Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
04-11-2013, 08:25 AM
#1
Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
In lieu of a long list of airplane deaths from ALL these chinese manufactures, I'd like to point out some obvious defects.
The fly eagle 1/5.5 F-16 had been known to have some elevator issues, ie, fluttering inflight, loss of control, etc....
And a recent loss of over $20k from a fly eagle jet, I'd like to caution EVERYONE to check and reinforce their ARF's.
I am in the middle of building an the older Fried Beagle F-16 1/5.5 and this is what I found when I cut into the elevator components to check for strength.
GULP!
Do you see substantial glue? And in some places, NO GLUE??!!!
And the Vertical Stab mounting area looks the same.
This will all have to be reinforced.
After seeing this, EVERY piece of this airplane will have to be gone over with a fine toothed comb. Too bad BVM doesn't make more scale models.
The fly eagle 1/5.5 F-16 had been known to have some elevator issues, ie, fluttering inflight, loss of control, etc....
And a recent loss of over $20k from a fly eagle jet, I'd like to caution EVERYONE to check and reinforce their ARF's.
I am in the middle of building an the older Fried Beagle F-16 1/5.5 and this is what I found when I cut into the elevator components to check for strength.
GULP!
Do you see substantial glue? And in some places, NO GLUE??!!!
And the Vertical Stab mounting area looks the same.
This will all have to be reinforced.
After seeing this, EVERY piece of this airplane will have to be gone over with a fine toothed comb. Too bad BVM doesn't make more scale models.
04-11-2013, 09:50 AM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
Raf, what am I looking at? Is that the main pivot tube for the elev? And then we need to see inside the elevator itself.
04-11-2013, 10:19 AM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
I think there are 2 things disturbing here. The first most evident is those "spars" are obviously not bonded well to the skins. And secondly the tube is not bonded well... to anything. it almost looks like it is left lightly suspended with no cohesion to the "spar" or rib. The other thing is I have to question the entire structural intent and design. For that I would need to see more.
If you go inside a barf or a flash, you'll see they do a very good job of bonding any and all of the spars or ribs to the skins. (I wasnt a big fan of the way they ran the grain on the main spar but it's clearly sufficiently strong to take the shear loads and the fundamental design is good)
If you go inside a barf or a flash, you'll see they do a very good job of bonding any and all of the spars or ribs to the skins. (I wasnt a big fan of the way they ran the grain on the main spar but it's clearly sufficiently strong to take the shear loads and the fundamental design is good)
04-11-2013, 11:03 AM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
on mine i have changed that area and made a 16mm aluminium tube with ballbearings inside, and glued the spars 
olnico made this plane a long time ago
olnico made this plane a long time ago
04-11-2013, 11:51 AM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
Mine crashed due to elevator failure in flight. Saw the elevator give and fold down and back. It crashed and burned. Total loss. Hard lesson to learn. I will not buy from them again- ever.
Terry
Terry
04-11-2013, 12:54 PM
#10
RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
ORIGINAL: dbsonic
Raf, what am I looking at? Is that the main pivot tube for the elev? And then we need to see inside the elevator itself.
Raf, what am I looking at? Is that the main pivot tube for the elev? And then we need to see inside the elevator itself.
04-11-2013, 12:57 PM
#11
RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
ORIGINAL: tlj125
Mine crashed due to elevator failure in flight. Saw the elevator give and fold down and back. It crashed and burned. Total loss. Hard lesson to learn. I will not buy from them again- ever.
Terry
Mine crashed due to elevator failure in flight. Saw the elevator give and fold down and back. It crashed and burned. Total loss. Hard lesson to learn. I will not buy from them again- ever.
Terry
04-11-2013, 01:00 PM
#12
RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
ORIGINAL: dubd
Raf, keep us posted with how you improve that.
Raf, keep us posted with how you improve that.
It is sad how some of these airplanes can fly for say 20 or so times and just when you start to trust them....KKKAAABOOOMMMM!!!
04-11-2013, 03:22 PM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
Why is it that all of you continue to buy this crap and then act surprised when it happens. If a .99 made in China part don't hold up, why in the hell would you buy a $6000 part and then *****. OMG!!!!!
04-11-2013, 03:59 PM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
ORIGINAL: felker14
How can this company, and others like it, remain in business? Quality this poor would not be tolerated from European and American manufacturers. How can dealers sell these products with a clear conscience?
How can this company, and others like it, remain in business? Quality this poor would not be tolerated from European and American manufacturers. How can dealers sell these products with a clear conscience?
Amen, brother, preach it
04-11-2013, 04:17 PM
#17
RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
Hi,
I once proposed an idea about demanding that construction photos of the critical interior (yet invisible) parts be included with each ARF, but it didn't seem to get any traction (to be polite). Imagine if when they were gluing that part in, they knew they had to somehow photo-document the work and provide it to the buyer in advance. It wouldn't solve EVERY problem, but it might have gotten some glue onto the 90 degree joint where the bulkhead meets that plywood on the side.
I once proposed an idea about demanding that construction photos of the critical interior (yet invisible) parts be included with each ARF, but it didn't seem to get any traction (to be polite). Imagine if when they were gluing that part in, they knew they had to somehow photo-document the work and provide it to the buyer in advance. It wouldn't solve EVERY problem, but it might have gotten some glue onto the 90 degree joint where the bulkhead meets that plywood on the side.
04-11-2013, 04:23 PM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
everyone *****es about not getting their jets for 10 months, wondering if they are being scammed. And once they get them, they appear w/ pretty paint and the airframe is junk, crap, whatever. The wait on getting them is a first clue that doing business w/ them is what do you say, " buy at your own risk." Once they have your money and you bug them to hurry up, you will get a FEJ worker to mess you over and "conveniently" forget to glue something. OOPS!!!!!
04-11-2013, 04:41 PM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
ORIGINAL: mongo
worse than crack. with crack, you usually only stand to hurt yourself.
worse than crack. with crack, you usually only stand to hurt yourself.
04-11-2013, 04:54 PM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
i hate Chinese jets!!!! all that i had are bad qualitty, with high risc in the air !
all our jets are bvm, carf and boomerang, but, skymaster is an great choice ( bvm is a dealer of skymaster ).
We had chineses few years ago. now, never more !!
jose
all our jets are bvm, carf and boomerang, but, skymaster is an great choice ( bvm is a dealer of skymaster ).
We had chineses few years ago. now, never more !!
jose
04-11-2013, 05:00 PM
#23
RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
Yes, I recall. I thought it was a great idea, and it is a shame that there is not a way to make this happen.
Oh wait, there is a way: we'd ALL have to boycott until we get results. But what are the odds of THAT happening?
Sure makes spending more for BVM, or CARF, look pretty wise. As has been mentioned, I too wish they made more scale jets.
Sluggo
Oh wait, there is a way: we'd ALL have to boycott until we get results. But what are the odds of THAT happening?
Sure makes spending more for BVM, or CARF, look pretty wise. As has been mentioned, I too wish they made more scale jets.
Sluggo
ORIGINAL: YellowAircraft
Hi,
I once proposed an idea about demanding that construction photos of the critical interior (yet invisible) parts be included with each ARF, but it didn't seem to get any traction (to be polite). Imagine if when they were gluing that part in, they knew they had to somehow photo-document the work and provide it to the buyer in advance. It wouldn't solve EVERY problem, but it might have gotten some glue onto the 90 degree joint where the bulkhead meets that plywood on the side.
Hi,
I once proposed an idea about demanding that construction photos of the critical interior (yet invisible) parts be included with each ARF, but it didn't seem to get any traction (to be polite). Imagine if when they were gluing that part in, they knew they had to somehow photo-document the work and provide it to the buyer in advance. It wouldn't solve EVERY problem, but it might have gotten some glue onto the 90 degree joint where the bulkhead meets that plywood on the side.
04-11-2013, 05:00 PM
#24
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
I purchased an ARF ME 109F from Nitro Planes and I believe this plane is made in China. It came out a little heavy and I retired it after two flights. Not due to the weight but the fuselage started to buckle. I traced this back to the epoxy resin they used in the lay-up process. I was told by a fiberglass boat manufacture that this type of epoxy when exposed to high temperature will soften. Living and flying in the high desert of California is a disaster waiting to happen for this airframe.
04-11-2013, 05:02 PM
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RE: Trust, but verify, Chinese Manufactured ARF's.
Everyone who buys this crap, thinks their jet is the one that will defy all logic, until, CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!