Thank you for operating the shop in that manner. I wish that everyone did. When they (H-9) announced the Hellcat, I questioned the marginal firewall, and was immediately jumped on by the loyal Hangar 9 group. I suspected that the model would have the same issues as did the Corsair, and the 60 size P-47. It would appear that it does.

I have only owned one ARF airplane, and that was the 60 size P-47. I completed it (it took far too long to correct the inadequacies) and flew it to trim it out. It was a well flying airplane, and I immediately sold it as a complete ready-to-fly model with radio and engine. I will not buy another ARF. I enjoy building from kits, and from plans as well as from scratch (draw my own plans). I do frequent the ARF forum in order to see what is coming down the pike, and to lend assistance and offer help to those who do not have enough experience to know what to do to correct a problem. I am not anti ARF, I just don't enjoy owning something that someone else built.

As a side note, the H-9 ARF's are not the only models to have firewalls that are too thin. Several well-known kits also reccomend and include firewalls that are marginal. In that case, it is very easy to manafacture a firewall that is thicker while building the model. It is always easier to do something right the first time , rather than having to go back and rebuild someone elses screw-ups.

The argument that you should expect to have to do some work to fix the problems with an ARF does not wash. We (the people who build and fly them) should demand better treatment. These business' listen with the bottom line. While I am not advocating going to war with any ARF distributor, I think that the problems with these models are widely known, and just ignored. What to do? Obviously, griping in this forum is not doing any good. Short of a general Boycott of the products involved, I don't have any idea what would work. You guys need to demand something better than what you are getting. Just my thoughts on this.

Bill, AMA 4720