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Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/6/2012 6:39 PM   
bbells


 

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Status: offline 		Okay, I am not bashing HK and I did search both this site, others, and Google for the answer.

This is important because I am wondering if I should just cannibalize the plane for parts or to try and fly it again. Seriously, if all the planes I buy break this fast I think I should find a different hobby. I have flown my helicopter and HZ Supercub for about 3 years. But, I like slow flying so I classify myself as a beginner.

My 1000mm FU4 Corsair, electric, broke in half right in front of the cockpit on its first flight. I have crashed much harder with other planes with no damage at all. I didn't nose in, just landed on its back. It barely left the ground before flipping and landing.
While gluing it back together it appeared that the foam wasn't very strong in the body. It is also only about 1/4 inch thick (A guess, didn't measure it). I reinforced it with nylon ties (cut and glued on) and cut a piece of foam to fit the inside and glued it on to hold the front and rear of the plane together.
1) Question: This foam seems lighter and more fragile than other planes I have worked on. Does HK not use EPO foam like they say they do? If they do use cheaper foam then I will know that this could be the problem here.
2) How can I tell if it is EPO or spme cheaper stuff?
Thanks for any help!




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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/6/2012 6:52 PM   
da Rock



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quote:

ORIGINAL: bbells

1) Does HK not use EPO foam like they say they do?

2) How can I tell if it is EPO or spme cheaper stuff?



1. Honest mfgs don't say they use it unless they do. Did they say the Corsair was made of EPO?

2. How to tell? It doesn't break.



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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/6/2012 7:42 PM   
bbells


 

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Status: offline 		 very funny! I assumed it was epo and it isn't. just cheap foam that breaks very easily. I guess you answered my question and I learned a valuable lesson. Thanks man.

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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/7/2012 4:33 AM   
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Status: offline 		EPO isn't strong at all unless it's solid. Depron does better in a hollow structure, but it's more brittle too. If you've handled the stuff before you'll know it when you feel it due to the flexibility and the really big granules. HK probably isn't lying about using EPO, but that still doesn't mean you have a well designed and quality built airplane.

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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/7/2012 8:49 PM   
opjose



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quote:

ORIGINAL: bbells

My 1000mm FU4 Corsair, electric, broke in half right in front of the cockpit on its first flight. I have crashed much harder with other planes with no damage at all.



Unfortunately that line says it all. You crashed a plane.

It was not as durable as you expected.

That doesn't necessarily reflect on any of the other things they sell. Just the way that particular plane was made or designed.

For instance the V-70 has foam that gets heat treated again after forming to make it quite hard.


I have many foam planes, but I always prefer balsa and ply wood planes. You can fix almost anything on the latter.

Foamies are not as durable nor as repairable as the vendors like you to believe.






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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/8/2012 4:36 AM   
countilaw



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Status: offline 		When you buy from Hobby King,  you get what you pay for.        Cheap Chinese Junk ! ! !       And that's all there is to it.     Hobby King is going to have it made as cheap as possible and cut every corner they can.    They don't care if it  breaks on the first flight.   Just try to contact them and get some help,   Good Luck  with that.         You really need to buy from a company that has a little more quality control and cares about their customers.   Try  Tower, Hobbico, Great Planes, Sig,  or any other American company.

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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/8/2012 11:52 PM   
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Status: offline 		Actually hobbyking sells quality products. Problem is it takes some investigating on both the HK Reviews and RCGROUPs forums to find out if there are any issues with the model. There is certainly junk on the website but a quick google will uncover common issues.

Hobbyking Foam is actually high quality on some models like the AXN Floater Jet and Bixler. Very dense foam. Also the Durafly Zephyr Ducted fan glider is extremely dense foam almost composite feel. NTM Motors, Turnigy Motors, and scorpion motors from HK are fantastic. Turnigy ESCs 9/10 models are superb. Their Plush/Sentry line is great. The hobbyking YEP ESCs are of VERY high quality, I have one. But with hobbyking its almost never work just buying one piece, you need to play a larger than usual order to save money and have to play around with your basket to make the shipping costs more reasonable. I own a turnigy 9x with a FrSky module. No problems here and I researched both products. Anyone who says hobbyking is "junk"... Has never shopped from hobbyking or never "researched" before they bought something. Most hobbyking "Original" designs such as the Durafly line are almost 9/10 times excellent products with smart design. One of the guys at our field has multiple durafly modles and I've owned a few too. Top notch stuff, I hope they release more and more models and some more balsa models too.


As for the original poster... What do you expect with EPS foam?
Also people seem to like the f4u... maybe you had the cg off?

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10108__Hobby_King_F4U_Corsair_Plug_n_Fly.html



I've seen this one in person and seen it fly... I also owned the skyraider model in that line

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__20851__Durafly_F4U_Corsair_w_flaps_retracts_lights_1100mm_PNF_.html


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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/9/2012 12:10 AM   
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Status: offline 		Most hobby king stuff works, but it is not top notch. I suppose the Futaba radios they sell could be called a top notch product from hobby king, but then if you ever need any type of vendor service you're still up the creek.

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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/9/2012 1:28 AM   
bbells


 

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Status: offline 		Hey, guys note the op. I wasn't bashing hk, just was interested in finding out the facts behind the fragility of this particular plane and its foam.



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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/9/2012 3:50 AM   
jester_s1


 

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Status: offline 		Sorry, if you mention Hobby King ever in reference to anything RCU will be completely destroyed if there aren't at least 4 posts debating whether or not it's a good company.

*Hobby King stinks!*

There, now the forum will be ok.

Back to the original discussion it sounds like you just got a badly designed airplane, or at least one that wasn't designed to meet the expectations it was sold under. Hollow EPO simply can't take much abuse, so it's not surprising your plane bit the dust so easily.

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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/9/2012 5:22 PM   
opjose



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quote:

ORIGINAL: jester_s1

Back to the original discussion it sounds like you just got a badly designed airplane, or at least one that wasn't designed to meet the expectations it was sold under.



What are "expectations that it was sold under"?


quote:

ORIGINAL: jester_s1
EPO simply can't take much abuse, so it's not surprising your plane bit the dust so easily.


I agree with that ( and this applies to non-hollow planes too ). I'm not a big fan of foamies as a result.

I think that no matter the vendor, foamies never live up to the sales hype which touts them as "nearly indestructable", etc.

This pulls in the novices looking for a bargain, who ultimately end up spending far more an a small fleet of planes, than they would have on something better.

When I buy a foamy, I KNOW that it will be a "one season plane". And if it lasts a whole season, it is likely to look pretty dinged up at the end.

One can scream "HK stinks" all they want to justify poor or uninformed choices. But it is patently untrue, you just have to know what you are doing... e.g. a novice should never enter an electrical supply store too without a LOT of help...

Ultimately the same problem exists when selecting foamies from ANY vendor. I own Tower and Horizon foamies that are no different.





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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/9/2012 8:13 PM   
Sport_Pilot



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Status: offline 		All foam is low quality.  Even EPP.  Well OK some are better than others, but non as good as wood or fiberglass.

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RE: Is Hobbyking foam low quality? 1000mm Corsair Electric - 11/9/2012 11:09 PM   
combatpigg



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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sport_Pilot

All foam is low quality.  Even EPP.  Well OK some are better than others, but non as good as wood or fiberglass.


You stole my thunder, I was going to say the same thing.
Foam is a wonder "resource" for us to have...in some applications it is indispensible. It's just as easy to build a model plane that flies like a brick out of wood as it is out of foam...the key is in either following the proven plans and methods that others have already established, or else forge ahead on your own and learn from your own mistakes and bad ideas.
Every "cheap foamie" model that I've ever seen has fallen short of what my expectations would be, but some folks love them and have found simple ways to cope with the plane's shortcomings.


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