Im the guy who was trying to decide what plane to get in another thread. Sort of settled on a Mustang MkII PTS. If you get a plane on ebay, and there is not a lot of information about its condition, can you expect it to be in decent shape? I mean, it doesn't say its badly damaged, but it doesn't say its in perfect shape either. All it says is that its been flown 5 times, and is in flightworthy condition, and includes everything that came with it, like the radio, etc. I have bought other stuff on ebay, generally with good luck, but never a plane. Now if I act quickly I could save $80 to $100 off a new one. What kind of risk am I taking? Is this a good idea?

Thanks guys.

What is the sellers feedback? If it is good then you will likely be OK. If it is not so good then I'd be cautious. Also, don't be afraid to ask for photos showing various areas of the plane. If the seller is honest and wants it to sell, they'll gladly provide whatever you'd like to see.

Don't forget the shipping cost. I shipped a small foam electric to my son last fall. with packing and all it came up to about 7lbs. no sweat. However when I got the bill from Fedex Ground, it was $43 vs the $12 I had planned on. The box was "over sized", and the nailed me to the cross on shipping because of the size, not the weight.

Personally, I would suggest that if it isn't close enough to pick up, or the shipping charges are not posted exactly as to cost, I would order a new one and go with the shipping on it. Places like Tower and Hobby People have reasonable, if not cheep shipping. I bought an ASM P61 from Hobby People a month or so back and it was a huge box, and the shipping was something like $26. This is for an ARF with a 70" + wing span

The other advise you got was good. I sell and buy on Ebay a lot and I've only got burnt once, and it was my fault, I didn't read the listing closely.

Don

I BUY PLANES OFF EBAY BUT NEVER A USED ONE IT IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOUR GOING TO GET

one other thing to consider is the warranty, I believe Horizon gives a one year warranty on the MK II's radio, but with ebay, there is no warranty. you'll have to decide what the waranty is worth. one other thing, the dxi6 radio has a recall, make sure the one with this plane isn't one of them

For ebay I allways look for VERY sharp clear pics, more is better. and a good feedback score.
on a plane I would want a very precise description as well. if its pics of a box without inside pics you may end up with a box o crap. I bought a "kit" once on Eba^ and got a box of balsawood sheets etc but no plane parts. I did not pay to much so I didn't mind, but it was a good lesson.

Warranties may not be a problem, but it is not something to be ignored either. Some of the Ebay sellers are brick and mortar stores that use the volume of Ebay to get better terms from their suppliers. Buying from an individual though is a different story and you need to check their feedback closely, especially ones with a low number of feedbacks. Most individuals will state "as is" in the add, or at least imply it on used stuff. I guess botom line is that if you don't feel compleetly comfortable with the terms, comunications, or shipping, skip it. Saving $10 or $20 bucks maybe, isn't worth the possible headaches if you are not comfortable with what you see. Like anything you are buying sight unseen, If you can't afford to take a bath on the purchase, don't bid on it.

Don

The sellers score is critical.
This means within 1 or 2 points of 100.
I ordered something from someone in the
95 range and it's the only time I got burned.

If it has been flown the wing is assembled and the box is going to be big.

Good Luck,
KW_Counter

So the seller had good feedback, 99% positive. But he wasn't responding to my questions. He had posted only stock photos of the plane from hangar 9's site, no actual photos of his individual plane. So I couldn't stomach the risk lol. I ordered a new one tonight, from red rocket hobbies, with free shipping. Was going to order direct from horizon's website, but they had a $13 oversize charge.

Anyway thanks for the advice. I will likely be back on here with more questions when it arrives.

I think your instincts are good.
Have fun with the new plane.
Good Luck,
KW_Counter

DITTO

If the seller won't talk to you before the sale, chances are they will go deaf after the sale.

Don

Well as it turns out, now that Ive bought a new mustang PTS MkII, the seller responded to my questions. With several nice high resolution pics of the actual plane. And he said that all of the landings were smooth, and the batteries hold a like new charge. That was stupid. I should have gave him a few more days to respond. I could have had the mustang for $300 + $20 shipping, $80 less than what I paid for a brand new one. So that sucks, but oh well, Ill know better next time.

Anyway, a few more questions about the plane I just bought. I was reading a review of the E flite T34 mentor in which they briefly discuss the mustang PTS (the original, not the MkII like I got). They claim that with all the training wheels removed, and a two bladed prop installed, the mustang PTS is capable of speeds over 100 mph in level flight, full throttle (!). Is this true? If so, thats awesome! But it sounds a little unrealistic, especially with the drag from that fixed landing gear. If this is the case, I will probably be leaving the "training wheels" on for quite awhile. But its still awesome that once I get good I will be able to make low passes at 100mph! Oh here is a link to the review which makes this extraordinary claim:

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=1&ID=219

Also, I will probably be contacting some flying fields soon, looking for an instructor to help with the first flight. Do I need to supply a buddy cord for this? What brands of radios can Spektrum radios be buddy boxed with? Is spektrum a popular enough brand that I can expect them to have an instructor with one?

Thanks again guys!

I buy my airpalne from ebay, no problem. before buy, see the feedback first

Good luck to you.

The trouble is that feedbacks are an indicator, not the total answer. There was just an listing for a Rascal 60. It didn't say Sig, but the photo and the description was for the Sig Rascal. It was a lister from China. I ask the question, " is it a Sig Rascal or a knock off" the answer was that the specs were very close to the same. The plane was a knock off.

Just because the lister has a high approval rating, doesn't mean that they are above stretching the truth beyond reason, and it is not unheard of for listers to pad their sales with bogus feedback. I've seen it in the past were a lister with a 100% positive would have three "buyers" consitute the last 200 feedbacks. It's getting harder to do that but where there is a will, there is a way.

Ask pointed questions, and let some judgement pervail. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. CJMDJM, you did the right thing. It's called better safe than sorry. You got what you wanted, at a price you were willing to pay. You may have got junk at the same price. If a seller waits that long for a response, they deserve to loose the sale. If they don't treat you well while they are courting you, what are they going to be after you say "I DO"

I've had very good look with dealers from China and Hong Kong. But you have to be very leary of the claims and and ask the hard questions to make sure you are buying what you think you are.

Don

I am skeptical about the 100 mph claim. Now I am not saying it can't be done, but in order to do it that evo .45 would have to turn an 8 inch pitch prop at around 15,000 rpms at 100% efficiency. Nonetheless, I am sure you will be happy with your choice. From what I've seen of them they are good flying planes, and if you take your time and don't rush the learning process, then you should have some success with it.