AFAIK, the Funtana 90 wing is covered in genuine UltraCote. I KNOW the big Edge and the ShowTime 90 are covered in genuine UltraCote.

The covering is not the problem. Lack of adequate glue and/or poor fitting parts (ribs & spars) has been the main culprit. On the big Edge, a buddy's pulled the entire motor box out of the plane in straight and level flight; the cowl, engine, and tank simply dropped off the airframe. It was the oddest model airplane failure I'd ever seen. Took some "coaxing" and a half-dozen phone calls to get THAT one taken care of, too.

If we look at this objectively, we should know that, given the very high volume of these things that Horizon brings in, and the fact that it would be impractical for Horizon to detail-inspect every kit, a few "bad" ones are going to get into the consumer's hands. Doo-doo occurs.

What I have an issue with is the sometimes-recalcitrant attitude of Horizon's customer service. At times, they cheerfully take care of the problem without a whimper. Others, its like pulling teeth to get them to even acknowledge their culpability. Nowadays, I prefer to buy from dealers like WildHare. He's basically a one-man show, and he DOES personally inspect every imported kit. Yes, I pay a little more. But if there is a problem, he will handle it; period.

We are our own worst enemy here. Our incessant demand for the "best price" has driven these big firms to cut corners wherever they can. I recall the "modeler" at my field who expressed amazement and dismay that I paid over $300 for a certain Goldberg ARF; he had a similar model that he paid $179 for. He conveniently overlooked the shoddy construction (lots of white glue, ill-fitting parts, bamboo parts) and pathetic covering his model had. "Sure flies good; as good as yours!"

You bet, pal. Enjoy...

Anyway, I too would like to see some pix of this failure. Come to think of it, I've still got pics of that big Edge somewhere. Talk about a bizarre deal...

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