RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

No Foolin' Flyfalcons...If you follow Kris^'s form of logic, just asking opinions and discussing different engines that are currently not in production is a commitment to build, sell and advertise.
Carefull a manafacture doesn't ask any "what if" questions....Wouldn't want to imply or construe that as advertising a new model or anything...
Sheeesh!
I tell you one thing for certain. I'll never own a BME product....this Kris^ has me convinced that anyone who would hire him is a company that I would'nt have ANY faith in.

RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

xcellheli seems to be right, I talked to BME a few minutes ago, I´m #40 on the list right now.
Just 3 more weeks..
They seem to cut their way through the jungle by now.

@Kris: Yes we are all a little impatient, but a) just because of the promises that it would be a revolutionary thing
and b) if we see it in all objectivity: My engines were promised for July or August 2003, now it´s February 2004.
If BME had said "we don´t know for sure when, it may take until the end of 2003" I would have ordered too and wouldn´t have been desperately waiting since August. If somebody had answered my emails with just 1 line:
"Sorry but we had some problems, please be a little more patient, we have ... months delay"
nobody would even talk about it.
That´s all. Seems to be a quite common problem by now at a lot of different companies, so nothing to get upset in discussions about it.

Ralfster

RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Hey Bob I missed your post back there, looking forward to hanging out again at the IMAC events this summer!

RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

I'd agree wholeheartedly, Ralfster, if I was not seeing a lot of the same "comments" being thrown about by the same people who always have done so. It's pointless, as I've commented before, but they continue to do so. I'm glad I do not base my own satisfaction with BME (whom I am NOT paid by or receiving compensation from in any way . .remember that BA30. . ) on what people say on these lists. On the contrary, I have had nothing but good service and a positive experience from BME since my first engine from them over 4 years ago. I say the exact same thing about DA, and if anyone was to make the same comments on THIS forum about DA, I'd be just as avid a defender of that company, which is one reason I have never made mention, before now, concerning the 75 and 200cc motors DA is working on. I may no longer own a DA engine, but I do stand by Dave and his company 100%.

As Dick Hanson has stated, and I have reiterated on numerous occasions, having a small business is a very tough thing to do, and having a successful one is even harder. Dicks comments are exactly dead on. .Thanks Dick.

Now, perhaps someone would care to come up with something ORIGINAL and ENLIGHTENED, instead of the same rehashed complaints. That's my biggest pet peeve about the posts I saw . .and if you want to try to hold MY feet to the fire. . go for it .. I'm bulletproof. :D

RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

The best things in life are worth waiting for and that's BME!!!!!

RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

I am not stirring the pot, but I have a 110 extreme on back order that I have been patiently waiting for. I picked up the phone today, inspired by this thread, and reached Kieth on the 3rd ring. Just a point of fact. He was very pleasant and informitive.

Jess

RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Thank you. Many of us HAVE the best, thankyouverymuch, and the name is DESERT AIRCRAFT.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

You know, Kris, I have several friends here asked me about what I think of BME engines in the past few months. Since they all start out being very favorable towards BME, I refrained from commenting directly. Instead, I pointed them to here - RCU. Without exeption, every one of them came back and told me they would rather go with some other engine. Guess whom they pointed out as THE overriding reason for their new found aversion to BME? You.

It seems that BME makes great engine, suffers a bit from spotty service record, and has the world's worst spokesperson.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Volfy,

Why did you do that? Kris has been entertaining while doing a dis-service to BME - and all the while not knowing that. Who is going to entertain us now?

Dan

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

I don't have a BME 110 nor do I have one on order. However, I was out about two weeks ago helping a friend who does have one on his 23# Extra 260. This has to be one of the most awsome engines that I've seen. It's quiet an experience holding the plane back while he runs the engine up. If I had one on order it would certainly be worth waiting for.

Ken

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

It is gratifying to see that people contacting BME are getting the same level of satisfaction, or information, that I always get. I have always had extreme confidence in Keith and his product, and the recent spate of dissatisfaction from his customers is very . . . irritating .. to me, to say the least. I've been privy to a lot more of the goings-on at BME than most people in these forums, but it's Keith's place to talk about what is going on at BME, not mine. I take it as a personal affront to read many things people say about BME. . and I consider the amount of restraint I've used to be considerable. To say that I stand by BME, and support Keith, personally, is a bit of an understatement, I am sure.

To say that anyone has given up purchasing a BME because of what I say is, to me, ludicrous. It may actually be true, but it also speaks about the person who made that decision. If Volfy is trying to chagrin me with his statements, it has failed, and I give them little credence.

As far as I am concerned, the BME110 Xtreme is the finest model engine ever produced, bar none. That I have sold off all but one engine from other manufacturers, just so I could re-equip my planes with all 110's or other BME engines, pretty much says it all.

If anyone has a problem with BME's service, I suggest directing it to BME, via their answering machine if they do not answer the telephone for you. It's the surest route to getting an answer back. Bringing your complaints into these forums is usually not very productive.


Now, a bit of Tech Info for those of you considering a quiet Canister style exhaust for a 110 . .The best off-the shelf setup I have worked out is to use the "LL" Pefa Canisters, designed for the 3W150's and rated at 75cc's per cylinder. Cut half of the inlet tube off, and use a 90 degree bend KS header pipe of 25mm diameter, and butt the header against the inlet of the canister. You want the header/canister inlet length to be as short as possible. Cutting the stingers back to 30-50mm will gain a bit of top end power as well, probably about 100 rpm in most cases. This combination rpms's about 100 rpm better than a 3W106 on canisters, and dB's at 93 dB at 25' with a 28-10 Menz-s. Rpm is a consistent 6400+ withthe Menz-s 28-10 or Mejzlik 29-10, and over 7000 with the Mejzlik 28-10.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

It seems Kris^ over the summer, fall, and winter all we have heard from you is how good BME engines are, and a progress report that is second or third hand reporting of the so called facts on the development on these new engines. As these so called facts or rumers are posted by you, people actually believe you, and when there is a delay as you are the ardent fan of BME, you have to make excuses for the company, as you say you are not employed by BME, just a fan, so no wounder people get a bit perturbed at you, can you blame them. Just my 2 Pesos.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

If you can only imagine what it is like to be a member of the same club as Kris^. I will leave the rest to your imagination

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

You're right, Taildragger, I should just roll over, whimper a bit, tuck my tail and scurry off into the shadows and allow the statements that got me into this thread to continue. . . that seems to be the the best solution to so many things in this world. . to some people. I defend BME and "make excuses" (huh????) because the products and company are worth defending, and because Keith Baker is worthy to be stood beside, IMO. Some things just are . perturbed people in forums and mailing lists notwithstanding. .. :D

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Alas, you can only lead a horse to water...

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

NAYYYYyyyyyyyy!!!

Alas, wisdom only comes to the enlightened :)

At least we know that BME is alive and kicking and shipping engines. . .. and taking care of business.

Kind of makes this entire thread a moot event.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

No, BME is not taking care of bussiness when a poential buyer of BME products can not reach the company for a whole day. This is not acceptable when there is other engine makers and marketers answer their phone on the 2nd or 3rd ring. This may be accectable to you but not the general public who demands more, and whats more deserves more. Reread the first post that started this thread, as the person could not reach BME all day, as this seems to be the way this company is doing bussiness, and weather you defend them or not is a moog point, facts are facts, and although BME may have a great product, service is the name of the game when the chips are down and one is looking for a reliable company to do bussiness with.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Although I have found this thread to be entertaining. I must jump in and describe my limited experiences with these companies. I had purchased a H9 1/3 sukhoi a few months ago. This was shortly before I had heard about the 110. I had decided that this bird was getting a DA 100. For 3 days I tried to contact DA. When I say I tried to contact them I'm not talking 1 or 2 calls a day. I'm talking 10 -15 calls. Each time I called I got nothing but busy signals. I was getting very frustrated. Then I heard of this BME 110. After posting a few questions here on RCU, Kris^ convinced me to give Keith a call. I made the call and 2 rings later keith answered the phone. I decided to buy almost immediately. Being a little unsure, I asked him how this engine would compare to the DA 100 and I couldn't believe his response. It went something like this. " DA is a very good engine and you will be happy with your purchase either way. If you don't want to wait for a 110 then I would strongly recommend the DA 100." He gained my trust immediately. I now have my 110 installed and it appears to be everything that both Keith and Kris^ say that it is. Thanks Kris^ for the push and thanks Keith for making such a fine engine.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Taildrager, please enlighten me as to what, exactly, makes you think that you "Deserve" anything .. What the general public "demands" is not what you are relating, because the "General Public", some 280 million Americans in this country alone, has only about 1-2% interest in R/C as a hobby, and about .003% interested in Giant Scale plane, and about .0001% interested in perhaps purchasing a BME engine. That's not the General Public.

Perhaps you would care to re-direct your question and point in a more accurate and civil manner. If what you say is true, we ALL Deserve a DA150 in the next shipment. . .Getting Dave Johnson to agree, however, is another matter altogether. I'll be sure to forward your concerns to Dave when I talk to him tonight.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

You see Crash90 at least got busy signals when trying to contact DA, to me that means , me and 50 other people of the general plublic was on the phone a little less than 10 min. each the whole bussiness day, buying engines, parts, and getting information as it should be.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Taildragr, where do you get off with this presumptious arrogant attitude?

No wonder you're never happy .. you need to lighten up, dude.

"As it should be". . . in a pigs eye. geesh, some people.

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

I can tell you that my decision to wait for a 110 was purely from reading Kris's technical discussions. He has hands down given the best information including taking his first engine apart and posting pictures for all to see. Obviously he gets a little passionate at times, but so what, different strokes for different folks. Keep up the great technical work Kris.

A suggestion for Keith or other small companies is to assign customer numbers when someone orders an engine and post a list with expected ship dates for each customer number. Meanwhile keeping this list up to date and showing which motors have shipped on their website. This way everyone can see the backlog and shipping rate to help make a better decision whether or not to but a DA, ZDZ or wait.

I still have complete confidence that when the bubble has passed BME will return to their once great service. That is of course unless the 55 extreme creates another bubble.:D

RE: RE: Contacting BME Engines
 

Oh, please enlighten us then!

Where are those BME 55's??? [:@]

So much for the thread being moot. :eek: