SVX

I just wanted to share my experience with Century Jet and their customer service. I have a set in my Top Flite Corsair and love them. Having traded in my Robarts that I couldn't stop from twisting on landing, I have been very happy with the few flights that I have made with the CJ units. Even one very short flight which broke the struts on each retract to which I sent them back and received the repares for Free!!!!! So it was with this experience that I inquired about a pair for the P-40 I am preparing to start. I E-mailed the sales address and asked questions pertaining to the strut length and so on. Within an hour I had a response followed with 3 others within the day consisting of an attachment of the order form, and pictures of the actual strut and retract. I must say that this is a nice change compared to the usual responses I get from other distributors in our hobby. It impressed me to the extent that I am ordering a pair within the week. I don't want to sound like a Representative of Century Jet or certainly don't' want to put any other company down. But this customer service is what earns my business.

SVX

Maiden Voyage

What a breath of fresh air! It's nice to hear that CJ is doing what it takes.
So SVX I take it the quaility of the CJs is better than your Robarts. What model Robarts did you have and what model CJ did you replace them with? The reason I ask is because I am at the point I need to buy some for my TF Corsair and I believe your the first that has had both recently and replaced the Robarts with CJs (it's usually the other way around).

NCC-1701

I agree Century Jets customer support is superb. A couple of years ago, I purchased a second hand Sport Hawk MkII kit. I was at least the third owner of the kit. The foam core for the wing center section was damaged. Century Jets made me a new one for a very reasonable price. What's remarkable about this is the Sport Hawk had been redesigned to use plug-in wings and the center section was eliminated.

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Hopefully this could be the start of more consistent offerings on their part, as it seems consistency in dealing with customer problems is an issue. I still recommend sending in repairable gear via certified mail to head off any problems that could be used to justify lack of quick turnaround. I have never had an issue with politeness or repair cost on their part, only honesty about repair status and quality of manufacture, problems so apparent and so frustrating that I won't use again under any circumstance short of new ownership.

Vince

My Feedback: (1)

Mayby, just mayby CJM has heard the grumbles and is attempting a radical change. It took them long enough. I will still use the "wait and see" method before they get any more of my business.

Vince

Fili

Okay, silly question, What's their web address? Can't find it....duh

ho2zoo

My Feedback: (5)

Century Jets site is:

www.centuryjet.com

Sure wish I could afford a turbine...

AlphaWhisky

I`ll make an approach to these people.

I have been trying for weeks to get a quote for a pair of retracts for a Dynaflite 80" Spitfire from The Robart export outfit, but haven`t been able to get a reply from either them or Robart themselves so far.

Anyone got a set of 630DSPF units for sale?

Alan W

SVX

Originally posted by Maiden Voyage

What model Robarts did you have and what model CJ did you replace them with?

Sorry for the delayed response, I first installed the Robart 615's. I heard they changed the strut to a two bolt strut to handle the twisting so I checked and it turns out that I had the newer ones with the two bolt strut. Anyway after several failed landings, I purchased the Century Jet Centurian 33325- the ones for the TF Corsair but I had them install the (1/2) diameter strut and increases the resistance of the shock. Since then I have made three flights (two successful) and so far not one failure.

I am really excited to try their delay box which is another $40 but apparently you can adjust the speed of retraction independently thereby allowing one wheel to retract prior to the other.

SVX

Devo

SVX, just curious, on the Robart 615s did you grind a flat spot on top of the strut for the set screw to rest on?

SVX

Hi Devo,
Yeah, I did grind "the" flat spot. In fact I did it so much that in the end I was almost a 1/4 of the way through the gear wire. But the last flight before I switched to the CJ's they spun around like they were not even attached. When I went and got them down to see what model # they were I noticed that I had bent the strut on the last landing. I can honestly tell you that the flight that I landed hard enough to break the shock in my Century Jets, did not bend that great big 1/2 inch strut. Looking at my CJ retracts I really can't see why allot of people are haveing problems with them, but I guess I got lucky. (it's about time )

SVX

Maiden Voyage

SVX, two out of three? What happened on the third flight, nothing too bad I hope?

BTW Where abouts in Utah? I was born and raised in South Salt Lake.

SVX

I put a Y.S. 1.20 in it that I purchased before they went to the 1.40. From the first flip of the prop to the last flight the motor never had any transition from idle to full throttle. So any way that "third" flight I took of and just after I hit the retracts the engine quit. I was not high enough to have a soft landing but was able to turn and line up for a straight and level landing -- just hard braking my shocks in both units. I was surprised at the glide rate I did get though.


By the way, I am in Salt Lake City, Thanks for your responses,
SVX

Maiden Voyage

Glad to hear the landing went ok. What field do you fly at? Maybe next time I'm up there visiting we can bore a few holes in the sky together.

Kirk RC

My Feedback: (4)

I agree with the much improved service at CJM. I had a problem with a pair of retracts for my Pica FW-190 that I had purchased 3 years ago but never flew. When the bird finally got into the air the retracts had a few problems in leaking and lateral movment when in the down "locked position". After a few discussions with Bruce at CJM I sent them back and they made everything right. Unfortunitly a gravity surge beat up my FW two weeks ago so the guys at the CJM service dept will get another chance to do their magic. Note to CVX, I fly warbirds all the time at the SLC state park airfield, never seen your Corsair. Where you been? Kirk RC

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

Has anybody looked at Sierre retracts
I spent some time at there booth at Toledo and was most impressed by there quality and prices.

SVX

I haven't had a chance to get out for a while. Actually a long while. You know how work can get. In fact both my AMA and my club membership have expired. When I do get the chance though I fly out at the field just west of Centerville with the South Davis Modelers. I had a friend that used to fly out at the Salt Lake field that built beautiful warbirds but we heard that the field was closed due to budget cuts. So he started going out the Gransville. This P-40 that I just bought is going to get me going again (hopefully). I have found that I need the break of the enjoyment of building and flying.

On that site for Sierre Retracts, I think they look great but all that I could see were for the larger 1/5 and 1/6 scale planes. Maybe these will be the guys to finally produce another rotating retract?

SVX