dozen Kougars in my lifetime of flying since 1983 and love these planes. I also have one Kobra that is new that I am in the middle of finishing now, one Kobra kit, one King Kobra Kit and one Kougar kit on all on the shelf just in case! LOL I have been thinking of ordering another round just to stock them. That should last me the rest of my life! HAHA

iforbes

My Feedback: (3)

Hey rambler53...what is the electric site of which you speak? I would love to get my hands on some cheap vintage kits!

GerKonig

I tried snorting coke, but I still prefer Pepsi:-)

Gerry

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I never knew about the wind turbine blades being stuffed with balsa wood. I wonder why they need it at all? I thought the blades were hollow carbon fiber.

tadawson

They have to lay up the carbon fibre on something . . . .

- Tim

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Yep, they build the shape of the blade out of balsa wood. and then carbon fiber over them for the strength. For the same reasons we use balsa (light weight and strong) they use it for the windmill blades. Last year I was covering an event and was talking to Mark Enderby from Balsa USA. He was telling me that one blade from a wind turbine takes one and a half sea containers of balsa to build. In comparison, he said that same about of wood is more than enough to keep Balsa USA running for an entire year!!!!!! So think about that next time you see one of those wind turbine farms when you're out driving!!!! [:@]

Ken

Mein Duff

So, down with wind-turbines, lets go back to solar only...or, lets cut down the wind-turbines...no brainer !!

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Don't do that!!!They'll just take up more balsa to build them back up!!!!!

thordoggydog

There is a windmill manufacturing plant right up the road. I should see if they have scraps of balsa!!!

hsukaria

I bet when they build the balsa cores for the windmills that there are huge chunks of scrap left over. It would be a good idea to go scavenging around those windmill blade factories. They might actually be glad to get rid of the scrap, could save them some money!!! Maybe I should go "sniffing" around.

Back to Sig, I love their stuff. I purchased 2 ARF's from them over the years. Their ARF's are super quality, not only because of the wood, but their performance, design, hardware, and the instructions. Sig also sells a lot of other miscellaneous items like castor oil, glues, etc...that is useful to the hobby community despite their lack of balsa wood.

I also purchased a Norvel engine from them that turned out to be great. I know they don't make engines, but the sell and support them well. I have not tried their Aviatronics engines yet, but their prices are super reasonable.

huck1199

End grain cut balsa is also used in boat decks and cabin floors. They sandwich it between layers of fiber glass.

GAP-RCU

I don't think there is much worthwhile balsa scrap to be had from the wind blade industry, at least not worthwhile to us modelers. My impression is that most blades are hollow, and use a spar design much like any other wing structure. The balsa is used only as an inner sandwich material between layers of glass and/or carbon.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I read or heard that the wind turbine blades are currently being manufactured with a very light weight honey comb material that is replacing balsa in that application. Hope it's true as those wind turbine blades are huge. They can eat up a lot of balsa.

JL1

My Feedback: (93)

Wind turbines, what a waste of wood and national resources

A6TEXAN

lmfao

emilsanto

My Feedback: (39)

If it wasnt for this thread and another one i saw somewere else i woulnt know that the was a problem with sig kits.

my local hooby shop always has at least 8 to 12 sig kits all the time. so theres no shortage where i live. the shop has been in bussines for 30 years so maybe he gets preferance and get hid order filled fast.

i must add its the only shop i know of that even carries kits. i went to aero tec hobbies near canton/arkron today. they had probley at least 75 arf's and one kit. a great planes ultra sport thats it.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

It is getting harder and harder to find kits! Allot of the shops I go to has mostly ARF's! The only hobby store close by has only ARF's! Its sad!

Terry Bolin

My Feedback: (7)

If you cant get the balsa from Sig ( Great company!) Then I have great luck with Balsa USA.. Ordered three times last year and loved it all..
Good luck!

hsukaria

Hi Terry. I am not familiar with the plane pictured on the left, the parasol profile. Could you tell me what it is and how to get a kit? Thanks.

ARUP

I rec'd a large (>$400 worth) supply of balsa, bass and spruce from SIG ~ 2 months ago without problems. I also ordered an extra 1/6 Cub, dope, dope thinners, Koverall and Stix-It. I love SIG!

Lowvoltage

I received a Spacewalker II last week that Iordered through my LHS about 7 months ago. Things are looking up.

Joe

cheechukranch

I work in the wind industry and it's great fun. Wind turbines have a whole lot in common with airplanes actually - the blades are just really big wings. Most turbine blades are ~97% fiberglass and hollow. There is a small amount of high strength to weight ratio wood (sometimes balsa, depending on the manufacturer) used in the spar and almost zero carbon fiber - too expensive.

As good wind sites either become used up or unbuildable, wind developers are looking to other areas with less wind. This has really pushed manufacturers to make blades as light, large and efficient as possible. Unfortunately for us RC geeks, cheap and strong balsa will probably continue to be a minority ingredient in turbine blades unless carbon comes down in price.

But I doubt this really has anything to do with the state of affairs at Sig.

Tarasdad

The blades used in many wind power projects in the US and Europe are being built in Brazil and shipped overseas. Much of the balsa production in the region is tied up for that construction. We're basically getting the leftovers, which also accounts for the lower quality of wood suppliers and kit-and ARF-makers are getting. Fortunately there are still a few good sources for prime balsa. Unfortunately the prices are going up, just in time for me to be looking at a large purchase for scratch-building for both RC and model railroading.

jcrosk

Sig has been transitioning into new management and they are are in no way done; that was the message I got directly from the company. So if you are like me you can stop kicking yourself for not ordering when you had the chance. I am told the new owners are afraid to put some money into Sig and improve the company. I was also they told they just received a couple of containers of balsa. Time to order those kits I've been wanting.