Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG  
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> RC Warbirds and Warplanes >> Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG
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Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/9/2004 11:50:02 PM   
Kmot



Posts: 7718
Joined: 6/11/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline

Based upon the advice given by a few RCU members, I bought Century Jet retracts fro my P-47. I bought them thru Tower Hobbies. I also ordered, thru Century Jet, a P-47 retractable tailwheel and gear door standoffs. That was on Feb 24. I received my order from Tower Hobbies in 2 days. One of the oleo struts is defective out of the box. It sticks. And if you force it to move it scrapes and galls and it also leaks lube. Tower says thet CJ wants to deal with defects on its own. So I contacted the Tech Dept at CJ. I have heard nothing back.

I also never received my order from CJ yet for the tailwheel. It takes no longer than 5 days for shipping UPS across the country and 2 days if it goes US mail. After a week I contacted CJ and asked where my order is. No reply. It's been 2 weeks since I ordered the tailwheel. They took my money right away. And I have not received it. I have a brand new out of the box defective landing gear, and they won't respond to my warranty request.

I guess it would be fair to say I have been screwed by Century Jet!!

_____________________________

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!
       Post #: 1

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 12:05:47 AM   
TLH101



Posts: 5495
Joined: 12/27/2001
From: Corpus Christi, TX, USA
Status: online 		Do a search, and I think you will find others with the same customer service problems . They sure like to charge your card and then make you wait. Every set of CJ retracts I now own, have were purchased second hand. If I have to deal directly with C/J ever again, it will be too soon. Just keep calling and pestering them, they will get tired of dealing with you soon and take care of the problem. That's what I, and another local modeler had to do.

_____________________________

Terry
"Old Fart" in training. (not to be an R/Cer, but to be an "Old Fart")

(in reply to Kmot)
       Post #: 2

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 12:24:27 AM   
voyager_663rd


 

Posts: 1191
Joined: 2/11/2003
From: Toronto, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the headsup Kmot. I'm getting tired of waiting for Sierra's for the TF Corsair and was strongly considering the CJ's.

HOWEVER, I am now leaning strongly towards unitracts (albeit their price kinda scares me). Thanks.

_____________________________

Len-> More questions than answers some answers are here [url]http://www.freewebs.com/rc_tips_and_hints[/url] 18,000+ hi

(in reply to TLH101)
       Post #: 3

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 12:36:24 AM   
JWN



Posts: 4858
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Florence, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Sounds like it's time to simply return the gear to Tower and let them deal with CJ.

John

(in reply to voyager_663rd)
       Post #: 4

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 2:35:59 AM   
lrb75


 

Posts: 429
Joined: 7/23/2002
From: Alexandria, VA, USA
Status: offline 		I had problems getting responses via email. Try the phone. Bruce was very helpful when I talked to him.

(in reply to JWN)
       Post #: 5

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 2:53:43 AM   
F4u5



Posts: 1811
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Apple Valley, MN, USA
Status: offline 		CJM sucks.......period.

_____________________________

Where's my glue?.......I gotta build.

(in reply to lrb75)
       Post #: 6

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 2:58:12 AM   
cknaack


 

Posts: 427
Joined: 1/21/2002
From: Arlington Heights, IL,
Status: offline 		Phone, email, talk is cheap.
My best friend had a set that came with a Don Smith HellCat. On the second landing (a very hard landing) the gear appeared to need repair. I am surprised that the gear did not tear out of the wing. He sent the gear back to CJ for repairs Next Day Air. After a few days, CJ calls and says that he has the old version gear, and for a small fee, (about $100) they can be updated, and for no charge they will even set the spring weight to the aircraft. He goes for it and has the gear sent back NDA. Upon receipt, he opens the box and installs the gear. I get a phone call saying that the gear does not look right. I drive over and after a few minutes of checking the situation out, I conclude that the reason the wheel is parallel with the wing is that the strut was drilled 90 degrees out of location by what looked like a hand drill. My friend calls CJ and tries to explain the situation. He is basically treated like an idiot and is told to send the gear back (at his cost). After 2 more complete round trips of NDA and more difficult phone calls, the wheels are finally pointing in the right direction. Now the gear binds. I had enough and fixed it myself. All said and done, he could have almost purchased a new set for the price he paid, including shipping.

So much for great service.

(in reply to lrb75)
       Post #: 7

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 2:59:03 AM   
SCALECRAFT


 

Posts: 1357
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: MONTEBELLO, CA, USA
Status: online 		I'm going to try to make my own retracts. At first it may take time, but once I figure it out. Already turn my own muffllers.

Harbor frieght mini lathe $329.00. Price of a set of retracts on average.

Steve

(in reply to lrb75)
       Post #: 8

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 3:11:45 AM   
F4u5



Posts: 1811
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Apple Valley, MN, USA
Status: offline 		Take a look at the CJM Corsair...and you will see what I mean. No QC...period!!! I have had 6 sets of CJM gear and 2 kits. All were poor. My talk is from experience. I won't even go in to my buddies $1700 F4 Phantom kit with two different size wing cores, that CJM denied, that was proved at Toledo, leading to a 2 hour face to face altercation. I do not criticize often, but in this case...customer support does not substitute for poor QC. It is easy to fix the same gear over and over at $140 bucks a pop. Produce a quality product up front to begin with. They are the ones making out, not you. Think about it. Do you think repairing a set of gear at $100 is your gain? That is profit padding. We had a 51 pound TBF go in hard on the gear and nose. Gear were from Sierra. Now, I would have expected the gear to take the brunt of damage. Know what..plane 30 percent damaged...gear, nothing. I had to sell my $1575 corsair kit at $800 just to dump it. My gain I guess? It takes a quality product to sustain the endeavered hobbyist. I'll pay $1000 for a good set of gear over a set ot $550 gear that have to get repaired every 4th or 5h flight. I wish I were in Steve's shoes....he is on track.

< Message edited by F4u5 -- 3/11/2004 4:13:12 PM >

_____________________________

Where's my glue?.......I gotta build.

(in reply to SCALECRAFT)
       Post #: 9

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 5:24:44 AM   
Kmot



Posts: 7718
Joined: 6/11/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: lrb75

I had problems getting responses via email. Try the phone. Bruce was very helpful when I talked to him.


I had thought about telephoning. Two reasons I don't:

1) No toll free number. Add the cost of a long distance phone call to the price of gear that is defective? I'm already hot under the collar!

2) See #1. I lose my temper on the phone and we go nowhere. You'd be amazed what I type and erase before I clik the "OK" button.

< Message edited by Kmot -- 3/9/2004 9:25:21 PM >

_____________________________

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

(in reply to lrb75)
       Post #: 10

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 5:26:44 AM   
Kmot



Posts: 7718
Joined: 6/11/2003
From: Northridge, CA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: SCALECRAFT

Harbor frieght mini lathe $329.00. Price of a set of retracts on average.

Steve

Xlnt point!

_____________________________

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

(in reply to SCALECRAFT)
       Post #: 11

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 6:09:58 AM   
Chad Veich



Posts: 2747
Joined: 12/13/2001
From: Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
Status: online 		Unfortunately I have the same war stories that others have shared above. I have, or have had, five or six sets of CJM gear. I only bought one set new, the rest were part of trade deals. All were of poor quality and some were down right junk. I have also had their Spitfire kit and it was easily the worst kit I have worked with. A few months back it seemed CJM was on the right track with customer service but it appears not. The issues with quality should be easy to fix should CJM choose to do so but that also appears to be a pipe dream. Why people continue to purchase from CJM completely amazes me. More than that is why designers continue to choose them to make gear for their plans.

(in reply to Kmot)
       Post #: 12

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 6:20:50 AM   
GrnBrt



Posts: 6992
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Everett, WA, USA
Status: offline 		ah boy!!! My friend and I are getting ready to do a C-123 and he had these guys make the retracts special and he has them and do look good but now I am going to go over them with a fine tooth comb. Ah Jeez!!!!


_____________________________

Art Grabow SR
Senior forum Manager

US Army Special forces, mess with the best, die like the rest!

(in reply to Chad Veich)
       Post #: 13

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 11:28:04 AM   
tubig


 

Posts: 962
Joined: 2/17/2003
From: Jungli, TAIWAN
Status: offline 		i have a set for a TF spit i'm building. the gear look good but i do have a problem with one of the air nipples being right in the way of the retract bearer when trying to install. i will have to try to install the gear at the same time that i epoxy the outer wing panels to the center section so as not to have to cut into the bearer for clearance for the nipple. this will be extremely difficult to do well i believe. i'm having second thoughts about this gear.

(in reply to GrnBrt)
       Post #: 14

RE: Bad advice to buy: CENTURY JET MFG - 3/10/2004 12:07:26 PM   
Mustang51


 

Posts: 870
Joined: 1/20/2002
From: Norristown, PA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Kmot



Based upon the advice given by a few RCU members, I bought Century Jet retracts fro my P-47. I bought them thru Tower Hobbies. I also ordered, thru Century Jet, a P-47 retractable tailwheel and gear door standoffs. That was on Feb 24. I received my order from Tower Hobbies in 2 days. One of the oleo struts is defective out of the box. It sticks. And if you force it to move it scrapes and galls and it also leaks lube. Tower says thet CJ wants to deal with defects on its own. So I contacted the Tech Dept at CJ. I have heard nothing back.

I also never received my order from CJ yet for the tailwheel. It takes no longer than 5 days for shipping UPS across the country and 2 days if it goes US mail. After a week I contacted CJ and asked where my order is. No reply. It's been 2 weeks since I ordered the tailwheel. They took my money right away. And I have not received it. I have a brand new out of the box defective landing gear, and they won't respond to my warranty request.

I guess it would be fair to say I have been screwed by Century Jet!!


Kmot,

Return them to Tower and demand your money back. Tower(as a goods provider) is resposible to a consumer(you) to refund or replace(as required by law) at your request, if you are not satisfied with what they sell.
They(Tower) sold them to you, not CJ.

You guys have my sympathy. Personally, I would never buy CJ, nor would I (and on occasions haven't) buy an airplane with CJ gear in it.
Frankly, I'm supprised to hear after years and years of this type of situation(customer support)(along with the LACK of quality), that CJ is still in business. I'm also suprised to hear that some of you "long timers" (Art) in the hobby are still buying these pieces of junk. Do you guys not keep an ear open to what is being said (good and bad) about products in the hobby?

Art, your gear WILL look good out of the box. The eye will not see what the problem is with Century jet Retracts. Guaranteed though, you will after 4 landings. I don't care how good a pilot you are and how gently you set the plane down, those gear will become as rickety as an old man sitting in an old rocking chair
on an old rotten porch. AND!!!! hes got Parkinsons, all while suffering from the "DTs".
Good luck though.

-Mustang51

(in reply to Kmot)
       Post #: 15