BUILD PICTURES !!

I wonder how hard or easy its going to be to get replacement parts like an extra wing or even a fuselage. I'm new to 3-D and replacement parts are a must for me.

at that price you can just get 2 ARF and use the other one for spares .

Good point! I just wish I would have thought about that.[sm=49_49.gif]

I don't think you're gonna get much more info from this guy. There's another thread started by a new member to RCU praising the YAK/26 combo. Talks about how great it is and bashes a few other mfgs then splits.

Real creative marketing...

Here's the link:


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4641576/tm.htm

Even uses the same pics from Peaks website.

lol, and they think we're that easily duped. I think the stuff looks pretty good though. However, I think they probably "took" Maxair's Velox Revolution II and sell it for cheaper. So the planes, IMHO should be good, but how they go about getting it....??

BCMA Engines sells the SPE 26 you can see the specs there. www.bcmaengines.com
I have the 40, and it's a beast. Almost 21# on a Xoar 21X8.

Bob

Fentonflyer. I hope you don`t mean me when writing: I don't think you're gonna get much more info from this guy..... I live in Norway and sure ain`t on peakmodels pay list. I really don`t understand why you all are so sceptical. I`m going to use my mvvs 26(don`t you think I would use the spe if I was employed by peakmodel???) Isn`t most of the planes we buy made in the far east somewhere anyway, why should this be of any less quality? I wonder if New Sealand is some sort of tax paradise because of the low prices. I didn`t even have to pay tax when my shipment arrived here in Norway, usually I must pay 25% tax of the value. Well, well do as you all like, I know where I will place my next plane, engine, etc... order. I will try to post some pictures as I have mentioned. A friend of mine have his plane and the spe engine on its way and he owns a digi camera so eventually we will try to post pictures if we can figure out how to make it work.

He meant the starter of the thread.

I'm definitely looking forward to your build

I'm with you asmund. It appears what we have here is a startup company, obviously not much money for an advertisement blitz and just flat out can't pay some big name to endorse their product. Big name endorsments don't mean squat. There are lots of POS offerings out there with big names plastered all over them.

If PEAK is offering these combos at rock bottom prices to get there foot in the door of the modelling market, well, I'm all for it. Please let us know what you think and post some pics if you can. I've already gave a heads up to some fellow modellers that are looking to get into gas and this looks viable. Thanks, Joe

Asmund, my last post was not directed at you so please don't take offense to it and I look forward to your honest report about this combo.

AcroJoe, you just don't get it.[:@]
A company comes along who is importing some planes and engines, then starts threads about how great they are. I'm as big a cheapskate as anyone and love to take advantage of our free trade agreements, but I also like to here actual reports from actual users of the products.

Well now, thats what we are all waiting for isn't it? Doesn't matter to me how they market it as long as it gets there. If its a decent product along with the stated price then how they do it is up to them. Joe

NZ isn't a tax paradise, I know because I live here and the local tax regimes and those who enforce them are as draconian as anywhere else in the world :-)

Despite what their website might suggest, Peak Model appears almost certainly to be Chinese-based, perhaps with someone in NZ as an agent or principle of the company.

Goods are sent direct from China (not NZ), hence the lower prices.

You may not have been charged import taxes because it's been my experience that such companies often fill in the customs declaration form with "Gift" and allege that the item has little/no value. That'll work fine a lot of the time -- but if your customs people actually open the package and discover it is not a cheap gift, they can (in many countries) hit you with some very significant charges, based on their own estimation of the value.

I always encourage those shipping products to me to use a realistic declaration and back it up with a copy of the invoice in the box whenever possible.

For what it's worth, I ordered some stuff from Peak a couple of weeks ago and got advised that, due to an error on their website, they couldn't supply for two weeks. To their credit, they did offer to refund my PayPal payment or offer me a spare LiPo for my inconvenience -- I opted for the latter.

I'm reseving judgement until my stuff arrives.

Regarding their pricing -- I think few people actually appreciate just how cheap the Chinese are selling some of this stuff for.

Take the Katana 70 V2 being sold in the USA for US$199. I just got one of these direct from the factory and, including couriered delivery from China to NZ, it cost me just a fraction of that price. I expect the price ex-factory is probably around US$50 or so.

Likewise, a Chinese-made engine that sells for almost US$400 in US shops actually costs little more than US$100 at the factory door.

I think we'll see a growing number of these "direct from the factory" sales in future as the Chinese manufacturers wake up to the fact that they can boost sales by allowing a number of "agents" to market their wares and ship direct. This is great for the astute buyer but I suspect that there will still be quite a few people who get caught out by misleading descriptions and dubious quality (with a total absense of local warranty support).

As I said, I'll reserve my judgement on Peak Model until I've got my order -- but I'm not quite so impressed at what appears to be a concerted "informal advertising" campaign being conducted through these forums.

No offense Fentonflyer I must say that I`m with Acrojo here. To me it doesn`t matter how they market themselves. In fact I wouldn`t have heard about them was it not for the start of this thread, so I`m glad they did(if they did, that is) Magnum engines is well known by us that also fly glow and here in Norway they sell in great volumes because they are half the cost of comparable os engines and just as good. Well bottom line is that peak offer the same engines(they call them Sanye) at half of that price again so why should I bother if they use a sneaky marketing tactic. I don`t as long as I get good products at half the cost of competing sites. Besides most of the stuff on their site is well know quality products like all their glow engines and most all of the glow planes are the same as other well known big name companies offer at double or triple cost. The only planes on their site I have never seen before are those 26cc gas planes, but then again I`m new to gas planes, this is my first one so I`m propably even more exited about this than the rest of you combined. If I should mention one negative thing about the plane it must be that it is built very, very light and there seems to be little or no wood for me to attach the tunedpipe to, maybe I`ll get the pittsmuffler for the mvvs( but then again this is a 3-d plane so it must be as light as can be, right?)

Asmund and Acrojoe,

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on the subject .

Asmund,
I'm putting an MVVS 1.6 gas on a CMPro Giles 202 as we speak. I ran it on my test stand and got 8650 rpm on the tuned pipe with an 18x6 Menz. I ordered an APC 17x8N to try on the Giles since it's more pattern than 3D. What props do you normally run on yours MVVS?.

My engine is brand new, have only ran it on a stand to get to know it a little(first gasser for me) I was almost buying that cmpro giles 202 myself. but went for a cheaper plane like the harrier 90, but then I changed my mind and will put my ys 110 on that one, so that`s why I got the edge 540 26cc as I thought it would be more suitable for my mvvs 26. I have only tached it on the menz s 18-6 wood and got 8600. After some research I found that this is normal rpm on that prop when piped. I will also try the menz s 18-8 when I get a hold of some. I also got some props with my edge(don`t remember the name) from peak, they were 18-6 also, but seemed a little narrower than the menz. I suspect they will give higher numbers on my tach. I want to stay with wooden props as apc`s in this size will be quite heavy and not provide the quickes spool up( prolly doesn`t matter in that giles though)

I'd say keep the RPM up while breaking in the engine. Then load it up with a bigger prop once you've got a coupld of gallons through.

Hi everybody,

I bought the combo Edge 540 + SPE 26 from this guy, plus an Edge EP and a Prodigy.
All goods arrived in Italy in few days and in perfect shape.
I know him personally, as we meet when I was working in Guangzhou, and I can assure he's a reliable seller.
He's a real passioned modeller and he has a direct link with the factories, this is why he can give such a good prices.
I can't wait to be back home to start building the big Edge (I'm abroad again...[]) and test run the SPE.
As I'm a buyer for living, I'm always looking the best prices around the world...

Just a strictly personal comment.

Andrea

Anybody knows any other provider in the world for this edge than Peakmodel ( New Zealand). ?
I've compared this edge to the Wild Hare Edge 73" which has a similar size and this one weights around 11.7 lbs. with the mvvs 26 (more than one kilogram than the one from Peakmodel).
Incredible. What is made of to be so light ? and the video was made in an urban park ?

Gpar,

actually it's well engineered. I had in my hands a fuselage of the Maxair Velox Revolution (another plane well built and good flyer that I wanted to buy), even being shorter than the Edge one, is slightly heavier. The bottom of the fuse pratically don't exist. Just two balsa sticks running, covered in Oracover, but it's strong enough in torsion.
I think it's not a plane to rocket around in the sky (large flat tailplane and rudder could be prone to flutter), but for 3D and average flight speed should be a beast. On that weight and size you can accomodate a wide range of engines, 2T, 4T or small gassers.
I definetely like my Edge...
For Europe a friend of mine is going to start to distribute them, keeping unbeatable prices for this class (and quality) of models.

Bye.

Andrea

Some stuff I know and some stuff I think....

Engines:

Just cause the engine "says/is called" SPE does not mean it is the same engine when bought from BCMA, Brillelli, Peak Models, or other far east sellers. While the cylinder head and crankcase may be cast by the same manufacturer (ergo the SPE designation), that's about where the likeness ends. In addition to those two components (general purpose/utility 2-stroke gasoline engine), there are big differences in other components such as the carb, piston/rings, bearings and ignition etc.. Moreover, the person/team that assembles the engine, runs it and tunes it also factors in to the ease of starting and trouble or not one may have running the engine. There is a lot that can be done to these engines such as expanding the various transfer/exhuast ports and so on.

Some companies will use the same cylinder head, piston and crankshaft, but will machine/mill (CNC) the crankcase and other parts for better mounting, performance and to lighten the engine. When that is done the price goes up significantly. DA, BME, 3W and I think even Brillelli, Fox and others have milled crankcases and other parts on their engines. In the process they remove themselves further and further from the general purpose gasoline 2-strokes that the business may have started on to performance designed and built engines such as 3W, DA, RCS, BME and so on. But even those manufacturers will distinguish models made from more common or specialized parts and the time spent assembling and tuning eash specific engine. E.g. 3W has a performance line of engines.

I would venture to say however, that in the power range these 26cc SPE gassers operate, once they run well tehy probably have similar performance. But if someone knows better please correct me.

You will however, find that service and support varies greatly among these manufacturers. Some like BCMA and Brillelli will offer excellent service that goes above and beyond what you will get from big brand vendors such as Horizon (Evo engines) but that you still see with DA, BME and a few others.


Now on Manufacturers in China:

Stuff produced in China can be had really cheap. This is indeed a problem for many american and european manufacturers that take up manufacturing on contract in China (elsewhere too). What is not unusual is that the contract manufacturer begins to distribute the brand product through his own channels at significantly reduced rates. He may even introduce new models that the vendor e.g. BME, Hangar9, Accell Hobby/OMP have not designed, endoresed or have been made aware of.... Sometimes it's merely the covering that's different, but the underlying structure is the same as that designed by a well known designer e.g. Mike McConville, Quique etc.

It's almost impossible for the american/european brand to stop the "pirate" manufacturing. This is something that New Balance, the american running-shoe company, found out the hard way. There are now lots of fake New Balance products on the market (particularly outside the US where the company has less influence and legal reach) and they are no longer in the shoe business but in the sue business.

It's a tricky game for the larger, established-brand vendors (i.e., they are at risk of damage to their brand because of a rogue manufacturer). However, for the entrepreneur, small-shop, start-up hobby vendor it can lower the threshold for entry into the market - enter Peak Models and others. Peak Models may even be the storefront for the manufacturer that produces the Maxair Velox (pure speculation on my part of course). Being a "New Zealand" company may keep Maxxair unaware for a while....

For hobbyists it means access to more and cheaper product that sometimes can be as good (because it's actually the same) as brand products. Quique's aircraft are according to some sources also sold as China Models - I cannot verify the accuracy of this claim but if it is not true there are a dozen others that are.

Bottom line, there are more and cheaper products on the market. Quality varies so buyer beware or at least do your research - see if anyone else has started a build thread. We should however expect that for a time there will be even more and even cheaper models and that the larger models come down in price.

Cheers,

Stig

Btw guys, I too am interested in these models and packages. The price is certainly right and if the quality follows, these combo packages are excellent beginner entries into gassers, IMAC competition and 3D.

I agree with some posters here however, that fake build posts by the manufacturer is BS and should be discouraged. What they could very easily do is find a builder and give them the combo to start a build thread. That would cost them all of $200 or less for pretty decent marketing here on RCU, and we could expect about the same quality and honesty in the review that we can expect from Model Airplane News or RC Flyer... Are there any volunteers.....?

Does anyone else ever wonder why there are usually very few negative things the reviewer has to say about any model especially from H9, GP. Lanier etc in those magazine reviews? When the same models are discussed by some of the real pros here and other places you typically hear that they are heavy, made with hotglue or other things that you would expect from a general purpose hobby brand as opposed to a performance brand (Comp-ARF, QQ).

As an example, I was interested in the FuntanaX 100 right after it came out. I had read the review in MAN and was all excited about the plane. However, after looking at posts and discussions and then back to the datasheet for the product I found that it was pretty much the same thing as the Funtana 90 (check the wingspan, length, wing area, weights for both models to see for yourself - well the engine range has increased). The article in MAN discussed a new wing design for better 3D - how could it come out at exaclty the same wingspan and area then? Also, a better 3D wing is usually thicker and not as thin as this wing (same as F90). The F90 has its followers and those that tried but gave up. I do not believe it is a very good 3D plane compared with many of the other models and profiles out there and it is marketed to beginner 3D pilots too even though maybe the core market is intermediate to advanced pilots (except most advanced pilots move onto bigger gassers). I think this is another re-dressing of the same model with soem minor design chnges to minimize the old F90's bad habits (snap etc.).

What do others think?

Cheers,

Stig

P.S. Amund - faa tak i et digital kamera slik at vi kan faa se bilder!!! Ta video ogsaa naar du omsider faar'n i lufta.
Hei - Stig

Ok Guys in the Us, I got my edge in yesterday, looks good. I am going to do a flight report on it soon. But in the mean time I am setting up to be the USA dealer for the kits and will be teaming up with BCMA engine here in the US to offer the combo . If you are interested in one Please let me know as they will go fast once I have them in house.

Same price? Thanks, Joe