Maple motor mount issues divert a bit from the subject But I agree with CL Flyer above
Not too sure who is the real blame* for poor motor mount Rock Maple selection in the kits, or sold separate...and for sure not just Brodak
I have culled out or had to dimensional fix a lot of supplied motor mounts.. too fat.. ( too thin can NOT be fixed) poor piece of wood (warped, knots, trapezoid), too short..also can' be fixed, ill cut angle into fuselage and doublet cutouts
I got real aggravated with this detail...for what I PERSONALLY CONSIDER a critical dimension KIT piece...so a while back I just bought 6 each 3/4"x 3/4" x 36" sticks, graded the grain, cut out any knots, and played with grain orientation to cut down my own motor mounts to match the plan or supplied fuselage cutouts
* I am pretty sure the kit makers buy pre cut stock and (might) re cut for any specific kit...length, maybe width and any bevel/angle to key to the fuselage
I am also sure the bulk stock they buy may have been cut in the line, out side, or inside, and the final dimension is off by blade kerf so a lot of so called 1/2" x 3/8th " by 6" long pieces are NOT accurately cut
Some of the fitting error is not just the motor mount but the cut out in the fuselage (usually to large)...again I can deal with too small
Too often I find:
Knots in bad places
Cork screwed,
too thin ( I can deal with too fat) in one or more dimensions
Too short (again I can deal easily with too long)
These are the typical errors I see from most kit suppliers I use
NO I did not complain to them, well except Erik Rule, who Immediately supplied the MISSING maple mounts from the 1/2a Stuka kit
And yes from my experience with any of the kit folks--- I know they would gladly send me a replacement set of parts
Just was easier, for me, back a few years to get a good supply of Hard maple and machine my own to fit Precisely
Of course the helps me to justify the cost of the wood working shop and the expensive tooling, blades, sleds, and fixtures
Grin