Cut a new fues. My ARF PF had all kinds of vibration issues due to a soft nose. It also bowed but not as badly as yours. I was able to compensate for the bow with offset wedges. A standard half inch balsa fues with real maple motor mounts run past the leading edge of the wing and true five ply doublers should be a vast improvement. The plane itself flies quite well when the ARF liabilities are overcome.

Did you get it in the last few weeks?  I got one from Tower earlier this month and it had a pretzel fuselage, and the quality of everything was terrible.  It was my second P-Force ARF and a total joke compared to the first.  The trailing edge had the lazer cut notch for the pushrod on the top of the wing in addition to the bottom, but the covering was solid over it.  I fired off a email to Tower, and they had another out to me in 3 days that was better then the first one.  It was straight, was covered better, and weighed less then either of the first two.  The bent fuselage plane went back to Tower's customer service, I've been waiting to see it pop up in the scratch and dent bin.  I wonder if it's the same arf or the same guy on the assembly line that's laughing his butt off?

Either way, I'd say order another one and send that one back.  Keep doing it till you get a good one, cause they're really good planes when you get a good one.  I got my first one at the end of last summer and put  200+ flights on it last year without doing much of any trim work, and no fiddling.  The new one flew good enough off the bench I flew the pattern on the third flight.  When I get the pipe length/venturi size, etc worked out it's going to be awesome.  One of mine has a OS 25F the other a 32F, both on pipe and I haven't had any problems with engine runs.  There are some hollow spots in the fuselage, but it's nothing like the TF ARF's.  I crashed the one twice, once over asphalt the other on grass, and the asphalt crash broke the fuselage behind the wing.  They're REALLY overbuilt. 

All I did was toss all the kit hardware.  The supplied tank works really well, and I used the supplied pushrod with a piece of carbon tube slipped over the top.  CA hinges don't seem to work for me, so Dubro pinned hinges, and a Dubro elevator horn.  I fly off grass at home, so 2 1/4" wheels were added, and I left the wheelpants off.  I can't really say enough nice about them, for the price they're a nice kit.

Contact Sig. No reason to suffer.

They have always come through for me in the past as has Brodak and RSM and a lot of other Modeling enterprises. As a matter of fact I don't think I have ever been left in the lurch when something wasn't right. Biggest problem is picking up the phone or keyboard and getting in touch!

Alan,

I did contact Sig, and to their credit, they did send out a replacement fuselage (immediately).  Problem is, it wasn't much better than the first.  Tower has also indicated that they would exchange it.  I don't really have a beef with either company, I'm just 0 for 2 and not optimistic that further returns will benefit anyone besides UPS.  That's why I ask what others may have done.

Andrew,

I did get it in the last few weeks (6/25) but I doubt that it was a previous return.  All the boxes looked untouched.  I may give Tower one more iteration.

Dennis,

I may still consider cutting a new fuse.  The wing and stab look okay.  I'll have to see what the local wood supply looks like.  Like I said, I had planned to strip and paint the fuse anyway.  I'm not a fan of film on a fuselage, and especially around the engine.

Doc,

Good to hear from you.  See you in Wichita next month?

Gary Mondry

  Dennis, Who would you contact for the wing or any other parts that a fellow might want ?
    Thanks for the advice, Gil