RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

I just switched over from a JR Venture to the new Raptor V.2. I purchased a 90% assembled from Hobbytown. I was extremely impressed with the smoothness of this heli as were my fellow fliers at the field but then it happened. I was at high altitude hovering and we saw something fly from the tail rotor. A horrible sound and vibration immediately followed as well as the lack of ability to keep the heli from spinning. I attempted to fly it all the way in but towards the end the spinning and vibtration just would not allow any control. It hit hard and broke many pieces and stripped my pitch servo. Upon inspection and after considering the characteristics of crash we found that the heli had slung one entire tail rotor blade with the holder. Closer inspection showed that threads on tail rotor set screw were trashed. It looks like it was possibly cross threaded and therefore weak. Please examine the image.


This is a paste of my post at the thundertiger forum. I have not heard back from them yet. At first I thought this might have been an assembly problem on hobbytowns part because they had partially assembled the heli and had it hanging up in the store but I found that this particular part is already assembled from the factory.

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

Well, if that heli started life as a kit (not an ARF) the tail rotor grips are NOT bolted on at the factory. Whoever assembled it stripped the threads... so you can probably blame Hobbytown for your grief! Check out this RaptorTechnique assembly page/photo to see what you get out of the box...

http://www.raptortechnique.com/manua...-50_page19.htm

Just another reason to buy your heli as a kit and build it yourself... buying preassembled or used, you never know what you're getting. This assembly mistake was an extremely unfortunate and costly one!

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

All I know is that is says 90% assembled and read to fly on the box. I called Hobbytown first and they said the tail rotor is already assembled in this package. I have not heard back from Thundertiger so I don't know for sure yet.


I contacted Thundertiger today because I was not getting any email replies. They said their expert is out of town. I don't think it takes an expert to tell the threads were crossed.

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

I have always heard good things about thundertiger but so far I am not impressed with the support. Were they bought out or something? I first used their webpage email form as instucted by their support team to send my information and a link to the image. I did that and found later that the webform had not been updated in a while and the mail was going to an address that no longer existed. The only reason I found out is that I found a send failure notice later that day. I called back and got a new address. I sent my info there but no confirmation of receipt so I sent another with a confirmation request and text asking for confirmation but still got none. I finally called and they said they did get it. Thats when I was told the expert was out of town.

I got to looking at the threads again and in the image you can see marks running across the stripped threads, almost like someone used pliers to put the set screw in. I attempted to remove the set screw and none of the allen wrenches would grab, suggesting the inside is stripped out and might explain why someone may have used pliers to install it.

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

From what you have said and the pictures you posted, I seriously doubt that work came from TT. They are assembled on an assembly line type setup and I don't think they would ever use pliers like that. Someone else has done that. I know people have bought kits and swapped out the good pieces for the stuff they have screwed up and then they return the kit saying they never did anything with it. For the price of the center hub, noone in their right mind would put that together like that. Someone was stealing/swapping parts from your ARF. I'd check the rest of the heli very closely for other stuff they may have swapped out.
Matt
Some people are just lowlife ****s!

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

I'm assuming the marks came from pliers. I can't think of why there would be marks in that direction. If you look at the first 3 threads or so they are flattened like they were crossthreaded but they are also rough. The rest of the threads are flattened and smooth. I may be completely wrong about the marks. This image, even the smaller one, is greatly enlarged so that would make for some really small plier marks. I just know I didn't put it together and Hobbytown is saying that part is already assembled in this version of the arf.

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

It looks to me like it was grabbed with a pair of pliers and twisted. The twisting caused the flat areas in my opinon.
Matt

Spaceman Spiff

My Feedback: (1)

I see some dark lines, but not something that looks like pliers to me. (except maybe at the tip) maybe the nut that goes on it was drilled too large before tapping so it didn't have full thread contact?

Raydee

My Feedback: (3)

While I am not going to say that TT has the best rep for building a heli, It is hard to say if the actual store you bought it from did the damage or not. Don't bother emailing TT for help, just call and be persistent, my bet is that they will help you out somewhat.

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

I finally got a response from someone. They instructed me to send it back, which I knew I would have to do. My problem is why wasn't I instructed to do this the first day I called. After I received my email today to send it back I called to see if I needed an RMA# but the lady I spoke to could not tell me if that was required or not. Not a very good first impression to me. If getting TT problems addressed is this difficult, as much I liked the way it flew, I'm going back to JR.

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

Is JR's customer service much better?

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

From my dealings with them, yes. My Venture 30 game with a very cheap JR two piece muffler. They are bad about coming in half. This happened to me at a low hover, about 20 feet. The muffler came apart (long bolt that hold the pieces together failed) and the engine died shortly after, I guess because there was no pressure to the tank anymore. Not enough time to do anything but let it come down. It didn't hit terribly hard but broke the rubber landing gear dampers, the blades and other light damage. I called and told them. Sent the muffler in with a list of what broke and they sent the new stuff out to me. They didn't have the blades in stock so they had another location ship them to me. I was not expecting a new heli in that case because I had flown the Venture many times but I think they went above and beyond by replacing the parts. Everything arrived the same day.

The people I am dealing with concering the Thunder Tiger is acehobby so I can't say its Thunder Tiger directly. I will just be glad when this is over.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Hmmm, sux, I broke a part once, and I called horizon which is the rep, they sent me the part the next day and said not to worry about it. You must have talked to a flunky or went it with a percieved attitude. If you treat them well, they seem to respond really quick. Hate to see you get jerked around on this one. Strange.

Was that one of the pre-installed parts? Seems odd that it would come off like that. Probably a defective nut that didn't thread properly.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

FYI,

If you loose tail rotor, hit the throttle hold. Tail rotor is anti torque. No torque, no spin, no need for tail rotor. It saved me once from my own carelessness. A R50 with aftermarket tail pitch yoke. Didn't locktite it to the sleeve, no idea what I was thinking at the time but it auto'd in fine w/ throttle hold engaged.

Andy

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

Yes this was a preinstalled part. I wish I had taken it apart and done it myself. I did check to make sure parts were attached but in this case there was no way to check it other than removing it completely. I have no problems with horizon. They treated me well with the JR. Its Acehobby that was giving me the runaround with the raptor. They should recieve it tomorrow so maybe I will hear something.

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

Yeah I did hit throttle hold at the end but by then it was time to add pitch. It was apparently too late. Even though I added pitch at the end there was just no lift. My first thought after checking everything over was that maybe the vibration from the one tail rotor blade damaged the pitch servo because it was broken, but I think that came from the impact. Regardless it was my first time up with the raptor and I had not even had a chance to practice an autorotation with it.

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

Just an update on how Ace Hobby has handled this so far. I had to contact them and they said they did not see the package. It was shipped to them and signed for on Tuesday of this week. Here it is Friday at the end of their business day and they could not even tell me if the box was actually there. He rambled on about how busy they have been with new orders or something, which translates into them putting existing customers on the back burner. Seems to me thats what different departments are for. They claim to have a helicopter specialists but apparently he does not have time to look at the helicopters.

Still looking for some input on the Hirobo Shuttle Plus.

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

I can tell you I'm very happy with my Hirobo Sceadu Evo 50. If I'm not mistaken, the shuttle is the old heli kit. The Sceadu is the current Hirobo 30 size heli.
Matt

tadawson

The Shuttle is still alive and well in the product line, but for just a few more $$$ get the Evo - it is a much better flying, more advanced heli which will take you farther in your flying. I started on a Sceadu (not Evo) 50, and it was a very good learning platform.

- Tim

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

I can't believe this. Two weeks now since first communications with Ace Hobby and still no word. They have had the helicopter for eight days now. I have never seen such poor communications. They don't answer emails and even after pointing out to them that their webpage contact form was routing email to a dead address they still have not corrected it. Is there someone else I could have or can go through with this issue other than Ace Hobby?

RaptorCam

My Feedback: (14)

Well they have had the Raptor now for 2 weeks and just flat out did not answer my email asking what the hold up was. I got a return receipt showing that it was read but no response. I went ahead and filed with the California Southland BBB. May have been the wrong thing to do and make me look like as ass but they are the ones not communicationg. Am I wrong in expecting some communication about their intentions after they have had my Raptor for 2 weeks? I don't think so.