Whats up with Sig Mfg
07-02-2010, 10:41 PM
#26
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
While I agree that the LT-40 ARF is a good plane (I also agree the Tower Trainer is great too), but if I had my druthers I will also suggest a kit to build. I've built and flown both the LT-40 ARF and kit. The kit comes out much more sturdy and IMHO flies just a tad bit better. Plus, there's nothing like that great feeling of pride seeing something that started as a pile of sticks and you turned into a plane that flies!!!! 
I did a build thread awhile back on an LT-40 to show that building isn't as hard as everybody thinks. Check it out here:
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm]Pay It Forward build thread!! LT-40 build.[/link]
As I said, there's nothing wrong with the ARF version of this plane (other than you can't get it right now)!!!
Whichever way you go you'll have a great plane to learn on.
Ken
I did a build thread awhile back on an LT-40 to show that building isn't as hard as everybody thinks. Check it out here:
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm]Pay It Forward build thread!! LT-40 build.[/link]
As I said, there's nothing wrong with the ARF version of this plane (other than you can't get it right now)!!!
Whichever way you go you'll have a great plane to learn on.
Ken
07-03-2010, 09:37 PM
#27
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RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
How many hours approximately would it take to build the kit for a newbie? ARFs are definitely HARD to find, so if I want an LT-40, I may be forced to build it, though I'd really prefer the ARF version. Also, I'm still waiting for an email response from Sig. I contacted them yesterday asking when they anticipate having the ARF model available again.
07-03-2010, 09:44 PM
#28
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
How much time do you have to devote to the build?? A couple hours a night/day, week, month??? It's hard to say how many total hours it's going to take to build it as everybody builds at different levels. If it were myself and I was building with no distractions (meaning having to document a build thread) I could probably get it done in about a week with about 3-4 hours each evening and a good chunk of the weekend. For a beginner if you're very dedicated to the build 2-3 weeks would probably be a good guess.
If you're shying on building look at the Tower Trainer 40 ARF. In all honesty it may be a long while before Sig gets any more ARFS in (or at least the end of the flying season). Getting another trainer will get you in the air quicker.
Ken
If you're shying on building look at the Tower Trainer 40 ARF. In all honesty it may be a long while before Sig gets any more ARFS in (or at least the end of the flying season). Getting another trainer will get you in the air quicker.
Ken
07-03-2010, 10:57 PM
#29
Senior Member
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
Nitroplanes still shows the LT 40 in stock. I would buy one if Ineeded it. Idont blame Nitroplanes for the situation Iblame the manufacturer.
It is the exact same plane you would have bought from SIG but without the warranty support.
It is the exact same plane you would have bought from SIG but without the warranty support.
07-03-2010, 11:43 PM
#30
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
ORIGINAL: jeffie8696
''Not really Don. Sig ordered 4 shipping containers of ARF's but when they were ready, they could only pay for two of them. The manufacturer sold the other two to the highest bidder.''
I spoke to the president of the company the other day and he assured me this was not the case. It was the quality issue mentioned earlier.
You can buy an original SIG LT40, Kadet Senior or Seniorita ARF from Nitroplanes and it is the exact same one sold by SIG , However if it falls apart SIG is not going to warranty it . Heck they will even have some parts in them that SIG sent to China to built them with.
Apparently the supplier found it cheaper to send out questionable product to somebody like Nitroplanes than to make a quality product and sell it to SIG. Pity really.
Otherwise SIG is going at full bore to make Kits. They got behind with the balsa shortage but now have a good reliable source of some of the best balsa they have ever seen.
They have even announced a new size to the 4 Star line, a .20 that is an Electric or glow kit.
You will probably not see ARFs coming from SIG any more unless something drastic happens.
The fuel shortage some time ago hurt them and they are also making FUEL as fast as they can to make up. SIG sells thousands of gallons of fuel and can barely keep up with demand. Give them some time to catch their breath and they should come out of this .
''Not really Don. Sig ordered 4 shipping containers of ARF's but when they were ready, they could only pay for two of them. The manufacturer sold the other two to the highest bidder.''
I spoke to the president of the company the other day and he assured me this was not the case. It was the quality issue mentioned earlier.
You can buy an original SIG LT40, Kadet Senior or Seniorita ARF from Nitroplanes and it is the exact same one sold by SIG , However if it falls apart SIG is not going to warranty it . Heck they will even have some parts in them that SIG sent to China to built them with.
Apparently the supplier found it cheaper to send out questionable product to somebody like Nitroplanes than to make a quality product and sell it to SIG. Pity really.
Otherwise SIG is going at full bore to make Kits. They got behind with the balsa shortage but now have a good reliable source of some of the best balsa they have ever seen.
They have even announced a new size to the 4 Star line, a .20 that is an Electric or glow kit.
You will probably not see ARFs coming from SIG any more unless something drastic happens.
The fuel shortage some time ago hurt them and they are also making FUEL as fast as they can to make up. SIG sells thousands of gallons of fuel and can barely keep up with demand. Give them some time to catch their breath and they should come out of this .
sad to say, but someone is being less than honest here.
as for the fuel, i find their minimum order required a bogus demand to force our LHS to buy way too much fuel. i wanted to buy a case of Sig Champion fuel and the order was refused unless we placed an order for 16 cases of fuel.
i love Sig for what it stands for and have built many of their kits dating back to 1968, so i would hope they get things in order.
07-04-2010, 09:56 AM
#32
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
Sounds like Sig had to sell their soul to keep up with the big boys, and they had to do it to the arf junk makers of the business because all the good mfgs. control the good arf builders.
07-04-2010, 10:13 AM
#33
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RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
As for the copyright and design info. For a while, Chinese were selling guitars on Ebay, with the Gibson, logo and design. Even calling them Genuine Gibson,
So You can't always trust everyoune.
So You can't always trust everyoune.
07-04-2010, 10:40 AM
#34
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
ORIGINAL: jeffie8696
I dont blame Nitroplanes for the situation I blame the manufacturer.
I dont blame Nitroplanes for the situation I blame the manufacturer.
So you make 4000 of them. YOU paid for the material, YOU paid for the factory overhead, YOU paid the workers, etc.
Now you have 4000 ready to ship and the customer says, "I can only pay for 2000 of them - ship them all to me now and I'll pay for the rest later".
These people don't deal in credit. They don't want to hold your note. You placed an order, they filled it, they want to be paid - now. That was the deal.
Apparently when SIG sold the company a few years ago it was bought by someone in New Zealand. The company was not run well right off the bat, but then the owner had some major medical issues and really lost all interest. The company is again up for sale, but the product line is so depleated that no one want it. More than likely, it will go into default and then the big companies will pick it apart like they did with Goldberg.
07-04-2010, 01:17 PM
#36
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RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
Blacktails, your best bet is to pick up an ARF trainer at your local hobby store, they are all quite similar although I too prefer the tower trainer, or often times a good hobby shop will have a selection of built planes hanging from the ceiling ready to fly sans rx and battery. at a good price, perhaps the actual owner/builders name is on it and he can help you learn to fly it...Rog
07-04-2010, 05:05 PM
#37
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
ORIGINAL: w8ye
All the fuel companies require you to buy in skid lots for shipping purposes
All the fuel companies require you to buy in skid lots for shipping purposes
i ordered 2 gallons of wildcat 15% full synthetic and got 2 gallons with no problem.
07-04-2010, 09:10 PM
#39
RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
yeah that makes sense, they order from either GP or Horizon, so 2 gallons is doable.
this is where Sig falls short as Justin did tell me they need to have a huge order in with Sig before Sig will ship.
this is where Sig falls short as Justin did tell me they need to have a huge order in with Sig before Sig will ship.
07-06-2010, 04:59 PM
#40
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RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
Finally got an email response back from David Falkenhagen at Sig (I had asked when they might have LT-40 ARFs back in stock). It's bad news for getting ANY of their ARF kits at all. Here is what he said:
"We are experiencing serious problems with the supplier in China. Consequently, we do not anticipate that we will be receiving any ARF kits in the foreseeable future. Should that situation change, we will place a notice to that affect on our web site to let everyone know they are available again".
We are sorry we couldn't give you better news.
David Falkenhagen
Sig Manufacturing Co., Inc.
[email protected]
"We are experiencing serious problems with the supplier in China. Consequently, we do not anticipate that we will be receiving any ARF kits in the foreseeable future. Should that situation change, we will place a notice to that affect on our web site to let everyone know they are available again".
We are sorry we couldn't give you better news.
David Falkenhagen
Sig Manufacturing Co., Inc.
[email protected]
07-10-2010, 07:54 AM
#41
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RE: Whats up with Sig Mfg
Kind of bucking the trend...a manufacturer who is kit only with no ARF's....there are so few kits out there, I am glad it is that way around. However, I wonder how much longer SIG can last. Time to stock up on 4* and SSE kits?
