Dear Alfonso,

I am very sorry to hear about your loss. It is always very sad to lose a good model.

As I mentioned earlier, TS Oxalys were probably the most popular F3A model in the UK during the 2007 season. All of the models flew very well and were highly competitive. In general, the quality of the composite work was very good and I am not aware of any structural failures. I think therefore that you have been very unfortunate. Indeed, with the exception of the U/C legs (see below), the “UK” models have proven to be extremely robust and, barring accidents, should last for a very long time. With YS160 Dingos, most of the models weighed around 4.85 to 4.9 kg. This was slightly heavier than the TS advertised weight of 4.7 kg but still comfortably within the 5 kg FIA limit.

The main “teething problems” that I referred to were:

## Wing Incidence – it was necessary to fit 3 mm packing under the leading edge of the wing to correct an error in the fuselage moulding

## Tail planes – there was a gap of around 3 mms between the leading edge of each tailplane half and the fuselage sides

## Undercarriage legs – the long electric size U/C legs started to delaminate after around 50 flights from a grass field

## Tailplane incidence adjusters – the grub screws came loose in the alloy blocks due to vibration. Nylon blocks (as per Gator) would have been better.

## Steel wing mounting bolts – also unscrewed due to vibration. Nylon bolts would have been a better choice.

Although these problems were frustrating, they were all fairly easy for the customer to correct. Some of the problems should also be straightforward to put right at source. Others (incorrect wing incidence and poor tailplane fit) would require modification to the composite moulds, and I accept that this could have a significant effect on profit margins on a relatively low volume product.

In reality, unless a customer is willing to pay a very high price, it is extremely difficult to produce a 2 metre F3A model that is totally fault free. This is especially true of composite models because of the complex manufacturing processes involved. For this reason, I would not wish to damage TS’s reputation. TS has produced a good product that is very close to being excellent. However TS has also been aware of the teething problems for a very considerable time and has vowed to put them right. With the 2007/8 building season upon us, TS now owes it to its customers (and agents!) to make a clear statement about if and when the necessary improvements will be introduced. Should TS decide to postpone the improvements on cost or other grounds, potential customers would then be able to decide whether to live with the known problems or to take a risk with a different set of problems in another product!

Good F3A manufacturers are few and far between. TS Composite has the potential to be excellent. I for one wish them well and hope that their balance sheet gives them the necessary leeway to turn a good product into a great one.

I look forward to another message from them soon!

Bob