Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Sounds like Simjet is coming into the US in a big way with lots of new reps.

Let's here from some actual owners. I realize that most of these engines are in the hands of reps at this time but let's try and hear from non-rep owner/operators if possible.

What has your experience been with your turbines and the 1700 and 1200 in particular? Any problems? How many runs and flights have you had without incident. If you have had any problems what have they been?

Laura H

Had loads of trouble with a Simjet. Have now gone to AMT

Shaun Evans

Mick,
How recent was your experience with Simjet?

Laura H

Bought it in June 2000, was given my money back around october 2000.

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Not a lot of replies to this post. I guess there aren't too many Simjets out there.

Pete S-RCU

I haven't replied because some seem to think a rep's opinion is biased.
Well, that's the reason I'm a rep for Simjet, I like my FC1700 engine.
Mine is the new 2002 FADEC and has 76 trouble free flights on it now.
Just turn the key and go.
I bought my engine last spring, had some problems with the old FADEC, but the new one has been trouble free.
Also there have been a lot of Simjet threads lately, but thats to be expected since Simjet USA was started.
When my old FADEC was acting up, I sent it to Denmark on Monday, had it back on Friday, all fixed and upgraded to the latest rev. Thats outstanding service.

Pete Stapleton
Simjet Rep

Since this was my first turbine, I had a lot to learn.
I made up a tip sheet, so other newbies can have the benefit of my mistakes.

Darren Kennedy

(post # 7)
Hi All,
Firstly I am a SimJet Distributor in Australia but I will give you some true Facts.

The first engine I purchased was the SimJet 2250 with the very old auto start. This unit was a chunky box with two servos inside that operated the gas and fuel valves. While the auto start block was bulky and had no way of interpreting what was going on inside. (Eg didn’t know if the gas was opening up or not) I found the unit to be an operators nightmare and a change had to come. However I was operating the 2250 with no problems once the engine was started. My first problem came after about 20 flights when I went to start it and noticed that kero was coming out the back of the engine (glad it didn’t fire) After a lot of searching to find the problem we realised that the internal flame sensor probe was burnt off. Was this because of too much gas at start up or was it in to far I don’t know. Contact was made to Lars and another ECU with the solonide valve auto start was sent. I replace the flame sensor myself and away we went again. This system was a great improvment.
I might add at this point I was extremely happy with the way in which the engine started and also the power was truly awesome.
After another 20 flights the engine would start and would not change over to kero. Damm here we go again. It was realised that another probe had burned off. This was replace and away we went again.
As soon as the electric staters where produced I immediately fitted one and this was making life a lot easier.
The engine now with some 300+ flights on it can only be described as a reasonable trouble free run. Burning of the probes was a problem that not only myself was having here in Australia. We made a modification and replaced the probe and ran it down the side of the engine and into the back of the exhaust cone. This happened only 4-6 months ago and this has fixed all the problems that we were having. The mod was carried out on one of the models that went to the Jet World Masters. Leif from SimJet looked at this and I believe returned to the factory and now all engines should be coming out this way.
I am now running a 3000 with the full auto electric start with propane bottle onboard. I have only had 12 flight of this engine and eleven was in one day. While this engine still has the flame sensor in the engine I will wait ant see what happens. We have another 3000 in the country that has the flame sensor in the exhaust cone of the engine as well with about 15 flights on it. We will compare both, as the only problems we have ever had has been the probe in the front of the engine.
There are a lot of different engines on the market and for people to say one is better than the next really is rubbish. Jet Cat is a good engine just like AMT and RAM but I am very sure they all have their problems on the way.
I use SimJet exclusively myself as I am that damm IMPRESSED with the after sales service from SimJet. The engine management is great and SimJet will have a lot of innovative ideas coming. I am sure of this as Lars is not happy sitting still and will just keep developing.
If you are having a problem with SimJet send me an e-mail and let me see if I can help. Like I say I have been using SimJet from day dot.

SimJet is a great product and will be around while others shut the doors.

Regards Darren Kennedy

Turbinator-inactive

Hey Dustflyer.

Why do you ask that question. You have in several previous posts said that you only will buy Jet Cat. Are you on a mission to damage other manufacturers reputation?

More manufacturers, more choices, lower prices and better selection is what i am looking for. Life would be boring if we only could buy Volkswagen.

Turbojet

Hi terminator,
I share your concerns, not that you are maybe right about dustflyer. give him a chance first.
However I am getting pretty tired and I am sure everyone else who just wants to enjoy this hobby/forum, that there seems to be a constant "turbine war". "Reps" (not all of them) and I suspect some mnf's use this forum and others like it to wage their misinformation campains. I say PAY for advertising if you want exposure, you are stealing the enjoyment of the turbine pilots who want to exhange real experiences of their hobby.
BTW I once asked a certain MNF which engines he rates best and would recomend (apart from his own of course) and this was his answer:

Best track record:
1. AMT
2. Jetcat

Best Reliability:
1. AMT
2. Jetcat

Best Technology:
1. Jetcat
2. AMT

Worst electronics:
Simjet
Ram

Most Hype and cult like following:
Ram
Jetcat


After seeing the last nr of post on this forum I think he may have to add another name to the top of the last list.

Turbinator-inactive

Turbojet,

Funny thing this Internet.

The way the reps and wannabees are fighting to please their respective manufacturer is a little disturbing. Does this mean that when they meet at the events that they are going to be separated into engine categories there also? AMT can't talk to Sim Jet guys; RAM can't talk to Jet Cat and so on. I can understand when someone wants to tell about their own experience flying their respective brands, but the bashing of the competition by spreading lies is not in the spirit of enjoying the hobby.

It really seems to me that this brand loyalty issues is going way to far. I have never seen anything like this at my flying field in the Saito vs. OS discussions, and it think it is going to take the fun out of flying jets if it accelerates.

The events will turn into rep wars with each manufacturer trying to show who is the most reliable by tying up frequencies and airspace in a quest to put most flights on their A/C. What is interesting at the events is to see new stuff, new designs and a variety of jets flying. Watching the manufacturers fly 50 times with the same jet in order to prove reliability certainly is not very interesting.

I say, bring out the camaraderie instead... And some more guys like Eddie Weeks who keeps us entertained. Don't bore us to death with tales of turbine perfection that does not exist. ALL manufacturers have problems. (some are better at hiding them though)

Shake hands all you manufacturers, tell you reps to back of and spend their energy on having fun at the flying field instead of cluttering the Internet with their garbage. THIS IS A GOD DAMN HOBBY.... SUPPOSED TO BE WHERE YOU SPEND YOU QUALITY TIME HAVING FUN AND R&R.

My 0.02

Peter

EddieWeeks

From experence, I agree with Turbojet %100
and thanks Peter.

Eddie Weeks

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Turbinator,

What is the purpose of this forum, to obscure facts and serve as an advertising forum for people trying to sell something, or to share facts and experiences between hobbyists trying to make informed decisions with hard earned money?

Where is a guy supposed to go who wants to make an informed purchase decision when all he has to ask is a dealer selling a product?

If I call Dell and ask them what kind of computer I should buy do you think they are going to tell me to call Gateway?

Let's say I want to buy a new notebook computer. Is there anything wrong with asking people "How do you like your Gateway?"

No turbinator, I don't sit around all day and drink JetCat Koolaid. Like a lot of guys, I want the best equipment. When I buy my next turbine if it turns out that Simjet or AMT or Artes or RAM (have I forgotten anyone?) is the best for my needs I WILL buy that engine!

If someone can tell me honestly how there is something wrong with asking if people like their Simjets please let me know.

I don't know, maybe this forum is just not the place to do that.

Turbinator-inactive

The problem is Dustflyer that you have openly stated that "you don't know why anyone would buy anything but Jet Cat". Since this the way you feel, why would you ask about Sim Jet users experience if you would not concider buying one. Did you Jet Cat quit on you since you are now out looking for other alternatives.

The turbine wars are so useless, but it seems that every post is destined to be cluttered with some version of it. If a guy asks about tires or exhaust systems the tread quickly seems to change direction to reps fighting over who has the most reliable turbine on the market. Jeeezz, even the reps should be able to see that this sux :-)

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Turbinator,

OK, now I think I know why you keep going back to that.

No, I NEVER said I would never own anything but a JetCat, that is not true.

I was replying to "Nosedive" in the other Simjet post. I was asking HIM why he would ever own anything but a JetCat.

You misunderstand me totally Turbinator. I have nothing against Simjet and have no blind loyalty to JetCat even though I admit it is a great turbine.

The point is I, like Nosedive, am curious about the "new kids on the block," namely Simjet and Artes. I simply want to know how they are working out. I think Simjet has a great lineup of products and would like to hear nothing other than how good an engine they are. I think the 700 and 1200 are a neat concept, all I want to know is are they reliable. I would love to strap one of those on something like an Enforcer like Jesus Artes did with his JG50.

If you have something against me personally that's fine, but you are trying to make me out as having some kind of hidden agenda and that is untrue and unfair.

It is too bad this post has deteriorated. I thought it started out as a pretty good exchange of information.

If this keeps up I am going to delete the whole post.

Terry Holston

My Feedback: (1)

To Quote Tobie Kieth,"Uh,Oh, Eeeeesssssy now !"

Turbojet

Hi Guys,
Dustflyer there is nothing wrong with asking for pros and cons of any turbine. Just know that you must ask for non reps to respond if you want a real answer. Invariably reps responding on these forums start flaming right away. If you have to know specific specs contact the rep directly.
You have to respect all the mfs. There are easier ways to make money. From the behaviour of some though it seems like EGO is the motivating factor. Way back when the RAM cult started flaming the Jetlist with the odd response from a AMT user. Now and then BW would throw in some sarcastic comment about RAM. Since he is back in the turbine buss he seems to have backed off responding to each and every RAM problem. Of course at the time he could pick from many.
I say MORE to the real FUN guys and down with FLAMING reps.
BTW I notice BV picks his reps quite carefully it seems. The ones I know are pretty mature and responsible. How do you do it BOB?
Eddie, you just have to love that rig man....... Well done!

Turbinator-inactive

Nothing personal Dust...

As you can tell from my posts i'm all for everyone getting along and having a good time.

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

Hi all,

I think that the "rep wars" idea may be getting overstated just a bit. No doubt there are times when reps from competing companies may go a bit too far, but I don't think that's the general case.

Lemme give you an example of what I'm talking about...

When I did my turbine waiver, I had originally planned on using my AMT as my first turbine, so I flew down to San Diego to do my turbine manufacturer's training/sign off with the AMT rep there.

I later decided to delay flying the AMT powered Raptor until after I had flown something more sedate, and soon found myself at the local flying site with a RAM 500 powered Bobcat.

Having done my engine training with AMT, this RAM engine was totally foreign to me, and I was a bit apprehensive about it at first, because no doubt there were differences that I should be aware of between it and the AMT. Guess who came over and spent a lot of his time helping me understand and then operate my RAM 500 ? The local Jetcat rep.

I'm now on pretty friendly terms with Reps from AMT, Jetcat and RAM, and I've gotta say that *all* of these folks are good guys. Not one of them tries to pressure me into buying their brand of engine. They are helpful modelers first, and reps second.

No doubt there are reps out there who are not of the standard of the ones that I know - but just because a few of them may be loud and arrogant, please don't assume that that's the norm.

Regs,
Gordon

lov2flyrc

My Feedback: (24)

Dustflyer,
It is impossible for anyone to give you any feedback, positive or negative regarding the SimJet 700 or 1200, they have NOT been released to the market yet! As for Reps pushing a brand on anyone I think you are quite out of line here. I see you pushing Jetcat more than any turbine rep on this board. I dont PUSH the simjet line, I use them therefore I can give my experiences with that perticular brand of turbine.
As a rep, it is my job to fly my planes and have a good time and answer any questions someone might have, turbines sell themselves when the product proves itself. It is quite simple, a quality reliable product that fits the specifications a consumer is looking for sells the turbine. The more competition out there the better it is for all of us (unless your a manufacturer), quality goes up, prices come down and technology moves at a faster rate. There will ALWAYS be problems with turbines sooner or later, just the nature of the beast but it is the service when you need it that really counts. Look what JackJet went through with the Sophia!
I bought a Simjet as my first turbine, I new very little about simjet at the time but the price was right and it came as a combo package with a roo. I have been completly satisfied with the performance of my 2300, it has run flawless for over a year now (70+ flights). Would I buy a Ram/Jetcat/AMT, sure....If simjet did not have a turbine with the specs I was looking for then I would look elsewhere, rep or not. I stand behind Simjet as a rep because I believe they have as good a product as the rest of the majors on the market. Not saying they are any better, but certainly up to par with the rest. Pricing, have to say they have most beat there, warranty...Yup, got them beat there too. Service, well with Simjet now in the states they certainly are par with that as well.
Lets get past all this Ford VS Chevy crap and get out and FLY! Isnt that what this hobby is all about?

Todd Wikoff

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Peter,

Forgot to tell you, loved your post #10, very well said.


Darren Kennedy,

Perfect, beautiful. Great, honest, objective information. Thanks.


Turbojet,

Awesome post. It wasn't until I read it over a second time that I really grasped the full meaning of it. This forum is imperfect. You are absolutely so right, if you want to advertise and promote a product then buy advertising! I have absolutely nothing against engine reps personally. Hey, if I am going to buy a RAM 500 I want to talk to TonyF, it's as simple as that. (Tony, I LOVE that new jet of yours and want to know more about that 500!)

The problem is the purpose and objective of this forum has never been defined. Is this an advertising forum or a user forum or both? Should reps for ANYTHING be allowed? I guess my problem is I never fully understood what kind of forum this really was. I thought it was some kind of user forum, but clearly it is not. ANYONE can post here, sellers or consumers. Again, let me make something perfectly clear, I have nothing against reps, all the ones I know are great guys who go out of their way to help anyone who needs it, including me! What we need is a true users forum, a place where guys can share experiences, good and bad. If someone has a RAM 500 and loves it, I'd like to hear that. If someone has a bad experiece with a JetCat P-80, I want to know about that too.

What is needed is a forum where anyone affiliated with any manufacturer is not allowed. If you want specs and info on a particular product you can call the company or a rep any time and they will be glad to talk to you. What is hard to get, especially if you can't spend a lot of time at jet rallies or don't know a lot of other jet modelers is the real world, unbiased, objective experience of people who have spent hard-earned money for a product and have something to say about it one way or another.

The sad fact is this is not a users forum, it's a Wild West free for all where anything goes. "Not that there's anything wrong with that" as Jerry Seinfeld would say, but you just need to know what you are getting into here.

I have come to the conclusion that this is really not the place to discuss operational issues, it is just not that kind of forum. I know! If you ask people how they like their xyz turbine you are accused of trying to ruin someones reputation. Say what? You can't even say you like the engine you own without being accused of being a "promoter." A promoter?

Oh well, no hard feelings here. I'm in this hobby for fun, not aggravation. I really respect my fellow jet modelers who have gone into forum "read only mode." How do they get such willpower? I'm workin' on it!

wd40

My Feedback: (81)

I researched the Turbines for 2 years before I bought a SimJet 1700, I noticed in the jet magazines all the guys were using SimJet turbines. So I decided to buy one ,and have great luck with
it and the service is super. I couldn't have made a better choice.

Turbojet

Hi dustflyer,
I may have pushed a bit on the Rep issue. Many of these guys do a great job supporting customers. They are needed. My problem is with the FLAME reps. i.e. everytime an innocent question gets asked some jump on the bandwagon to join in on what ends up in a freakin pi&*#ng contest.

Here is a tip to all reps.

Users respect you more if you dont blast the opposition.
Real information helps more than half truths.
Back up your claims with REAL facts.
Be a fun guy.
Leave the acid comments for the politicians.

TO THE WANNABE REPS: Just because you own a product does not give you ammo to blast the opposition. Your favourite mnf may not benefit from it, even if they think so.

Shaun Evans

Hi Guys,

You know, I doubt if anybody WANTS to come in here and tick people off. Well, there have been a few, but the serious regulars, they just ask their questions and speak their minds. Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing here?

When someone comes in and asks a question about a particular product, there are always going to be those who diss and dog the product if it's one they don't happen to like. After that, it's just human nature to get irritated and maybe even respond if you think the comments are mean or unfair. Does that mean that you're gonna lie or ebmellish to defend the person/product you like (or in some cases, represent or sell)? Not necessarily.

I've been reading these posts about how some of us are just in here to FLAME other Reps or other brands. I kept hearing about this big FLAME war that's supposed to have been going on in these posts, but I didn't really remember any FLAMING--that was, until I went back and re-read them all. Lo and behold, there IS a little bit of flaming going on in there! Not Rep flaming Rep like someone wrote, though. However, couple of times, it was me making comments that were less-than-uplifting about other brands.

Let's be fair, though. The most caustic of comments haven't been coming from Reps at all. Usually it's a Rep who will respond to something like that and defend his company. I don't begrudge any Rep the right to want to stick up for his product, least of all myself. I do think, though, that there is a fine line between sticking up for your product and dissing someone's else. After re-reading the posts, I'm not sure I've stayed on the good side of that line all the time, and for that, I'm sorry.

I'm learning that this Internet is a double-edged sword. People can play hide-and-seek, and bait others into useless arguments for the entertainment of a few. It's silly to think for a minute that you have to be a Rep to be brand-loyal or biased. Read the threads at issue here, and you'll see that loudest snarling and gnashing of teeth isn't coming from Reps. After reading it all again, I think it ended pretty much where it started, just less friendly. That's a shame, and I don't want to be part of that.

Continue to count on me for promt help with questions regarding Yellow Aircraft products. I'm ALWAYS building one, and I keep good notes on tips. Continue to count on me for prompt delivery and good prices on the kits and engines that I sell. Continue to count on me for updates on how things are going with the new Simjet engines (so far, so FANTASTIC!). Just don't count on me to get involved with any unpleasantries about who's jet does what anymore. I really think it's been taking away from the fun and fellowship that is Jet Modelling.

Once again, don't go thinking that a man's word isn't solid because he's hooked up with a particular company. Most Reps I know will simply tell it like it is when you talk to them. Most Reps are going to bend over backward to help, no matter what equipment you bought. How many times have you seen Tony and John R. flying other manufacturer's planes for someone who needed help with it? How many times have you seen guys like that under the hood of someone's else bird so that their fellow modeller could succeed with his project? Guys like that don't deserve to have their word, opinions or assessments disregarded because they're Reps.

If anyone has any questions regarding this or anything else, or if you want to check prices or just wanna argue about turbines, gimme a call at Discount Hobby Warehouse on Sundays. 858-560-9633 :-)

God bless, see you in Florida!!!!!!!!!

zx6rg2

hi i have a simjet 3000 full auto start i have test run it 4or5 times and only had 3 flights in the plane and now it will not start it runs on the gas then stops with a full red light on the aux

rcguy!

My Feedback: (69)

Better place to post this is with SimJet direct support on RCU?

Dave