Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I had the same issue on my last warbird when I went thru my LHS. He was told that he would need to order 2 of the big arf's to get free shipping.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

The Hobby SHop that I support in Allentown Pa told me about a year ago that the big distributors are keeping the distributor allowance so the hobby shop not getting the deals , just like Hobby People on the west coast they dont pass the deal on to other stores .
My guy could buy Black Horse models from them and get the deal , now --no more deal .
I get to travel the entire USA including Phonix, I tell shops all the time the only winning formula I see for staying alive is :
1)Buy some goods from USA distribitoirs
2)Buy others from China like Hobby King , and other like hobby king because they can resell cheaper then buying thru GreatPlanes .
3) Keep your store stocked with A+ quality planes and items of interest that are used and you sell on consignment !! why ?? Because a store that is empty has no eye candy will die and inventory that does not sell can kill a store .
So the formula is --New + A+ used on consignment with the dollars from consigment sale going to order or pay for new goods that must go thru the store.
Besides being a consumer product consultant , my hobby is RC , so my advice to these guys is free and its based on seeing the best shopes in the USA that have incredible traffic . NOw remember nobody can fix a shop if the owner is a real jack--a , but for the most part many of those guys disappeared with the invention of yelp , online reviews has also killed many shopes

Len Todd

All the manufactures charge a shipping fee for planes. Somebody downstream is going to pay it. Can't imagine a LHS or buyer that is not aware of this.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

ok perhaps your correct but how many websites are offering free shipping for spending over a certain Dollar amount , some even at $100 !
I know for a fact that the margin on these planes is tight but even splitting the shipping with the shop would be reasonabe .
Otherwise the shop should source products from China direct with companies that will allow combined shippments and bypass the USA distributor 100% .
In reality all GP, Hobby Lobby and Hobby People are is huge importers that re-brand and or R&D a concept with a factory overseas.
Its all low cost and in some cases like HobbyLobby ( or what ever they callthemselves these days) HL has now been undercut by many companies importing the very same goods at a lower cost .

Len Todd

Bottom Line: If you want a LHS around, we all have to support him. Sometimes that may even cost us a bit extra. But in the long run, a partnership with the LHS better promotes our hobby and often provides other not so obvious benefits.

Westwindpilot86

Hey guys, it seems tower is sold out of the jtec dle55ra muffler for a little while and was wondering if anyone else has used a different muffler like the bennet muffler or the bisson. Thanks

Westwindpilot86

Hey guys, is this the muffler for this plane and a dle55ra?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jtec-Incowl-...item58bdcd586c

Len Todd

Did you try Chief Aircraft?

Westwindpilot86

Len, I did. They didn't have it for the 55ra. I found it at jtecs website.

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

There are two guys in my club using the Bennett and it works well.One is the TF P40

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Check Hobbyking. They've got one for under $40. The stacks are raked back a bit so you might need to add extensions.

For the doubters, I have used one for 2 seasons without failure.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Check Hobbyking. They've got one for under $40. The stacks are raked back a bit so you might need to add extensions.

For the doubters, I have used one for 2 seasons without failure.

flypilot

Hi All, just wanted to revive this thread again and show of my Top Flite P-40 that I got used.

It has a DLE-55RA with custom Toni clark muffler.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Very nice! Enjoy the plane!

flypilot

Thanks Lifer, I will be out flying it again tomorrow..

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I don't have any pictures to offer, but both of mine have Dave Brown 3-blade spinners. For props, I'd recommend either a Xoar 20x10x3, or a Mezlik 20x12x3 carbon fiber. About the same speed, but the 12" pitch version is quieter.

There are a lot of great videos of this plane on YouTube. One of the first I watched was from a guy named Affas. He has a lot of other great videos as well.

Sonofasailor

Nice landing and beautiful flying site.

flypilot

Yepp, a three blade prop and spinner is the next uppgrade coming, just need to gather some stuff for my next plane first, that will also be a top flite modell, great value and airplanes that fly awesome..

Len Todd

Well, ... mine is going into a celebration fire tonight. Not blaming the the builder nor the pilot who sold it to me. Just a series of manufacturing problems from the planes tendency to tip stall, to the machining debris in the retracts, to the constant air leaks, to the cracked fuel tank. I spent more time fixing this plane that it would have taken to build a new one. And the one piece wing outright sucks! Enough said. Its going to be a celebratory fire tonight!

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Sounds like the majority of problems were related to the gear.

DUCATIKID

Gee, sounds like a bad run! I would have to say that mine is incredibly forgiving at slow speed (for a warbird) the Robart retracts in mine have been faultless. I would be very cautious buying a used rc plane, how do you know it has been put together properly.

elmshoot

My Feedback: (6)

Mine tip stalled in on a Deadstick. Pilot error! I misjudged the speed plane and simple. I never flew it enough to comment about low speed since I crashed on my second flight but found the slow speed handling from the first flight unsurprising.
Sparky

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

After working out the bugs(detailed in this thread) mine flew well. I'm now working on my Zero bugs.The all have a learning curve.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Well stated. Once I get one "dialed in" as I like to call it, it becomes a regular flyer. All of my .60-size and Giant Scale series Top Flite warbirds are keepers. I like their products!

Westwindpilot86

Hey guys, after about 50 flights on the P-40 I will be selling off parts from it. The engine is already sold and shipped. But I have the robart electric retracts for sale.

Basically after 50 flights the whole firewall decided to come off. So I am done with arfs for awhile. I balance my props, the spinner and it was as smooth as any other DLE 55ra could be. So, I have bought a few kits to start building. But anyway, I will be selling my retracts soon on the buy and sell page soon. Unless someone on here wants them first.

So I am selling my mains and tailwheel as a combo or seperate.

Here are the retracts.

http://robart.com/collections/gear-f...racts-electric

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCKGH&P=M

The tail wheel retract is technically not the correct one for the P-40 but it works perfect.

So I will let this sit here for a day or so before I list them. But I am looking for $450 for the set.

The mains and tail have extensions on them. But they are my own extensions.

Thanks

Email me at [email protected] if your interested. I have great feedback on runryder.com under westwindpilot

Thanks

Steven