sparky577

I just began building the fuselage of my .25 size Slow Poke, and after cussing at the poor fit of the wing components, and seeing it again in the fuselage, i'm wondering if this kit is just a fluke. So far, not one single die-cut piece has fit without some kind of modification, and two fuselage parts are missing. Has anyone else experienced this? I might finish it, I haven't decided yet. The last kit I built was a Sig Somethin' Extra, and I guess the laser-cut pieces kinda spoiled me. I think my next plane will be either a laser-cut kit, or an A.R.F.
Keep Flying!!!

ChuckW

ARF???? Don't say that. Actually I have a couple but I've never been satisfied with the covering and some of the glue joints.

As for Great Planes kits, I too have been disappointed. I built a Rapture .40 and half of the plywood was falling apart. Luckily It was a great airplane when I got it done. Also, the plywood was the ONLY problem. Then started on a Slo-poke .40 for a friend. The die cutting and wood quality was so bad that I stopped. It's too bad really because I like some of their airplanes. It could just be a fluke quality issue. A lot of people like their kits and I've seen plenty of nice ones finished. I'll give them another try if I decide there is a plane I want.

enahs

My Feedback: (4)

I haven't heard of many people having problems with GP kits. I have a few and they fly really well. My only complaint was with the wood selection, but mine weren't quite that bad. I'd like to think those kits were just a fluke...

Shane

ChuckW

I hope they are a fluke because I am really thinking about their .40 sized Mustang.

Flytoolow

My Feedback: (17)

I've built 6 planes from great planes (Cap 232, Easy Sport, Slow Poke 40 (3x), Tracer, 20 size Cub, and 60 size Cub). Out of all of those kits, I've had problems with only two of them. The first was a fues problem on the first 40 size Slow Poke, and it just took a lot of sanding. And the second, was much worse, I got my 60 size Cub and built the wing, no problems, went to build the fuse and realized that there was two different sized fuse sides, i then realized that i had 40 size fuse parts. I cut new ones out of 1/8 ply. plane flew like crap. i crashed it first flight, pissed me off. and that was my last gp kit. since i've done scratch builts and helis.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Chuck, I built their Mustang a few years ago and it was excellent

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Agreed. GP kits are generally well-engineered.

Acquiring quality wood is apparently becoming a problem for the kit producers. A gal at Sig told me flat out that they were having trouble getting good wood, as the Asian ARF producers are scarfing up everything in sight, by the boat load.

I've built a half-dozen or so GP kits. The three most recent ones had marginal wood; in fact, the fuse sides on the PT-20 were HAIRY, and I liked to have never gotten them sanded down smooth. I ended up making a paste from Model Magic and filling the open grain with it. What a mess that was...

But parts fit was good, and the die-crunching was okay. The vintage Super Aeromaster bipe kit I've been on again/off again with for the past year has excellent wood.

I believe I've read elsewhere that the Slo-Poke and Old Timer kits, in particular, are rather difficult in terms of parts fit. So, I would say don't write GP kits off just yet. Their instruction manuals are excellent, and the supplied hardware is almost always adequate or better.

d_bodary

My Feedback: (85)

I've built their PT-40, Cub 60, Easy sport 40, the easy sport 60 and just recently built the Ultra Sport plus. and they have been some pretty good kits. I have had to replace a couple of pieces of wood in each one but generally no problems at all. Parts fit was good. wood selection was generally decent.

Dennis

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I built their biplane slow poke 5 years ago....that kit needed laser cut parts badly....some of the parts didn't fit as well as they should. I've also built their RV-4 and the part fit was excellent.

It might be a "pig in a poke" situation

meridianflyer

I think it is pretty much a hit or miss situation with GP kits. I bought the 25% extra300 patty arf from GP, it was a disaster, had to rework the whole thing. A friend bought the same thing and sent his back 4 times until finally they sent him a descent kit. I have a ultra sport40plus kit and I hope it goes together nicely.

redfox435cat

trippy I've built about 10 GP kits and most were alright. 2 40 sized cub. just finished a 60 cub all those were none issue. still working on the floats foriti. all flew great and built nicely. An easy sport some years ago and an extra 300. the extra kicked ass. the easy sport was kinda of there. It was entertaining but never really liked. probable because I didn't over power it like I do everything else. did 3 of the old ultra sports. all of them rocked, haven't tried the new one yet. at that time their kit quality was top notch
I do prefer linear kits because the parts fit better. Though I wouldn't recommend them to first time builders because the instructions are geared to people that know how to build and just gives basic instruction on the unique quirks of that kit. Now if you took GP's instructions with a linear or sig kit quality then you'd really have something

tashley

My Feedback: (9)

Overall the quality of GP kits is fair to good. Wood selection in most kits today lacks a great deal to be desired. It's not uncommon for me to can as much as fifty percent of the wood that comes with a kit, but I'm maybe a little picky.

DaveB

I have built many GP kits; granted there are sometimes minor problems. But overall, IMO they are excellent. In my hangar are the EZ Sport (kit), Taylor Craft, Piper Cub, Super Sport 60, Pete 'n Poke, Slow Poke, Mustang 40. Still to be built is the Rapture and the RV 4.

I have also built and flown kits from Balsa USA, Top Flite, Goldberg and others. Great Planes kits are as good (or better) than any of the others.

DaveB

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

I have built so many Great Planes kits, I have lost count. The only kit that I had trouble with was the 25 size Slow Poke. As mentioned the parts fit was really bad. Once built the plane fly's real well. I have built the Mustang 3 times and the corsair once. My son has built all of the Extra's and Cap's and they are all great kits. I do not remember which kit's, however I have had some missing part's or had wrong part's, but a call to Great Plane's and the parts were on the way no questions asked. In my 30 plus years of building and flying, I personally hold Great Planes kit's high on my list of best to build. Good Luck, Dave

enahs

My Feedback: (4)

This is one thing that I commend GP on...They have sent me new fuse sides for the Extra .40, a couple of cowlings and wheelpants, and various other parts or wood pieces without question when I called to inform them of a problem I had with a kit. Certainly is a plus in my book, I would build another Great Planes kit.

Shane

Runway

One thing I've noticed about kits is if you buy them second hand and they've been stored in someone's attic or garage for years, the wood can be warped/brittle in places. Perhaps the annual variations in temperature while in storage cause this?
Anyway, for this reason, I'm a bit wary of buying auction site kits any more.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Right you are. Another problem is the wood drying out. I had a vintage kit that had wood so dry CA would not activate; there was NO moisture left in the wood at all. It wasn't brittle, but I had to build the entire plane with wood glue and epoxy.

fred123

I just finished a GP Extra 300S 60 that was an excellent kit... Well engineered and good quality wood. Would not hesitate to recommend it. As a bonus, the plane flys great.. Tracks like it is on rails...Fred123[&:]

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have built A bunch of there kits and never had any problems with wood or fit. It's been A number of years though at this point and I'm sure they are having problems with getting the good wood today like everyone else.
As to old kits that have lost there moisture, just open the box and have them sit in the bathroom when you are taking A shower. After you have done that A few times the wood is as good as new. Just an old trick from someone that buys old kits.

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

Actually thats not a problem. How did we ever build kitss or planes in general before CA came along. You can use an atomizer filled with water or alchohol to moisten your wood before using instant glue. Oh and wood that has given up moisture is usually pretty light so it is desireable to use it on a really good plane

bps

My Feedback: (3)

I have constructed many GP kits and feel in general the quality is very good. I have built both the low wing slo pokes and both kits fly well but the wings are not engineered well. I made a lot of mods to the wings on both planes. They could do better. The GP RV4 is a nice kit but parts fit is an issue as well as the JUNK abs parts!

GP customer service is the model for customer service in my opinion. Many companies do a fine job in this area, but all could follow suit with GP and I would be happy.

I will build more GP kits.

JEB

Strat2003

My Feedback: (1)

I don't want to sound like your grandfather who walked 30 miles each way to school in five feet of snow (uphill both ways), but the worst Great Planes kits I've seen were head and shoulders above the best kits from the 50s and 60s. Die cutting, parts fit, ease of assembly and general engineering have all come a long way since then. I believe laser cutting has spoiled us all!

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Duh.

That never even occurred to me...

acobra

My Feedback: (40)

I just want to echo Strat 2003, If you ever built a Comet kit from the 50's and had to hand cut out all the parts from the wood that came with them that was soft as foam and hard as oak in the same piece you would think the worst kit today is pure heaven. Having said that I'm a real fan of lazer cut stuff and also scratch building where I can choose my own wood Frank

Runway

bps
Can you say what mods you made to the Slowpoke wings, please?

Like Sparky 577 I'm about to start building one and any help with improvements would be much appreciated.

Regards
Runway