marcus1899

I get the feeling from reading some of the forums lately that some people may not know about some or all of the Q500 kits available in our market today. Dave Norman has been kind enough to have a thread here that lists all the places to get Q500 airplanes and contact information for each. Personally I supply the Vortex kit in both the 424 and 428 configuration.

The Vortex is an 8 time US Nationals winner, 10 time US Nationals Fast time winner, 1 time French Nationals winner

The 424 configuration comes complete with a pre-sheeted foam wing, laser cut fuse and tail kit, complete hardware kit, Vortex emblem vinyl sticker, landing gear, and complete instructions with digital picture's of every step along the way to build. The only thing you need to do to the wing is mount it to the fuse, cut in your ailerons and pushrods, glue on the wing tips and glass the center section. This kit is complete out of the box with hardware including blind nuts, mounting bolts, pushrods (for both elevators and ailerons), etc. you will not have to go to the store for any hardware.

The 428 configuration comes complete with a two color composite wing, including the Vortex emblem painted into your wing, laser cut fuse and tail kit, complete hardware kit, landing gear and complete instructions with digital picture's of every step along the way to building. You do have the option of adding a 3rd color, ama or nmpra numbers, and team emblems into your wing for a minimal cost. Hardware kit is just as complete as kit for 424 kit.

The laser cut fuse and tail kit are the same for the 424 and 428 kits, instructions included also explain to you how to finish off your airplane if you choose to paint it. When buying the composite version of this kit, you will be given the PPG paint numbers for the colors you have chosen, so that you can match those colors when painting your fuse.

Both versions of this kit are available for delivery almost immediatly. You will not be charged anything until kit is ready to ship.

Price for 424 is $195.00 dollars, 428 is $375.00 dollars, plus shipping on both.

Any questions or how to place orders, I can be contacted at [email protected] and also my cell # is 843-609-8842

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

Out of curiosity... for the 424 Vortex version... is there any carbon in the wing so it could hold up to 428 speeds if you wanted to use a lower cost plane for local event?

luv to race

My Feedback: (1)

The wing will hold up to 428 speeds, it has cabon layed up under the skins. The only thing "I" would do during the fuse build. Is reinforce the firewall as if I intended to use it with a 428 motor. Put a nice carbon epoxy fillet behind the firewall. Which the 424 guys should be doing anyways..

RB

marcus1899

Correction on what Randy said above, the wings have no carbon on the inside, they have a 1 1/2" wide fiberglass tape spare both top and bottom about 18" out from the center, total of 36" and they also have 2 oz cloth between the foam and the skins on the inside top and bottom, and you will also put glass on the outside of the skins both top and bottom as per the directions. I do know of people that have put nelsons on the airplane and have had no problem. The carbon that Randy is talking about in the nose, is also part of the directions, and I recommend it for both the construction of the 424 and 428 airplane fuse, whether you are going to put the 428 engine on there or not.

Marcus

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks for he information. I have seen enough Vortex's to know it is a high quality product. Not a lot more $$ than a Viper but a far superior plane with a little more work(but less than bulding my own woody from scratch). This might just go on my xmas list.

EXPRESSO PYLON RACER

HELLO MARCOS ITS ROBERT FROM FT LAUDERDALE . HOPE THINGS ARE WELL WITH YOU . THE VORTEX KITS ARE THE THE BEST FOR YOUR MONEY AND YOU WILL NOT GO WRONG BUY AND BUILD IT . I KNOW I HAVE 6 VORTEX KITS AND LOVE BUILDING THEM . SOON WILL BE TEST FLYING 3 OF THEM .

freeair

may i ask what makes this Vortex to be a better model than the g.p. Viper ? there doesn,t seem to be much difference in the construction of the 2 models .

Ed Smith

The Vortex kit is not produced in China. That should say it all. The Vortex kit is designed and produced in the USA by racers for racers.

Ed S

luv to race

My Feedback: (1)

To answer "freeair's" question... it's mostly contrustion that makes the difference. We've been using the NACA 66-012 wing since 1999. You look at all the quickees out there now that have literaly have the same wing on them. And our performance hasn't fallen off at all. The only thing left is fuse contruction, and how detailed you wish to be when building. If it's okay to be 1/8" or 1/4" off in some of your measurments, then you'll get a plane that fly's just okay. But if you take your time, make sure you're withing a 1/16 or 1/32 at most...you'll have a winner.

Ed probably hit the most important thing. It's not a cheap China kit. It's built and designed by Chuck Bridge (my dad), with all the best contest grade wood, and roacell skinned composite wings.. We started out like the rest of you, building our own kit because we couldn't afford the high dollar composite stuff. So we worked on our design, simple. We made many changes along the way, to better fit my flying style and create a more efficient airframe. We had a little longer nose to start with, that got shorter, we built about 20 quickees all with slightly different moments and measurements here and there.. Until it acted how "I" thought it should act. Most of my feel and knowledge came from the guys around me, I asked questions from them. I continued to talk with, Travis Flynn, Gary Schmidt, Jim Allen, Fred Burgdorf…even though those guys may or may not of flown our plane, I wanted to know what they liked to feel, what they thought…all that stuff. And at times I'd ask them to fly my set up to get even more feedback, and I listened.

So here we are now. We saw the "laser cut" fuse stuff from Dave Norman and Danny Kane. My dad was so tired of cutting out all the pieces by hand. So that "laser cut" thing seemed like the way to go. So my friend, Marcus Blanchard, said he'd be willing to do all the leg work with the CAD guy to get it all lined up. Marcus researched a source to make fuse kit pieces. And the rest is history. The design is the same that I've won 5 Quickee Nationals with, no different.

All of the building techniques that my father is using in my airplanes, is in the instructions when you get the kit. Make the fuse as strong as possible, build the front end super strong. And most of all… build it straight, and put a very smooth finish on it.

sorry to ramble aimlessly..

Randy Bridge

djlyon

A point I think you miss Randy. In actuality it takes little more time if any to build a Vortex, Hurrikane or Seeker even a foam core one and have it race ready for 428 than it does to assemble, fix and fix and fix a Viper and have it race ready and SAFE.

Denis

marcus1899

AMEN to that!!!! I have built many vipers that's why I approached chuck about letting me do the vortex in 424 version also, it might cost a few more bucks, but the quality of construction, the quality of how it will fly will far outweigh the price tag in the end. You will have to go very far to make a viper race ready for 428, I wouldn't trust it at all with that kind of power in the nose.

Marcsu

jaka

Hi!
Randy ! Where can I get hold of a Vortex???

Regards!
Jan Karlsson
Sweden

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Jaka,

Contact Marcus Blanchard at:

[email protected] and also my cell # is 843-609-8842

luv to race

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Jan! how you doing friend? hope all is well in Sweden!

Email Marcus Blanchard... [email protected] .. Marcus will take care of your needs.

Randy Bridge

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Hmm, 7 hours 15 minutes of daylight today in Upplands Vasby, lots of building time.

freeair

i thought [ GREAT PLANES KITS ] were a product of the U.S.A. not China. i have quite a few different models made by Great Planes plus models made by Chinese companies and i must say there is a very big difference between the 2 companies in workmanship.
as for the G.P. Viper which does have the great Seleg wing profile plus the actual construction of this wing which i feel is one of the strongest foam veneer wings to date, complete with carbon inlayed strips and double glass layers. the Fuselage is built very true except for the V-Tail which only needs some rear adjustment, the actual V-Tail is very strong as so the front engine bay is fully glassed and only needs some minor pinning to the main bulkhead, if you remove all fuselage covering and glass the outer fuselage you have a very strong model that suits 428 class racing without any problems. we have 2 guys in our club that have Vipers fitted with Nelson and Profi engines and i must say they go very very well compared to my O.S. and TT Pro 46 powered 424 class models. if i could buy a Vortex at a good price i would but as the U.S. dollar to Australian dollar is very different as we know i might have to waite some time, unless one of you guys would like to sponsor my son so the Vortex is racing in Australia , hint hint.

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Great Planes is a US company, but they import most if not all of their ARFs.

If you were to see a Chuck Bridge built Vortex, vs the Viper, you would not even attempt to compare them because they are in completely different stratospheres.

luv to race

My Feedback: (1)

Freeair,

I'm not completely sure the pedigree of Great Planes kits. Some may be built in the USA? I'd feel confident in saying that both Horizon Hobby and Great Planes outsource at least 65% of their products to foreign countries. Now that may not be all "china" ?? Indonesia maybe does some stuff? I'm not totally sure of what country supplies the most ARF kits.

As far as the construction of the Viper, sounds like you have a good handle on the mod's needed. And everyone out there should fly what makes them happy, because that's the ultimate goal.. To have fun. Also everyone's budget is different, and purchasing race planes is certainly dollar driven. I don't drive a Porsche, because I just can't afford it…and they won't sponsor me for some reason. The Vortex buisness only sponsors a couple people, we don't make much money building quickees. So sponsorship is just not in the cards.

In today's day and age, people either don't have the time, or are not motivated enough to build. So the demand for ARF type racers is very high right now.

Randy Bridge

s-10promod

If you fly a Vortex, or any other quickie that is on that level once, You will never want to fly your Viper again. The difference is something that is hard to put into words.

BloomAce

My Feedback: (2)

I agree with you s-10promod. You will never go back to the Viper.
I am in the process of re-engineering Q500 kit. I am building it from scratch and some plans.
Made in the USA.

jaka

Hi Randy!
We just got 15cm snow last night and its -3,5 degrees below zero (centigrade) as I write this at half past four in the afternoon!
Yeah! it get´s dark at 3 o' clock this time of the year so we have time for lot's of building. November is usually dark and rainy over here so all this white snow really enlivens your hart.

Have you any pictures of the Vortex???
/Jan K

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Heres a couple pictures of Vortex's I have had.

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

You guys are killin me!

I'm tryin to save some money here.

Bill Vargas

My Feedback: (5)

Don t worry Vicman, its only money[sm=shades_smile.gif]


BV

s. wallace

My Feedback: (24)

Look at your options...

a) Put $200 into your 401K
b) Put $200 in your savings account
c) Spend $200 on a Vortex


C is the correct answer! A will be worth less week by week, B is safe but boring and provides little reward, but C provides intrinsic rewards far beyond a mere $200...enjoyable time spent building, pride in racing a state of the art machine, and satisfaction in knowing yours was built right as opposed to a Viper that at any given moment, on any given lap is thinking of a new way to come apart.

I just got 2 Seeker kits in but I'll be getting a Vortex soon as well.