Dynaflite/Hobby Services and the BOT ARF, such standup guys
10-01-2003, 08:18 AM
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Dynaflite/Hobby Services and the BOT ARF, such standup guys
Just picture this, the Acme Car company decides it wants to bring out a new model car based on a pretty cool retro design of and older car. So being the bean counters that they are, they take their design to Red China to have it built by one of many the sweatshop manufacturing companies that are available. The first batch of these cars finally hits American soil and you look at the ad for it. Pretty cool, you think. So you rush out and purchase one. You're pretty lucky because you are able to purchase one of the first batch of cars. More won't be available for months.
So you get the car home and are reading all about it in the manual. You then go on the Internet to find out how other people are doing with the car only to discover that there have been numerous car crashes. No one knows why till a few drivers investigate by taking apart their brakes. They find that the sweatshop in China has installed some very critical parts backwards and/or have even left some out!!
You have no tools to inspect the brakes, so you do not really know if you are affected. So you call up Acme and tell them about all of this. You ask that if you crash the car due to the brakes failing will they pay for not only the car but related medical bills, etc. or do they just want to fix the possible problem before that. Acme makes an appointment for you to have new brakes installed.
In the meantime other drivers are getting many different answers from Acme because they can't get their act together. However, numerous other drivers are also being given appointments to have their brakes replaced. Finally Mr. Pax from Acme issues a statement.
"We have done rigorous testing of this brake design and found no problem with it. The percentage of brake failures has been less than 1.5% and the majority of owners are very happy with their new cars. However, we and the factory people are examining the situation and WILL make changes to make the brakes better. Remember this new car is designed for back country road driving and not really where there is a lot of stop and go traffic, although we have tested it in stop and go traffic. In such situations, the car works fine, just don't panic stop it. If you have a failure of the brakes, bring the whole car back to us and we will fix the brakes at that time."
However, you still have your appointment, so you take the car in. You know you will have to leave the car because new parts won't arrive for a couple of months. Surprise, surprise, the mechanic comes out and says you car is done!! So you go to the service desk and find that nothing has been done to the car. The technician has written the following:
"We are not replacing brakes at this time unless there is a failure. Just be careful not to do any panic stops." So if the brakes fail, you wreck the car, you have to bring the whole wreck in and they will fix the brakes but the rest of the damage will be up to you to repair. Hmmmmm.
So now substitute Dynaflite for Acme, BOT ARF for car and wings for brakes. Basically, DynaFlite knows that it produced kits with defective wing sets. Missing shear webs, shear webs with the grain running horizontally instead of vertically, wood wing joiners with the grain running in the wrong direction. However, knowing this problem exists, they refuse to inspect their stock to see if they have any of the defective wings. They are just going to sell what they have anyway. They also refuse to inspect your wings to see if they are defective. Instead they want you to fly the plane and if it fails, then (and only then) will they consider replacing the wings for you. Oh yes, by the way, all your equipment won't be replaced if it is damaged due to the wing failure and crash. That will be YOUR problem.
Of course, if you want to buy the kit AGAIN, with the NEW improved wing structure, they will be happy to take your money. Of course, the fact that they are going to further strengthen the wing structure has nothing to do with the current crop of kits.
The only thing Dynaflite did leave out from their issued statement is a very big THANK YOU to everyone who bought the first group and have been their BETA TESTERS. They couldn't have improved the design without you!
So you get the car home and are reading all about it in the manual. You then go on the Internet to find out how other people are doing with the car only to discover that there have been numerous car crashes. No one knows why till a few drivers investigate by taking apart their brakes. They find that the sweatshop in China has installed some very critical parts backwards and/or have even left some out!!
You have no tools to inspect the brakes, so you do not really know if you are affected. So you call up Acme and tell them about all of this. You ask that if you crash the car due to the brakes failing will they pay for not only the car but related medical bills, etc. or do they just want to fix the possible problem before that. Acme makes an appointment for you to have new brakes installed.
In the meantime other drivers are getting many different answers from Acme because they can't get their act together. However, numerous other drivers are also being given appointments to have their brakes replaced. Finally Mr. Pax from Acme issues a statement.
"We have done rigorous testing of this brake design and found no problem with it. The percentage of brake failures has been less than 1.5% and the majority of owners are very happy with their new cars. However, we and the factory people are examining the situation and WILL make changes to make the brakes better. Remember this new car is designed for back country road driving and not really where there is a lot of stop and go traffic, although we have tested it in stop and go traffic. In such situations, the car works fine, just don't panic stop it. If you have a failure of the brakes, bring the whole car back to us and we will fix the brakes at that time."
However, you still have your appointment, so you take the car in. You know you will have to leave the car because new parts won't arrive for a couple of months. Surprise, surprise, the mechanic comes out and says you car is done!! So you go to the service desk and find that nothing has been done to the car. The technician has written the following:
"We are not replacing brakes at this time unless there is a failure. Just be careful not to do any panic stops." So if the brakes fail, you wreck the car, you have to bring the whole wreck in and they will fix the brakes but the rest of the damage will be up to you to repair. Hmmmmm.
So now substitute Dynaflite for Acme, BOT ARF for car and wings for brakes. Basically, DynaFlite knows that it produced kits with defective wing sets. Missing shear webs, shear webs with the grain running horizontally instead of vertically, wood wing joiners with the grain running in the wrong direction. However, knowing this problem exists, they refuse to inspect their stock to see if they have any of the defective wings. They are just going to sell what they have anyway. They also refuse to inspect your wings to see if they are defective. Instead they want you to fly the plane and if it fails, then (and only then) will they consider replacing the wings for you. Oh yes, by the way, all your equipment won't be replaced if it is damaged due to the wing failure and crash. That will be YOUR problem.
Of course, if you want to buy the kit AGAIN, with the NEW improved wing structure, they will be happy to take your money. Of course, the fact that they are going to further strengthen the wing structure has nothing to do with the current crop of kits.
The only thing Dynaflite did leave out from their issued statement is a very big THANK YOU to everyone who bought the first group and have been their BETA TESTERS. They couldn't have improved the design without you!
10-01-2003, 02:29 PM
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RE: Dynaflite/Hobby Services and the BOT ARF, such standup guys
Just amended my Christmas wish list, Thanks. I cant take a chance at a folded winged plane crashing into someone's car or house right after launch and who knows if your getting a new or old ARF until you cut into the covering. The LHS is most likely going to sell you whatever they have in stock, its not a risk I'm willing to take.
10-01-2003, 02:38 PM
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RE: Dynaflite/Hobby Services and the BOT ARF, such standup guys
ORIGINAL: evlwevl-RCU
Just amended my Christmas wish list, Thanks. I cant take a chance at a folded winged plane crashing into someone's car or house right after launch and who knows if your getting a new or old ARF until you cut into the covering. The LHS is most likely going to sell you whatever they have in stock, its not a risk I'm willing to take.
Just amended my Christmas wish list, Thanks. I cant take a chance at a folded winged plane crashing into someone's car or house right after launch and who knows if your getting a new or old ARF until you cut into the covering. The LHS is most likely going to sell you whatever they have in stock, its not a risk I'm willing to take.
10-02-2003, 03:50 PM
#4
RE: Dynaflite/Hobby Services and the BOT ARF, such standup guys
On the "other forum" there also is a lengthy thread about the BOT ARF :[link=http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148900]BOT ARF fiasco[/link], and here: [link=http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=153657]Dynaflite statement[/link]
I said this there already : I have been toying witht the idea of getting a BOT for some time, but everytime I was ready to get one of the kits, I stumbled over threads about the poor kit quality.
So, along comes the BOT ARF, and I think, well maybe now is the time to get one, but.....
You know the rest...
Should the urge to have a BOT, really hit me hard some time, I think I'll just get a set of plans and make the thing myself, that way at least I'll know what's inside the wing.
After seeing how Dynaflite has handled this issue, I'm definitely not buying from them.
Michael
I said this there already : I have been toying witht the idea of getting a BOT for some time, but everytime I was ready to get one of the kits, I stumbled over threads about the poor kit quality.
So, along comes the BOT ARF, and I think, well maybe now is the time to get one, but.....
You know the rest...
Should the urge to have a BOT, really hit me hard some time, I think I'll just get a set of plans and make the thing myself, that way at least I'll know what's inside the wing.
After seeing how Dynaflite has handled this issue, I'm definitely not buying from them.
Michael
10-06-2003, 10:08 PM
#5
My Feedback: (35)
RE: Dynaflite/Hobby Services and the BOT ARF, such standup guys
Michael,
The BOT kit has a LOT of wood in it. Naturally, some pieces will be of lesser quality than others, but overall quality is quite good. The instructions could be better written, but they're nothing you can't figure out. And of course, building a kit takes longer than assembling an ARF.
HOWEVER, if you build the kit, at least you'll know if the shear webs are there and if the grain is in the right direction. That's because YOU put them there. You'll know if the wing joiners are right, if the joints are glued properly and if the whole thing is aligned properly because YOU did it.
Finally, when it takes to the air and you see how beautifully it flies, you'll experience that wonderful rush of pride and feeling of accomplishment that comes with knowing that YOU did it.
take a chance.
papermache
The BOT kit has a LOT of wood in it. Naturally, some pieces will be of lesser quality than others, but overall quality is quite good. The instructions could be better written, but they're nothing you can't figure out. And of course, building a kit takes longer than assembling an ARF.
HOWEVER, if you build the kit, at least you'll know if the shear webs are there and if the grain is in the right direction. That's because YOU put them there. You'll know if the wing joiners are right, if the joints are glued properly and if the whole thing is aligned properly because YOU did it.
Finally, when it takes to the air and you see how beautifully it flies, you'll experience that wonderful rush of pride and feeling of accomplishment that comes with knowing that YOU did it.
take a chance.
papermache
