Thanks 103/17 I didn't see your previous post #46 about calling. But thanks for the details above too!!!! GarySS

I can understand that you would be upset about the covering, ...
but, you Recieved a new set (3-actually) and you wouldn't
be a customer for ever??

All companies have issues.... H9 and there retract gear on the 1.50 Razorback, the corsair, mustangs..ect .....
They never admitted that the ever did either.... BUt they sent out gear to those that asked....

Truthfully its an old issue. The way Great Planes handled the Reactor issues ( several ) was a big part of my issue. The covering was just as big of a problem and they never fixed that either. I'm not alone on this. 80 members in our club and only a handful will deal with Tower or GP after watching this problem. There was no reason to treat customers the way we were treated. I was in manufacturing and distribution to a large dealer network for 20 years. I managed a consumer call center for our products. I am familiar with the way this would have gone down with a company who cared about its customers more than "how much will this cost to fix". What they missed was the cost of lost customers from ignoring the problem for the many years that they did ignore the problem. Like I said its a dead horse for me. I wont go back .........I havent in almost three years. You are right they all have their problems, its how they deal with those problems that makes a difference for me. Maybe I am different than the average consumer but my bet is..........I'm not.

Get me once shame on you..........get me twice shame on me !

103/17

It was late at nite when I posted it....
I understand why you feel the way you do and others.......

I had gotten a gear replacement that I ordered from towers about 4-months ago....
guess what....same Orriginal pair I had when I bought the plane....

It has caused me to rethink some things..for sure....
I really do not know why some of the companies run there businesses the
way they do!.....SHocking realy!!....

I really would love to come out with a magazine that was ALL about RC modeling
and would talk about ALL of THESE ISSUES that we talk about hear.....
I am just not sure how long it would last....As I am not sure how many
companies would place there ads in the magazine after I would run a
story like this topic we are talking about here...

kochj,
I agree with you. All the RC magazines are little more than an advertising agency for their advertisers.
The only industry that I know that has "watch dog" magazines is the dirt bike magazines. Motocross Action and Dirt Bike tell it like it is. They see a problem they identify it and then they fix it and explain what they did. If it can be fixed. Oddly enough I think those magazines have the highest circulation of any magazines in the industry. And every manufactuer advertises there. They have to...they're the magazines that get read. I heard one time Suzuki didn't like their reviews and pulled their ads. MXA just printed that and continued to test their bikes and evaluate them. Suzuki got better...and so did their reviews. Now they are back advertising with them.

Another thing I'd admire about them....they don't allow beer, cigarette, or girly ads of any kind. A nice family magazine the gives the straight scoop on what bikes are really like. Oh I wish a RC magazine would do that.

For a long time I used to post my opinions of the planes I fly and rate them on everything I could think about. I used a scale of 1-10. I evaluated ground handling, take offs, landing, rolls, hovers, harriers, KE, flat spins, rolling circles, etc and also rated the ease of assembly, price, manual, and customer service I experienced. What I found was I became a target for many manufactures and their cult like followers. Very discouraging indeed. I finally quit the practice because nobody else really did it. You only get comments like, "best plane I've ever flown" etc. Of no use really. I determined that RC manufacturer has a loyal following that will go to any length to defend their hallowed products. They really don't want a rating system or even the truth out there. Someday we'll all grow up enough to realize there is no perfect plane. And any plane will have areas of quality or flight that are of concern. For the life of me I can't figure out why some people will defend almost to the death what they fly. Me I really want an honest evaluation and that will help me pick the planes I want. Currently there are no magazines or forums that objectively look at that. Too bad.

An easy example are the Extreme Flight guys. Can't say anything constructive or otherwise about there planes. The cult won't allow it. There planes are big (that's a good thing and a bad thing) but they are also heavy. They fly good but not perfect. My Yak won't flat spin well but apparently every other one ever built flat spins "the best I've ever flown". At least that's what they say on the forums. But I get private emails by many who express that their planes fly the same way. But it's not for open debate. If you try you'll get "hazed" even from the manufactuer themselves. Darnest thing I've ever seen.

Until we are willing to look objectively we'll continue to wallow in the mire. I hope someday it will change and we can get meaningful magazine evaluation.

If I'm wrong would somebody point me to that magazine or even that one article the "tells it like it is".

On the subject of this forum....My experience with Great Planes and Tower Hobbies has been excellent. I've had over 20 of their planes and every one was pretty much what I expected. I've only had one time where they shipped my the wrong thing (ordered 30% fuel and they shipped 15%) I called them and they told me to keep what they sent me and shipped the corrected order the next day.

I don't have the 46 Reactor but I have the 50CC and mine is covered with Monokote. It's a fun plane but I don't like the way the stab attaches. It's weak but easily reinforced. But stock from the factory it is very weak and concerns me. The wing tube is the smallest I've seen on a 50CC class airplane....and oddly enough, the heaviest. Mine weighed something like 11 ozs. I replace it with a TBM CF wing tube which weighs less than 2 ozs. But it appears small, but so far no problems.

I'll continue to deal with Tower and Great Planes because I have an open mind. If I don't like a plane....that's ok. I'll get rid of it and try something else.

Anyways....wish we could have critical evaluation without the fight. But....I guess that would be Utopia.

Thanks
Barry

PS: I've even been ridiculed for the way I start my posts (with a smiley) Who really cares and who'd be offended by that. But I've had several PM where I get trashed for that. Man....life is just too short for that.

Berry

Thanks for the long read....
I have always enjoyed your honesty and cander....
I too have had EXCELLENT service from TOwer hobbies and Hobbico.....2nd to none....
HOrrizon has also been stellar....had a issue with a evolution 26cc ignition, asked for
my money back....
THey had no issues doing so....

I have honestly wanted to start a magazine but
right now I am about finding a fulltime job and supporting my
family....perhaps inthe future...
I would like to put the "FREE SPEACH" and "FREE THOUGH"
but then again....would that be Utopia???

103/17

It will be intersting how HOrrizon hobby/saito
handle all the complaints about there FG-20 saito gas engine....
It appears that many folks are not having much luck with them....
and not getting a responce from them....
THey are servicing them, so It can't all be bad.....

I think the over all issues are related to the generall population
not knowing how to handle them....and cleaning them if they
get gummed up....Or saito has had some serious QA issues of late???

They however didn't claim that there engine was a saito, only to find out that
it is a ASP...!!!!

Justin

I am surprised that this thread is not locked yet.

The covering issue must not be a factor on every reactor? I have been through three reactor kits over the last two years (one airframe had over 50 flights with a 4-stroke) and I haven't even had a hint of a covering problems. It has been great for me right out of the box every time. However, the futaba S9650 servos that they recommend have been a nightmare. I had never stripped out a servo before I had the S9650. Now I have been trough 10 sets of nylon gears and I see that Tower just raised the price of the gears from $5 to $11.50 a set! Guess I am not the only one having the issue if the price jumped that much!! I just ordered five metal gear sets from heli pro and I hope that solves the issue of the servos! I have to say though, I must love this airplane because there is no way I would keep ordering another one if I didn't.

I had my Reactor out this past weekend and a big piece of the clear came loose from the leading edge of the wing and started working it's way back. Any more I just go in the club house and get the packing tape and tape it back down. This is the second season on this plane and it's about had it as far as the covering.