THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE FOUNF IN THIS ARF
1 THE FIREWALL IS GLUED IN VERY SLOOPY AND I DONT TRUST IT WITH AN .049
2 THE FIREWALL IS TOO THIN I WILL BE CUTING IT OUT AND REPLACEING IT WITH FULL 1/4 INCH PLYWOOD
3 THERE IS NO SUPORT FOR THE PUSH RODS IN THE AFT OF THE FUSE
4 THERE IS UNNEEDED GLUE EVERYWHERE ON THIS THING

I allready had a thread started about the quality of the H9 Hell Cat, and showed a few pictures.

There were numerous complaints about the weak firewall in H9 ARF's in the past three or four years, but H9 didn't seem to listen or care.

Seems they don't need to make any improvements to continue to sell the models. Everytime they announce a new one, and the problems from the previous models are brought up, the reply from the H-9 "loyal" is "They are ARFs, and you are expected to do a little "fix-up".
What incentive do they have to improve them, they sell all they can import.

How true.... Solution. Stop buying them. Funny how lack of sales will solve many issues. Every new ARF seems to have issues but there's a line to be the first to own one.

I can't wait to see the pictures of your modifcations after they are complete. By the way, have you checked the build over on RC Groups of the 1.5 size P-47? I wonder how many Top Flite Warbirds are ever finished in less than one year and actually brought to the flying field compared to H9 Warbirds?? And also how about a total kit budget that doesn't exceed the cost of the ARF model?
Jimnie1

Uh, Guys, I have mentioned this in the past. It's called H-9 Syndrome and I ask forgivness if I offend anyone. By the way, what ever happened to that company called "Underwriters Laboratories". You know, those people that test all kinds of stuff for saftey and durability ? I've yet to see or find one-JUST ONE- little sticker of theirs on any of this rc stuff. MM

HEY GUYS LET'S GET REAL. IF YOU BUILT THIS MODEL FROM A KIT THE COST WOULD EASILY DOUBLE, IT YOU DON'T COUNT THE COST OF YOUR TIME....

AS FOR THE FIREWALL, I WILL LAMINATE MINE WITH 1/8" AIRCRAFT PLYWOOD AND REPLACE ALL HOT GLUE WITH 30 MINUTE EPOXY AND TRIANGLE STOCK. THAT SHOULD DO IT.

UNDERWRITER'S LAB WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY AT MICROSOFT OR ANY NUMBER OF AMERICAN COMPANIES THAT KNOWINGLY PUT OUT PRODUCTS WITH KNOWN PROBLEMS.

I HAVE A WORLD MODELS CLIPPED WING CUB (I LUV THAT PLANE) WITH THE SAME PUSH ROD ARRANGEMENT AS THE HELL CAT AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS.

H9, GREAT PLANES, WORLD MODELS, YOU NAME THE COMPANY, THEY ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME. WITH AS MANY NEW FOLKS GETTING INTO THE HOBBY AS THEIR ARE, THEY WILL NEVER RUN OUT OF CUSTOMERS. THAT'S WHY THE H9 HELLCAT IS ALREADY BACKORDERED.

H9 is also an American company THAT KNOWINGLY PUTS OUT PRODUCTS WITH KNOWN PROBLEMS.

i would gladly build it myself no matter what the cost of it was , but i would have that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that it was built right and wasnt going to fall apart when the hot glue got warm . and i wouldnt care how long it took to get it together.


2 months and it was flying

Skrshark RC has the Hellcat ready to build. Let me know when you get yous done. Here is mine. The Hangar 9 in my opinion is eaiser to fly and by far much cheaper to build.

Bgulino,
I too redid the firewall. If I don't like my Saito 1.00, I will put my YS 1.10 in it. I pulled out all the hot glue, and put in 1/2 triangle stock w/ 30 min epoxy. I also put in a reinforcement made of 3/32 aircraft ply the same shape as there doubler (you could flex the firewall with one finger in the hole originaly. I added 3 oz's to the fuse weight. My fire wall will not loosen or depart the fuse.]
I still have to finish the mounting slots. Here is a couple pic's.

Well there's your problem Teddy, you're over powering it with that .049. Go to an .020 and I guaranty the firewall will be plenty stout. Let us know how it flies and don't forget to post some pictures. Hehehe. [:@]

Steve Hulse

i only get to fly it once due to the it belongs to the hobby shop i work for . i do service work on everything that come in and this is a model they want on display , but me and the owner of the shop dont belive in selling some one screwed up airplane like most othe hobby shops . we are getting a lot of people in to our shop now due to word of mouth and honest biz and treating the peole that come threw the door the right way and that will ensure continued biz from them ...

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

I just lost a Hangar 9 F6F Hellcat because the firewall was glued to the fuselage with hot glue instead of epoxy. The airplane was flying beautifully until the the firewall separated from the fuselage.

I'm just building the H9 Hellcat with a 91FX. I'm using a Spektrum 2.4 with the 2 RX receiver modules. Has anyone used this radio in this plane? Wher in the fuse would you mount the modules?
Thanx
queasyflier

queasyflier: you might search the long running H9 Hellcat thread in the Warbirds forum. There has to be folks using the Spektrum in this warbird.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4339087/tm.htm

Brrian

Thank you, Brian!

Goodlooking out on these issues, will fix mines soon..