I have always thought that Balsa USA produced some of the best kits available. Now these are not beginners kits but I am not what you would call a beginner, Not a master but way from a beginner. My last Balsa USA kit was their 1/4 Scale J3 Cub which turned out to be the best flying and best looking Cub I have ever touched. For Christmas I received the Citabria Pro as a present from a very dear friend. When I opened the box I had to look at the outside of box a second time to make sure I had not picked up the wrong box. It looked as if someone had raked all their left over wood from a table top into the box, quality of wood was sub par, warped, shaped parts cut too short, die cut ply would work for kindling to build a fire. So many conflicts between the plans and building booklet that it has become a joke. Even on the same sheet for wing panels references to the same part on left and right wing are wrong, booklet has a totally different measurement. Their web site list this as the New Redesigned model, sure would hate to see the old one. Anyway enough of my ranting what has happened to Balsa USA, my next project was going to be their 1/3 scale Super Cub but now ?

I have built two of the BUSA kits in the last year. I also have a Nieuport 17 kit and am about to purchase a D-7. All of the kits I have looked at are of top quality in my opinion. This just sounds odd. I would call them and talk to them about this or use e-mail, they have a superb customer service department.

The BUSA kits I've built have all been good. Instead of smearing their reputation without their side being represented, I suggest you contact BUSA, explain your problem, and wait for their reply. After you do that, THEN come back and post BOTH sides. I'm so tired of people raking muck about a company before giving them a chance to respond and fix the problem first.

Dr.1

So many times you never hear -( the rest of the story! ) Oh yea , I did buy it at the flea market, or you hear the business, saying , that they never had a chance to even hear about the problem. I'm with you, lets hear the whole story & the we can decide what's the deal.. It's just hard to believe that BUSA would do that.

It happens with the other manufacturers too. but luckily not to often. Have a GP Ultimate that most the wood went for starting the shop wood stove. It happens. Contact them and see what they have to say.

Myself, I don't see were he smeared anyone, he ran into a problem and came here to see if anyone else had run into same problems.
I check these forums if I run into something that's not the norm . He explained what he ran into and asked if anyone else had run into the same problem.

That way when the Company says, This is the first we`ve heard of it, I have the resources to back me up when dealing with them.

He didnt smear any one, but he sure got slammed for asking a question. I myself am tired of seeing people get slammed for asking an honest question. Give the guy a break.

I don't see anyone slamming the OP, mainly they are saying lets get the whole picture before we put a frame on it.

I did contact the owner, at first he did not even acknowledge that the kit was purchased directly from his company. Then after submitting to him the purchase order and customer number he ask if it was the New Redesigned kit or the older one. After he did research he told me that this was indeed the newer kit and the quality of wood was due to the fact that all the GOOD Balsa was going to build wind turbines and he could not get any decent woods. Never once did he offer to replace any of the material, And for what its worth I was not slamming the company, just wanted to know if anyone else had such an experience. I was truthfully shocked when I opened the box, my last kit from them was the 1/4 scale J3 Cub and it was great, it was my understanding that the plans and complete kit had be redesigned to address some of the major discrepancy's that are both on plans and building booklet.

I guess that clears up all those questions from other posters!

It also put that Phaeton purchase on the back burner for me.

Thanks for your report.
Dave Olson

I ordered $120 of balsa and ply from Balsa USA a couple of months ago and EVERY piece was perfect. My 2 cents. Lanny Khelsea

Thank you for the complete story, WALKER. It looks like BUSA is slipping. However, I wouldn't throw them in the can for one bad kit and one incident of poor service. Does anyone else have recent experience with BUSA?

Dr.1

I'd call them back and explain that you find the kit completely unsatisfactory and ask how to arrange for an exchange or refund. Once they understand the gravity of your situation, they might just change their tune. If they read these forums they'll know that they'd better do something and fast! A piece of bad publicity like this could cost them a LOT of business.

papermache

I've always had great luck with BUSA but it's been two years since I ordered a kit from them.

Wind turbines use balsa?

Thats what I went thru my feeble mine !!

I received a $100 order of assorted Balsa and Ply from them just prior to Christmas - flawless. Now this wasn't a kit ... <shrug> [&:]

Well, I built the "Citabria Pro", starting with the original kit. Before I really got into it, the kit was re-engineered. I chose to call BUSA and purchase the parts necessary to bring my older model up to current specs.

No major changes, but the the landing gear was moved forwared 1", which was IMO the most significant change. All in all, I can't complain; BUSA was good about sending me the instruction book (new) and the die cut parts that were updated. I do agree, there are a few mistakes on the drawing, however experienced builders will spot them and build accordingly. It's not perfect, but not too bad. I am pleased with the finished product.

DaveB

Ok 210, I suggest you take a few digital photos of the kit parts which are not up to proper quality for your records, and ship the kit back to them for refund plus postage, or exchanged for a good kit sent prepaid. If by chance there was a packing slip received listing the person who put the kit together. photocopy it, and send it with the kit. I am sure the management would like to know who it was that assembled such a poor kit. In viewing BUSA kits, I find their prices somewhat out of my purchase range. An Aircoupe kit should not cost $800.-. My Jack Stafford Coupe was in the $200.- range. Keep us informed how do you in resolving this issue.

AERORICH73

Yes, I've read that the massive blades on these big windmills use balsa as a core (at least some do). When you consider how large the blades are, they would use an incredible amount of balsa. With more wind farms in development (at least here in Texas), I could understand how we can have even more problems with balsa supplies than we have now. To top it off, it sure wasn't good hearing about Wooten's Lone Star Balsa burning down recently.

I've only bought one BUSA kit - it looks great (EAA Bipe), but that was two years ago too.

I know Walkers-210 and he is a solid guy, no reason to question his issues.
I have always had good luck with Balsa USA kits, but if it's a screwed up kit, and it's entirely possible, they should reimburse you or send another one.
Good luck to you Walkers-210
Dave

Dave thanks for the vote of confidence, already gave up on even trying to talk with BalsaUSA, just went ahead and made parts I needed and worked inbetween the lines on plans and booklet. As for Riley Wooten's place boy that had to be a quick and hot fire. Hope he can recover have done much business with him over the years. Thanks everyone for your support and understanding that all I wanted to do is find out if this was a new trend for BUSA or if I just drew the short end of the straw.

210,
If you decide to follow up on this issue with BUSA please post your results here. I for one am planning a few more kit purchases from them and am just about ready to place an order for a 1/3 scale. I have just not heard anything negative about them, but customer service is a very important business atribute.
Thanks

I know its been a while since this post was started and should be put to bed. Last week a fellow club member ordered the 1/4 Scale Floats for their J3 Cub. Due to his health and lack of time I volunteered to build them for him. Now I had alternative motives, I really wanted to see just how this kit would come in. I opened the box at hobby shop the min it came in, and this is exactly what you would like to see in a kit. Quailty wood, sticks bundled and banded, pre punched wood required nothing more than light sanding. One minor change in design but really made it work out better. This is the BALSA USA I had always held so high. Guess the Citabra Pro was just a fluke.

I am deep in the middle of a "Citabria Pro" that I bought earlier this year. I found the packaging somewhat suspect. Just Like "Walters.." said, it looked like all the parts had been thrown in the box with little order to anything. However, everything else has been as good as I could expect. Wood quality and die cuts are right on.

I have found a couple captions that relate to the wrong picture number in the instruction book. I think I did spot the one dimension that is different in the book versus the plans. I am highliting all this, so that I can send a complete list to Balsa USA when I am done. That way the will have the chance to edit their hard copy. Surely they keep it as a computer file. But who knows how many of those books they have printed at one time.

Personally I think Balsa USA delivers good product for the money and at a time when kit makers are disapearing in the wind, I am glad that Balsa USA is still here.

It would have to be a fluke. BUSA uses some of the best Balsa available.
This is the first complaint I've heard about their wood quality. Documenting the kit is a good idea. I can't understand why Ron would give you a hard time about it.
I bought the Eindecker 40 and everything looks good.

Don't know if anyone is still looking at these but Im in the middle of a balsa 1/4 cub and had similar problems .The quality of wood was fine but some was missing and the instruction manual wasn't even close, several sections are just flat out wrong . I called balsa usa and they wer'e very helpful offered to send the missing wood ,I had already purchased it at my LHS . My only real concerns were the manual and the plans are just too cramped,Ive bult several ikon'n'west kits and there not known for being the easiest to build but there plans are clean and well thought wich makes a big difference.. I passed on my concerns to Balsa Usa and hopefully they will correct their mistakes
Carl

It kinda looks like this thread should pop up as soon as some customer finds something wrong with the kit they bought. My advise is to take digital photos of any kit you receive from any company if things do not look right. Then you have a way to deal with the problem better. I am thinking of a Balsa USA J Cub, and I do not want a bad stick of wood in the kit. The only way to get good products is to insist they be good. Capt,n