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An apology to Hobbico. - 5/19/2011 4:38 PM   
EscapeFlyer



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Status: online 		Here is the deal...

I have ranted publicly in the past against Hobbico because of the shrinking kit collection and the direction into electrics retail seems to have taken. I think I may have publicly defamed them in the mannor in which I shared my frustration. So I wish to offer a public apology.

I think I have been foolish. The truth is, the economy indeed drives decision making, and they have not taken everything away from the builder. In fact, they still offer plans to long discontinued kits. The burdon of making proper templates for missing templates falls on the modeler. I am starting to see this as more of a positive challenge than a negative draw back. The same goes for ABS parts and canopies. What makes me smarter can only make me stronger.

I have come to the conclusion that I can take personal responsibility for my own modeling preferences without forcing them on an entire industry. I'm kinda' embarrased that I think I could accomplish that to begin with.

I have seen Tower offer me many ways to save money on needed equipment and they have ALWAYS been kind and helpful on the phone.

Hobbico, my hope is that you would accept my apology. It is sincere.

Thank you for doing what you can to keep me in my preferential part of this hobby.

Brian Lundberg

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/19/2011 4:46 PM   
GAP-RCU


 

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/19/2011 4:51 PM   
EscapeFlyer



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quote:

Letter from a lawyer just arrived?
LOL!!!

No, just the guilts when I realized my immaturity and inconsistancy in my own ethics.

Brian

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/19/2011 4:58 PM   
Free Bird


 

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/19/2011 5:01 PM   
GAP-RCU


 

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Status: offline 		Well good for you, then! I too look forward to revisiting many old kits & plans, and recreating them during my latter years. It is liberating when one finally realizes that, with the right tools and a bit of documentation, they can create & build whatever they want, irrespective of what's happening in the market.

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/19/2011 10:08 PM   
jship


 

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Tower (Hobbico) have been very good for the market and for the modeler, here is wishing them continued success.
john



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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 1:55 AM   
noveldoc


 

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Just a thought.

Tom

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 1:26 PM   
Avaiojet


 

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Status: offline 		Could someone please list the "kits" that are no longer available, from Hobbico.

I always thought Hobbico was a retailer of only ARF's ?

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 3:43 PM  1 votes
scigs30


 

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Status: offline 		Hobbico owns most of the companies you see listed on Towerhobbies, since Hobbico owns Towerhobbies. Hobbico has done a good job of buying out companies that are not moving forward and Hobbico has the money to move these companies in the right direction. For example, Estes Rockets was a big company back in the day designing awesome rockets and always coming up with new ideas. Just like most hobbies over the years people stopped building and wanted instant gratifications so Estes begin selling RTF rockets and the kits went by the side. Hmmm sounds familiar. Anyway a lot of us complained but nothing happened, most rocket builders gave up on Estes other than purchasing their rocket engines. Then Hobbico bought them out and Estes began to listen to a group of its loyal hobbyist and now they are producing new kits all the time. They were able to do this because of the backing of Hobbico, and from what I understand sales are pretty good over there. Hobbico owns Towerhobbies, Topflite, Great Planes and basically Dynaflite and Goldberg. There were many kits put out by those companies over the years that are no longer in production because of poor sales from most people buying ARF kits. Great Planes just released the Slowpoke kit again, so releasing old kits can be done it just requires the hobbiest to request more and more kits from Hobbico. I still think Hobbico could make money from offering us short kits of D/C planes and current ARF's, but it requires enough of us to want it. So please fill out the suggestion form on the above manufacturers website so Hobbico understands there are still kit builders out there.

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 4:04 PM   
wattmeter



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It takes a big person to see his mistakes and than does somethink about it, I pat you on your back for your actions.
wattmeter

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 4:24 PM   
Avaiojet


 

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Status: offline 		I think Hobbico knows exactly what they are doing.

How do you spell "monoply?"

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 4:44 PM   
EscapeFlyer



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quote:

How do you spell "monoply?"


monopoly



I hear your frustration. I would ask you this question though:

If you owned a business, would you hold and continue to spend money producing a product that sits on a shelf for years and never moves? Honestly?

I think we don't look at things in black and white as a consumer, but rather emotionaly. Truthfully, I have been lackadasical through-out the 90's because, you have to admit, arfs made life easier. It wasn't untill I started to see what MY desicions did to the market that I got emotional over it. In a sence, this is my own fault- taking personal responsibility for my own actions. The fact most everyone else did the same is proof the populous went the same direction.

If people do not buy a product, why would you, as a mfg, make it. Doing so would be both moraly and ethicaly irresponsible. And now I am blaming them for giving me what I wanted to begin with? This is not the manufacturers fault. Morally, I cannot continue to cause them this harm.

Because of this, I really appreciate what scigs30 wrote. We may not get everything we want, but having access to plans and instruction manuals goes a long way to get us there. I am greatful to Hobbico, RCM, MAN, etc. for this.


Very nice post scigs30. Thank you for your contribution.

If Hobbico sees the potential behind a product, they indeed do, and have, acted in the past.

Brian

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 4:49 PM   
EscapeFlyer



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quote:

ORIGINAL: scigs30

Hobbico owns most of the companies you see listed on Towerhobbies, since Hobbico owns Towerhobbies. Hobbico has done a good job of buying out companies that are not moving forward and Hobbico has the money to move these companies in the right direction. For example, Estes Rockets was a big company back in the day designing awesome rockets and always coming up with new ideas. Just like most hobbies over the years people stopped building and wanted instant gratifications so Estes begin selling RTF rockets and the kits went by the side. Hmmm sounds familiar. Anyway a lot of us complained but nothing happened, most rocket builders gave up on Estes other than purchasing their rocket engines. Then Hobbico bought them out and Estes began to listen to a group of its loyal hobbyist and now they are producing new kits all the time. They were able to do this because of the backing of Hobbico, and from what I understand sales are pretty good over there. Hobbico owns Towerhobbies, Topflite, Great Planes and basically Dynaflite and Goldberg. There were many kits put out by those companies over the years that are no longer in production because of poor sales from most people buying ARF kits. Great Planes just released the Slowpoke kit again, so releasing old kits can be done it just requires the hobbiest to request more and more kits from Hobbico. I still think Hobbico could make money from offering us short kits of D/C planes and current ARF's, but it requires enough of us to want it. So please fill out the suggestion form on the above manufacturers website so Hobbico understands there are still kit builders out there.



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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 5:24 PM   
scigs30


 

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Status: offline 		See Bottom of List
http://www.top-flite.com/manuals/index.html
http://www.dynaflite.com/manuals/index.html
http://www.greatplanes.com/manuals/discontinued.html
See Bottom of List
http://www.carlgoldbergproducts.com/discontinued/index.html
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/pdf/index.html
http://www.hobbico.com/manuals/

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/20/2011 6:41 PM   
raptureboy


 

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/29/2011 4:41 PM   
chashint


 

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Status: offline 		Its been a long time since I have looked at RCU and the kit build forum is still pretty much the same as it was months ago.
I know there are kits that get built with no mention here at all but the lack of new builds being discussed is a pretty good indicator of the interest level.
Business has to make money, so if the market was demanding kits they would be available.
I have a few kits in the closet and they may or may not ever be built.
Most of them are insurance kits so if one of my planes dies I can replace it.
Three years ago I was building a FunAero 60 size SE5, sorta lost interest, had shoulder surgery, kit bashed an Uproar 60 kit because it was fast and I have not touched the building board for close to a year.
My OCD ebbs and flows from one thing to the next, maybe I will get the fire and finishe the SE5 this year, maybe not.
Things change, sometimes I like the changes sometimes I don't.
Kits may make a comeback sometime in the future, but chances are they won't.
If a person wants to build they are probably going to have to scratch build.

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/29/2011 4:49 PM   
Avaiojet


 

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quote:

If a person wants to build they are probably going to have to scratch build.


Charlie,

Nothing wrong with scratch building.

It does elevate and separate.

Not that that's important.

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/29/2011 6:05 PM   
EscapeFlyer



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Status: online 		There are great builders out there that build for reasonable prices. If a person with OCD, such as myself, can't find it in him to start or finish a project, there are people out there that can. No reason to not purchase a kit....

Brian

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/29/2011 6:21 PM   
Avaiojet


 

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Status: offline 		What is OCD?

I have AADD, which is why I bounce around from model to model, never finishing anything.

The Srearman was started over 30 years ago. The Gee Bee Z in the late 80's.

Somebody help me!


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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/29/2011 6:45 PM   
EscapeFlyer



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quote:

What is OCD?


Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...

I will obsess over an airplane, start to build it, and another will grab my attention. I slowly lose interest in building the 1st airplane as I obsess over the new one and then purchase one ot two others in the process (compulsively). Sometimes I never complete a project (not that I don't want the airplane) as I obsess over the next. My Pica Waco was sacrificed to my OCD. I wish I would have built it... My TF P-51B was a casualty as well. They are simply collecting dust under my build table hoping to be built soon. Now I am struggling to finish my Super Kaos as I obsess over a TF Contender- of all things.

Another problem from my OCD is; if I build something I am not happy with, or isn't just perfect, I will lose interest in the entire airplane, casting it aside completely.

I am trying to maintain focus on my plans built RCM Super Kaos.

OCD is expensive.

Brian

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/29/2011 6:57 PM   
Zor



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quote:

ORIGINAL: Avaiojet

What is OCD?

I have AADD, which is why I bounce around from model to model, never finishing anything.

The Srearman was started over 30 years ago. The Gee Bee Z in the late 80's.

Somebody help me!



Avalojet,

Building model aircrafts as a hobby is exactly that _ _ _ a hobby to do what we enjoy doing.

We are entirely free to do as we please and you obviously enjoy it having been in the hobby for that long time.

If you are not finishing your models it is certainnly not a lack of qualifications as seen in the pictures.

When you write " Somebody help me? " _ _ _ I would gladly help if you were close enough to me.

Continue enjoying what you are doing. It looks very nice.

Zor


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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/31/2011 12:43 AM   
chashint


 

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ORIGINAL: Avaiojet
Somebody help me!

If I ever drive to Florida I will swing by and haul off all those old airplanes for you, heck I won't even charge you anything

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Charlie

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/31/2011 3:53 AM   
jship


 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Avaiojet

What is OCD?

I have AADD, which is why I bounce around from model to model, never finishing anything.

The Srearman was started over 30 years ago. The Gee Bee Z in the late 80's.

Somebody help me!




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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/31/2011 4:31 AM   
EscapeFlyer



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Status: online 		...here's to hoping Hobbico accepts my apology.

Brian

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RE: An apology to Hobbico. - 5/31/2011 4:42 AM   
Kmot



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Status: offline 		Nice shop Charles! When I was a kid, that would have been like walking into Nirvana!

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