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LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

Old 07-23-2012, 02:59 AM
  #76  
teeceeveecee
 
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I have been building and flying model airplanes for over 65 years now. From rubber band launched folding wing gliders to Thermic 18's HLG to you name it and have always had high appreciation for SIG. Built many of the kits,LT 40, LT 25, Astro Hog, Hog Bipe, Kavalier, Stars (40 and 60) and so on.. Buy all of my fuel, SIG Champion; from them. I am there, let's SAVE SIG !

Tom
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Old 07-23-2012, 03:04 AM
  #77  
Luchnia
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I like the more aerobatic models. I had a SIG 300XS and she was totalled one day. I called SIG about a month ago and asked the lady if there were any plans to re-introduce anything similar, but she did not think so. Does anyone have any insight as to whether anything is on the table for something along the lines of a 300XS?

The only thing I did not like was the one piece wing on the 300XS - not the end of the world however made transporting a tad challenging. I have a 40cc Brison 2.4 engine that hasn't even been broken in good sitting on the bench waiting and was debating on whether to let it go or not. The 300XS and the Brison just makes me think of longevity and a solid built combo.
Old 07-23-2012, 04:12 AM
  #78  
FCABARLE
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I built serveral Sig kits, all the same, the Ryan STA. The kit required lots of patience but when finished it flew like a dream. Great Planes made an larger arf of the STA, it flew great but did not have nearly the detail of the sig version. There are so few of us 'old school' left who like to build. But I guess that the hobby was on the decline and the arfs made it easy to get into the hobby. Also, it cost a heck of a lot more to build a kit than it does to purchase an arf of the same or similiar model. Hard to believe, but there are now so many fliers who cannot even assemble the arfs.
Old 07-23-2012, 04:48 AM
  #79  
barron
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I would love to see them bring baack the morrsey bravo kit. Always one of my favs. I started with the control line kits then went to the Kadet MkII. Then the Kommander. I got lucky and found an unbuilt kit at a swap meet a few years ago. Nothing flies like Sig kits.
Old 07-23-2012, 05:05 AM
  #80  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

Here are the links to my Morrisey Bravo Maiden videos. Perhaps you saw me on the Shot of the moment with this bird.



If you go to forums you can see my build log as well on this bird.

I took a year to build this plane and sold a Hangar 9 T-craft (which was my favorite plane at the time) to build the Bravo. I can attest that the Bravo flew extremely well and I wish Sig had a better Marketing plan. I firmly believe that if Sig (among others) would learn how to market online they would be more succesful than they are.

Hope it works out for them.

Enjoy the videos

Glenn Williams
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Old 07-23-2012, 05:13 AM
  #81  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I've flown Sig airplanes for years. Most of them were stick built kits, but I really liked the Senior Kadet ARF also. The pricing on the Sig website for the ARF is crazy high, but if you go to Advantage it's still priced reasonable, although on backorder status. If getting swallowed up by the "Big 2" increases availability and keeps prices in line, I'm all for it!
Old 07-23-2012, 05:30 AM
  #82  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

Some people just dont get it do they? (See post above). I guess it is ok to raise taxes too as long as your government programs stay the same as well huh? Just sayin.

Glenn
Old 07-23-2012, 05:46 AM
  #83  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!


ORIGINAL: willig10

Some people just dont get it do they? (See post above). I guess it is ok to raise taxes too as long as your government programs stay the same as well huh? Just sayin.

Glenn
Exactly so- sometimes they can't see the woods for the trees.

Tom
Old 07-23-2012, 06:22 AM
  #84  
Daniel Spurlock
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I have built several Sig kits.Astro Hog,Hog Bipe x2,Four Star 40 x 2,four star 60 x2,and the Somthin Extra by the dozen it is what i learned to hover on.This is all sport kits and they all flew very well and i would think that their scale kits are of the same quality.
Old 07-23-2012, 07:28 AM
  #85  
PatrickCurry
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

ORIGINAL: mikimra

I've flown Sig airplanes for years. Most of them were stick built kits, but I really liked the Senior Kadet ARF also. The pricing on the Sig website for the ARF is crazy high, but if you go to Advantage it's still priced reasonable, although on backorder status. If getting swallowed up by the "Big 2" increases availability and keeps prices in line, I'm all for it!
If Tower buys them, three things will happen. First, the majority of the Sig products will be dropped. Marketing will look at the product line to determine what is "profitable" and drop anything they deem not marketable any more. That means all the control line will disappear (and if you think there are not many kit builders left any more, take a look at how many control line fliers are left, but yes, we're still out here) and all but maybe 3 or 4 of the most popular planes will disappear. Second, prices will be increased to "bring them inline" with their other product lines and see what the market will bear. Third, they will shop the designs out to see where they can be produced at the lowest possible cost. The planes will be RE-DESIGNED to make it easier for the ARF manufacturers in China to produce them at the lowest possible cost like they've done with pretty much every other design they've ever purchased. The only thing that'll make you think you're getting a Sig plane is the Sig name on their web site and their catalog to make you THINK you're getting a Sig airplane. It will neither build nor fly like the plane you USED to buy from Sig. Nor will they support you after the sale like the folks at Sig. I'm not a "Tower hater" but they do seem to have become the "Walmart" of the hobby world trying to run everyone else out of business and squeeze every penny of profit they can out of what they sell. I guess it's just the "global economy" they keep telling us about boys.



Old 07-23-2012, 08:38 AM
  #86  
blw
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I would like SIG to remain in the kit business. I've bought about a dozen of their kits. There was an alarm either last year, or the year before that SIG has shut their doors. That's probably the reason the OP started this thread.
Old 07-23-2012, 08:39 AM
  #87  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

How convenient one of my posts was removed.
Old 07-23-2012, 09:18 AM
  #88  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

SIG was out of the picture for a while....... but had started back up a while back. LHS has very little of SIG and they are located about 3 hours from SIG, so they used to stock about everything they offered.

I miss the SIG products at the LHS.


ORIGINAL: blw

I would like SIG to remain in the kit business. I've bought about a dozen of their kits. There was an alarm either last year, or the year before that SIG has shut their doors. That's probably the reason the OP started this thread.
Old 07-23-2012, 09:29 AM
  #89  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I started flying r/c on my fathers sig kadet. The kadet was my fav. plane to fly. I still fly that kadet today. It has survived many accidents and crashes and still keeps going! I hope that they survive! Would like to teach my kid to fly on a kadet! Long live sig!! stash
Old 07-23-2012, 09:30 AM
  #90  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

Hi
SIG is a great RC kit company that has been around for as long as I can remember
Sig supplies the hobby with a good deal of the balsa wood ,the quality of there kit wood is very high for that reason
I have an original SIG 40 size SWEET STIK with a 51 ST engine it is the plane i have flown the most in 22 years of flying RC and i have over 20 planes ready to fly ,have about 500 or so flights on it
I have freshened up the plane 4 times in 22 years ,it is one of my keepers
Always a relaxing fun day at the flying field ,easy breezy flying day , RELAXED
I built anheadral into the wing-being a top wing plane it flys better than ever ,much less control coupling than before
It does look a bit odd ,but it flys much better
The fuse will no longer accept a film covering-so i coated it in SIGMENT GLUE to fuel proof it ,as nothing would stick to the surface after 3-4 film coatings had been applied in the past
Just brushed on the SIG glue and it smooths out very well ,kind of like the wood look and no film to come up on the seams
KEEP SIG ALIVE
Regards Tony
Old 07-23-2012, 09:48 AM
  #91  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I agree with some of the previous posts. I can hardly stand Tower Hobbies, charging a premium for every little thing, especially shipping...  I've never built a Sig kit, (had a used Smith Miniplane once, but never flew it) but I know the pain of seeing old familiar products go down the drain. I have a Goldberg Mirage 550 that I'd like to find some new parts for, but it's almost impossible. Such a sweet little plane, but it's out of production...  
Old 07-23-2012, 09:58 AM
  #92  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

One thing that goes beyond kit or ARF design with SIG is the selection of wood. I am no expert, but there are different grades of balsa, light to heavy. And SIG seems to work out the details all the way down to whether a part of the kit should have soft/light balsa or hard/heavy balsa. You won't get that in the cheaper brands.

Aside from kits and ARFs, SIG makes/sells a lot of quality hardware, tools, glues, paints/coatings (dope), castor oil, etc... that I use even if I am assembling an ARF. That part of SIG I would miss more than the ARFs/kits and is not replaceable by other brands, IMHO.
Old 07-23-2012, 10:02 AM
  #93  
dodgers72
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!


ORIGINAL: PatrickCurry

ORIGINAL: mikimra

I've flown Sig airplanes for years. Most of them were stick built kits, but I really liked the Senior Kadet ARF also. The pricing on the Sig website for the ARF is crazy high, but if you go to Advantage it's still priced reasonable, although on backorder status. If getting swallowed up by the ''Big 2'' increases availability and keeps prices in line, I'm all for it!
If Tower buys them, three things will happen. First, the majority of the Sig products will be dropped. Marketing will look at the product line to determine what is ''profitable'' and drop anything they deem not marketable any more. That means all the control line will disappear (and if you think there are not many kit builders left any more, take a look at how many control line fliers are left, but yes, we're still out here) and all but maybe 3 or 4 of the most popular planes will disappear. Second, prices will be increased to ''bring them inline'' with their other product lines and see what the market will bear. Third, they will shop the designs out to see where they can be produced at the lowest possible cost. The planes will be RE-DESIGNED to make it easier for the ARF manufacturers in China to produce them at the lowest possible cost like they've done with pretty much every other design they've ever purchased. The only thing that'll make you think you're getting a Sig plane is the Sig name on their web site and their catalog to make you THINK you're getting a Sig airplane. It will neither build nor fly like the plane you USED to buy from Sig. Nor will they support you after the sale like the folks at Sig. I'm not a ''Tower hater'' but they do seem to have become the ''Walmart'' of the hobby world trying to run everyone else out of business and squeeze every penny of profit they can out of what they sell. I guess it's just the ''global economy'' they keep telling us about boys.



Thank you Mr. Curry.
That's exactly what I meant with this thread.I'm also not a tower hater I've been purchasing from them since I was 14 years old(1986).
I can see that sig still has a good customer base and are trying to get their arf line established again. In the mean time it seems to me the kits are keeping the money flowing in order to get to that point.
Hind sight is 20/20 as we all know. Whats here today could be gone tomorrow and I don't want the people that LOVE or even those that could LOVE Sig products in the future to miss out because we were caught sleeping. Carl Goldberg,Lanier,and Midwest are the ones that come to mind but there are many more beside them that are not with us as manufactures anymore.
Old 07-23-2012, 12:25 PM
  #94  
Tony Iannucelli
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

For openers, I'm a big Tower Hobbies fan. I've been a customer since 1975. I also have purchased from Horizon, Midwest, Hobby King, etc. ,etc. I really like them all. Sig, not so much. Their designs are dated, their marketing more so, and their prices for what you get for your money always seemed high to me compared with others. I always swapped out the hardware that came with their kits in favor of Dubro or Sullivan. Personal preference I guess. Their finished planes always seemed heavier than others. The wood wasn't selected for its purpose in a kit. Again, just in my limited experience of building maybe 6-8 of their offerings, usually for other people. The Kadets are great flying planes. The Hogs are great flying planes. But on balance, to me, that is about it. I did want one of the P-51B ARFs they were offering - built in China no doubt - but they were never in stock. I'll miss them if they go, but nowhere near as much as I would miss the others mentioned.
Old 07-23-2012, 01:04 PM
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I have the 1/5th Cub, LT-40, and a Rascal C all built from kits. I contacted SIG on the Rascal C and got some pointers on how they finished out the Rascal C. It matches the box photo. I still have .19 to .40 Clipped Wing Cub kit I have never started from the 1970s I inherited. I will build it one of these days but they can be a handful to fly. I have a OS .32 AX that will fit it quite nicely. I intend at some point to build a Kadet Senior or Senorita.
Old 07-23-2012, 01:26 PM
  #96  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I too love Sig and their kits. I have built everything from a Four Star Forty (very simple) to a Liberty Sport (very advanced) from Sig. They are all great. Also, the people at Sig are real and bend over backwards to help with a problem if you have cause to call them. It would be an absolute shame if Sig were to go away for any reason. I will continue to support their company as long as it exists (and I exist).
Old 07-23-2012, 01:51 PM
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I taught myself how to fly on a Sig Kadet Jr. kit that I built, powered with an OS 25FP. That was back in mid to late 80s.
I am currently building a 1/4 scale Skybolt from a short kit, not by Sig however, but virtually all the wood I used was by Sig.
Love me some Sig.
Old 07-23-2012, 02:39 PM
  #98  
Jollidude
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I've built the Hog Bipe (still going stong 14 years later), 2m Riser, Somethin' Extra (what an amazing airplane, taught me so much about aerobatics), 4 Star 40, and the Ultimate Biplane Profile. I currently have the Kougar, Astro Hog and the 1/4 scale Clipped Wing Cub tucked away for future builds. I still have my eye on the Citabria and the King Kobra. I love Sig!

Cheers!

Jollidude
Old 07-23-2012, 02:42 PM
  #99  
rcten
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

Just ordered the 40 Citabria kit today, also glad to see they have parts for their arf's, particularly the Waco SRE, that is one of the best model's around, both flying and construction.
I had called them 6 or more months ago about arf parts and they had nothing to offer, it seemed they were on the way out, but their web site shows a renewed strength.
Hope they keep going!
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Old 07-23-2012, 02:44 PM
  #100  
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Default RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!

I'm a big Sig fan and have enjoyed several of their kits over the past 25 years. I started with a Kadet Mrk. II and later continued with one of their quick build mustangs, an aquastar and owned a kougar that someone gave me for a little while. All are good plans. A few years I wanted something for my sons to get started in the hobby and was pleased to find the Sig Senioreta EP ARFs and now have two of them (one for each boy). It may have been a mistake but I couldn't bring myself to buy a big expensive block of foam. One of the best things about Sig kits are the instructions. I still have the instructions for my 25 year old Kadet. It is great reference for how to determine thrust lines, CG, incidence angle, pushrod geometry and other things. Much of this knowledge is omitted, or incorrectly assumed to be comon knowledge by other manufacturers.

Some new owners bought the company a few years ago and they are going through the lineup of models and adjusting the offerings to make the company stable fo the long term. I know this from speaking with some of the employees at the Toledo RC show the past two years. Unfortunately this means that some of the offerings are temporarily or permanently unavailable. Some of their Asian build ARFs have been removed and will be replaced. Unfortunately these designs have gone Grey Market and can be bought through other suppliers. Even though the quality of these grey market models is not the best I'm sure this hurts Sig. Some of their supplies and offerings will not come back (their covering, engines, and certain models) but they should be building their line of offerings back up.

When I shop for a model I always check their site. If nothing else they have some great stuff to look at. Wish my local shop had some of them.

Happy building and flying.



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