ASM C-130
 

Anyone have any experience with this new ARF? Advanced Scale Models Coast Guard C-130 100". I'm liking it, but would like to hear if anyone has seen, assembled, or flown this kit yet.

RE: ASM C-130
 

I recently ordered one through my local hobby store. It arrived last week and I was very lucky I am a good customer and they didn't make me pay for it.

It is a very average quality ARF, and for the size seems very flimsy and wouldn't last long. The overall finish is poor, as the fuselage has about 50 seem lines. (The fuselage is made of lots of individual parts instead on a two piece mould.)

Even the staff at the hobby store advised me not to buy it.

on a scale of 1 to 10.... 4

RE: ASM C-130
 

Humm, great post, would like to see some pics, now I'm very glad I decided to Kit build the Palmer C-130 after reading your post.

Troy

RE: ASM C-130
 

I will procede with my Quality fiberglass. It is Nice, But a lot of work still to be done.

RE: ASM C-130
 

Poop, had the dough too..... [:o]


Thanks for the heads up though.

RE: ASM C-130
 

Seam lines, as opposed to panel lines?

RE: ASM C-130
 

gee, I wonder how their P-61 looks like?..anybody seen that one?...My LHS has one on order..been BO for about a month .....

RE: ASM C-130
 

I have the ASM PItts..a beautiful plane and very excited about it..not a panel line or seam to be seen.

RE: ASM C-130
 

Wow… is it really that bad? I have one on order—suppose to arrive by 15 Jan. I try not to take the word of folks I don’t know or never have seen, but your words are frightening. So again, is it really that bad?

Thanks in advance…

Mr DJ

RE: ASM C-130
 

I have the ASM DH88 Comet and when I read the post [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4182560/anchors_4182560/mpage_1/key_dh88/anchor/tm.htm#4182560]about it here[/link] I was just nodding my head in agreement with all of Terough Bobs comments. All of the wood-constructed parts are great it is the fuse that is really poor in quality. The plywood formers with carbon fiber rods for stringers to povide a basic support structure for the plastic fuselage shell is an intersting method of construction. I'm a bit concernted that the YS 63s will rattle this thing apart. It would be much better suited for electric but I haven't gone electric and have been wanting this plane for a while.

This is not meant to bash the ARF, but is what I feel, an honest assessment of the quality and issues with this particular model by ASM. That is not to say all of them are like this but all of the posts on this particular model have similar issues.

In the eight years I have been flying I have built more planes from plans and kits than I have assembled ARFs. This ARF is the poorest quality I have experienced.

That is my 2% of a dollar.

RE: ASM C-130
 

Part II--have you built and flown yours yet? What engines did you use? How does it handle, etc., etc?

Thanks again...

Mr DJ

RE: ASM C-130
 

Hi

So now that you've read a few negative words on this bad boy--are you going to buy it?

I have time to cancel mine, but again, I really don't take the word of someone I don't know or have never seen.

Anyways, I'll play it by ear...

Mr DJ

RE: ASM C-130
 

no, not yet. I'll wait till more folks have actually bought, assembled, and flown this bad boy. I might even see one at a flyin or two next season.

Maybe next year. I'll use the money I saved for retracts on this years project.....

RE: ASM C-130
 

I thought it over last night and decided to take receipt of it regardless. If I need to strengthen the fuse, I’ll just lay some fiberglass along the insides and/or build up with wood or whatever. I fell in love with that bad boy as soon as I saw it advertised. I just gotta have it :)

I’ll give a report back here once I get it home and give it a detailed once over—I should have it by mid Jan 07.

Mr DJ

RE: ASM C-130
 

I was able to see it up close and personal today. Those "seam lines" ProScaleRC mentioned are actually panel lines. As I had thought they might be.

RE: ASM C-130
 

Kmot

Photos are great. Did you by any chance find out what engines were in this Bad Boy? I really want to put OS .40s 4-cyl in mine.

Thanks...

Mr DJ

RE: ASM C-130
 

No I didn't. But I think this was only a display version and did not actually have an motors in it.

RE: ASM C-130
 

What are the Pro's and Con's of running a couple of .40 on the inboard and a couple of .36.s on the Outboard Necells?

RE: ASM C-130
 

While at the AMA show last weekend there was one on display in the Hobby People booth. The rep stated the fuselage was blow molded PVC and not fiberglass. That usually results in a much thinner and weaker fuse! You could see the quality was ..........well........lacking[:'(] Great looking from a couple of feet anyway!



Dan

RE: ASM C-130
 

Dan

Would you buy one???

Mr DJ

RE: ASM C-130
 

Still waiting for its arrival...

RE: ASM C-130
 

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of the comments, good and bad about the C-130 and the pictures. I currently have one on back order and I really want to get one, but now I don't know. I had planned on using 4 x .32 GMS engines. But now I might cancel this order and try for the ASM P-61, but that is back orderd too! As anyone flown either of these planes yet?

RE: ASM C-130
 

It is dismayal that ASM choose to use plastic as opposed to FG on this bird. For this size, FG really a must as vibration from the engines will weaken the bond between balsa and plastic. Also it is very difficult to repair over flimsy soft plastic. I 'll pass over this one. DP

RE: ASM C-130
 

The guys in brown driving a brown truck delivered mine today. It came in one VERY big box, inside another big box----15" square by 70" long. The packing was excellent----no damage. It has a two piece wing---each half is 44"long, total wing span is a little over 99". The wings, stabilizer and fin, are balsa ply construction, totally sheeted in balsa and covered in film. The quality is pretty darn good with "NO" wrinkles. The wing is a high aspect ratio wing, with only a 13" cord at the root. The fuselage is blow molded PVC plastic over a balsa-plywood framework. It is pretty thin material which will not take much abuse and may be VERY hard to repair if damaged. It has kind of a dull finish and does not look too good up close, but looks great from a few feet away. I plan to install four GMS 32 two stroke engines. I am presently flying a Nitro models Transall C-160 with two Magnum 25 two strokes for power and that is more than adequate to fly it. Most of the time I am at 2/3 throttle or less, so I believe the GMS 32's will be a good match for the Hercules. The total weight appears to be very good and should result is fairly favorable wing loading with the GMS engines.

RE: ASM C-130
 

I just received my ASM C-130 the other day also. Big airplane!. You are correct about the plastic body though. Very thin, easy to break and maybe hard to repair. I don't care for the big seam that runs along the top of the body from nose to tail. I may have to cover that with white trim tape! I also have 4 x .GMS .32 engines which should fly it around prety good. I also bought the retracts, Hobbypeople sold the two together for $50.00 cheaper than buying each one seperatly.