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noveldoc 11-18-2010 01:00 PM

Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Got my Seniorita ARF in from Nitro yesterday and it was the worst kit I have ever bought from anyone, any time. It's missing a massive number of parts including horizontal stab/elevator, wing joiners and practically all the hardware, including wheels and landing gear.

I did get them on the phone easily and have an email address to send my complaint and pics of their shipment. I will let you know if they do anything.

I'm philosophical. Nothing missing I can't cannibalize from the wreck of my crash so I can get it into the air with a bit of extra work. Actually the fuse, fin and wings are all transparent covered and appear well built and fitted.

Maybe this why Sig is not dealing with that Chinese factory?

Tom

MikeL 11-18-2010 02:15 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
When you buy from people who have no respect for those they do business with, you can't expect a good product.

WCB 11-18-2010 04:02 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Tom,
The other day you posted in another forum about Nitro Planes having that plane being "too good to be true." Well guess what..... Sorry about your bad experience. You are in the back of a long line of po'ed NP customers.

jship 11-18-2010 04:26 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Looong line!

noveldoc 11-18-2010 05:14 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
True. Not a total disaster in my case because I really did want a Seniorita. Have the plans and the wood so scratch building a tail is not a biggie. And can switch most hardware over from the wreck. Just dumb luck I am able to do this. Otherwise, would have been shafted.

Have talked to them on the phone, e-mailed their manager and posted on their support board. Have not heard squat so far. I understand this is pretty typical Nitro behavior.

Coulda been worse with Chinese stuff and their importers. Didn't ruin my house with toxic drywall and did not feed poison to my grand baby or my dog. Did you know those people were also making pharmaceuticals? Scary.

Hope I am warning folks off.

Tom

sonoffortunateson 11-18-2010 08:23 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
I am just finishing my NP Seniorita, I ordered it back in July, I have been very pleased so far, the kit came complete, no missing parts, no damaged parts, everything fits together as called for. I am still new to airplanes and bought this one before I had read the reviews of NP. Just lucky I guess?

radius1x1 11-18-2010 08:57 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Not surprising. These folks are the absolute WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jship 11-18-2010 09:14 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
I hope that when all the pieces stop moving you still feel "Just lucky I guess?"


ORIGINAL: sonoffortunateson

I am just finishing my NP Seniorita, I ordered it back in July, I have been very pleased so far, the kit came complete, no missing parts, no damaged parts, everything fits together as called for. I am still new to airplanes and bought this one before I had read the reviews of NP. Just lucky I guess?

noveldoc 11-18-2010 09:51 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Glad you had a good experience. It is a great plane.

Have reported to PayPal. They will credit you back in cases like this.

Tom

noveldoc 11-19-2010 08:20 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 

Okay, a very pleasant surprise. Have to give Nitroplanes a kind word here.

Call from Melissa, their manager. She checked the complete list of missing stuff I emailed her and will get it all out of the warehouse and ship no later than Monday USPS. She was very polite.

Appears the plane was shipped and sealed that way at the factory. I can't expect Nitro to open and inspect boxes, especially if they make things good.

At this point in spite of rep from others have to say their service with me was just fine.

Tom

Desertlakesflying 11-19-2010 08:33 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
They'll want you to ship it back to them which will cost you as much as just going out and buying a quality arf.

noveldoc 11-19-2010 08:46 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Not so this time. I keep what I have and they ship the missing parts.

Tom

Oberst 11-21-2010 11:18 AM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Ah... another one who learns the hard way.

Many of us has Posted in the Threads the warnings against Nitroplanes/CMP/Giant Scale Planes or what ever they call themselves.

We get what we pay for in this hobby don't we?

I'm sorry you've been had by these people. IMHO I only buy ARF aircraft that sells extra parts and backs their warranties. Even then, I'm careful. This is the kind of stuff- either I read about or experience that makes me only want to buy kits. China is more into quanity rather than quality.[:'(]


Pete

noveldoc 11-21-2010 11:40 AM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Agreed. Hopefully they will send the missing parts and, if not, I can fake it to get plane in the air.

But my index of suspicion has gone way up.

And I am tight about only paying through PayPal. If Intro still screws up I will get my money back in 2 days. They have done that for me before.

I did get a very nice ARF out of Seagull models in Vietnam. Do not know if this is just luck or better quality control.

Sad we have none made in the US. The price difference for US labor is not as much as we think. We tend to automate these things so we get more done with less man hours. The cost of fuel for shipping is going way up and you may only be looking at a buck or less difference.

Let's say factory guys make 2 planes and hour with their dies and equipment. Cost for a US worker with pay, taxes and basic benes is $20 per hour, pay in China is less than a quarter. That comes out to a buck a plane more but that is before you factor in higher shipping and other things. But, then again, they'll just devalue their currency to win the bid.

Tom

Oberst 11-21-2010 12:18 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 

ORIGINAL: noveldoc

Agreed. Hopefully they will send the missing parts and, if not, I can fake it to get plane in the air.

But my index of suspicion has gone way up.

And I am tight about only paying through PayPal. If Intro still screws up I will get my money back in 2 days. They have done that for me before.

I did get a very nice ARF out of Seagull models in Vietnam. Do not know if this is just luck or better quality control.

Sad we have none made in the US. The price difference for US labor is not as much as we think. We tend to automate these things so we get more done with less man hours. The cost of fuel for shipping is going way up and you may only be looking at a buck or less difference.

Let's say factory guys make 2 planes and hour with their dies and equipment. Cost for a US worker with pay, taxes and basic benes is $20 per hour, pay in China is less than a quarter. That comes out to a buck a plane more but that is before you factor in higher shipping and other things. But, then again, they'll just devalue their currency to win the bid.

Tom

Seagull Models makes some good stuff. With Seagull you might get a good ARF and another model can be bad. I had a Duel Ace that was really bad, but then I bought the Extra 260 .90 it was one of the best ARF aircraft I have ever built and flown. Goldberg is good, now owned by Great Planes. I've yet to own any Sig.

Hanger 9 and Great planes are a hit or miss as well. But Great Planes and Hanger 9 have excellent customer service. I heard ESM is fantastic in the quality department. I think I only read one bad review out of what... how many?

BUSA is very good if you build kits. The only bad thing about them is they can take forever getting to your orders. Arizona Models...LOL[sm=lol.gif]Stay away from them. Very bad customer service, and they don't like to answer phone orders and will only return your call, (If they return your call) 2 weeks after the fact- and sometimes they don't get to your order at all.

Flyboy models I'm to scared to deal with them. I think they are another name for CMP, plus you can't order spare parts. (That's a big warning sign for me) Kyosho is over priced for the quality. Black Horse and Global is a hit or miss. I personally don't like the quality and the prices are a little high.

These are my manufacture experiences with ARF aircraft.

BUSA is made in the United States, but they are only in the kit department. I agree that we have no ARF aircraft made in the United States, at least to my knowledge.

Pete

noveldoc 11-21-2010 01:45 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Wow. Thanks for the detailed reviews.

Sounds like ARFs can be a bit of a crap shoot from anyone. I guess the difference is service. So far my service appears good on this problem. Others say they have not fared as well.

I have also over the years had good luck with Goldberg and BUSA. I got a very nice Hobby-Lobby Telemaster Senior ARF off a guy on EBay. I understand they are good but not much in stock these days.

With the ARFS drying up for H-L, Sig and Goldberg, folks who want the classics may have to go back to building. I would do it myself but wonder if there could be money in building these for people. I am a doctor (psychiatrist) who does have some free evening and weekend time but wonder if there are rich surgeons who like to fly. Actually I know some docs and dentists who have several really expensive and nice plane but never make it to a field with them. Pity...

Have a buddy in the club who lost his business and is now retired. He was going to custom some Seniors and Senioritas until Nitro came along. He can't make a decent profit for his time competing with $100.

Tom

Multi-Engine Guy 11-21-2010 02:12 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Get some tools. Get some wood. Get some plans. Learn some Skills.
Build your own planes. Problem solved.

My last ARF, and I do mean my LAST ARF, had so many issues,
and took so much effort and time to make it right, I probably could
completed a kit of the the same type of plane.
Only it would be a much better built plane

~Jon~

noveldoc 11-21-2010 02:32 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
I hear ya. I just converted recently to ARFing. Got 3 nice ones: a Sig 4 Star 40, a Hobby Lobby Telemaster Sr. and also a Seagull Arising Star. (The quality of the last was a very pleasant surprise.)

But looks like the US distributors have dried up and it is a crap shoot from Asian factories. Back to the building board.

Wonder what will happen to the hobby. There are younger folks out there who have never done a kit build. Will they get over being afraid of it? A lot of the new kits, especially trainers, are pretty straight up.

Tom

WCB 11-21-2010 09:40 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 

Get some tools. Get some wood. Get some plans. Learn some Skills.
Build your own planes. Problem solved.
Exactly right. Once upon a time there was no such thing as an ARF. You either scratch built or built from a kit. If you built it yourself you knew what you had. It wasn't a crap shoot like buying an ARF these days.

jship 11-21-2010 10:29 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
In all these years I am yet to tear the landing gear block out of a kit built plane.

IAMKAOS 11-22-2010 06:54 AM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
i have been flying rc for 25 years and i have recently decided to get out of the hobby for a while due to what happen to you.but i'm still like to read rcu postings. over the past 5 years i have been burnt several times buying on-line by various mail order vendors. maybe it was luck of the draw but i have had some really bad luck with chinese made products i purchased thru various vendors. one of my most recent was 5 standard servos and a receiver i bought from hobby king. one servo does not even work, one will not center, and one buzzes all the time without even a load on it. i had also purchased some rtf edf jets that had bad electronics in them that had to be replaced.. just recently i bought a arf that to me was very poorly designed and the hardware with it was absolute crap!.....which we all know that!.... 2mm clevies that came with it did not even had threads to thread on the rod!. the main landing gear came with threaded axles with nuts already on them. they were very loose and the nuts would not even thread on or off the axles. so i have put my rc aside for a while. i'm pursuing other interests for a while....been burnt too many times!

noveldoc 11-23-2010 09:28 AM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
Update. After promising to mail my missing Seniorita parts yesterday, Nitro has now decided they want to return the plane for a swap. Not satisfactory for several reasons plus they broke their word re: the replacement parts. Very disappointed in those people.

Have filed a PayPal claim for a refund. I use them for payment because they have refunded me with merchant issues before.

Will keep y'all posted.

Tom

BEAR-AvHistory 11-23-2010 10:57 AM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
For what its worth I have 2 Senioritas from Nitro, which due to the price were purchased as a spare part supply for my SIG version when SIG had problems & could not get them anymore.

Unboxed, checked the Nitro planes & I could not see any difference in thier construction compared to the originl SIG unit. Only thing special was the SIG logo either cut out or marked over on the box, decals & instructions.

The original SIG version has been flying for about 18 months, a number of times a week, & the Nitro ones are still in the box.:D

noveldoc 11-23-2010 11:13 AM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 
I do have to say I was able to inspect construction and fitting through the clear covering and it was well done. Now if they would just ship with all the pieces.

Tom

Oberst 11-23-2010 05:22 PM

RE: Nitroplanes Shipped Junk Seniorita
 

ORIGINAL: jship

In all these years I am yet to tear the landing gear block out of a kit built plane.


I've seen it done about 3 times out of 8 years of flying. The first 2 times I've seen it- they had to try hard. ( Deadsticks in tall grass)

And the last time I seen it, another person didn't use enough epoxy and the landing gear ripped out even though he had the smoothest landing I've seen in years. That one I would call "Builder Error."


But you are right, it's rare. With most ARF aircraft, if I don't build supports or add glue to the joints, I'm asking for it later on. I forgot to mention how bad some of the covering is on most ARF planes. Seems to me they don't ever have enough overlap ether on the wing or fuse and I'm constantly ironing the wrinkles out because the covering wasn't applied right. Too much heat and it pulls right off the edges exposing the balsa. [:@]


Hi Bear!


Pete


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