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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: peter_gibbons on August 29, 2006, 04:51:30 PM
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I know a lot of you all fly 15-40 competition/combat stuff. But, I thought I would tell you all about my conversation with Cox on the phone.
I asked about the engine production rumors (asia, europe, the moon). He laughed and said NO. He said engines hadn't been made in 10 years and that first, they don't know where the machines are (Roy Cox) and, that nobody bought them, they just KNOW that everyone is going electric, that there is no place for "Gas" model airplanes anymore. Even if they KNEW where the machines were, they wouldnt bother making anymore, as there is no market.
I told him o'contrare, if you look at ebay that would change your argument. He responded with "ya." So, there ya go, straight from the phone reps mouth. I guess all of us with Cox Thimble Drome engines are losers that havent caught onto the 'electric craze'
Thought I would let you know,
Ryan
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I hate to say it, but this doesn't suprise me at all. The new owners won't ever understand and/or care about the BAZILLION .049's sold by the REAL Cox over all those years. The worse thing here is that the new company's bean counters are probably dead on with this business decision. Todays youth, in general, are much more interested in what the latest computer game is than getting their hands dirty flying models and learning about how things actually work. Have you looked at a Model Airplane News lately?
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No actually i haven't, I am just simply trying to get my 4 year old out there flying, but instead, i am sitting here trying to collect as much 049 and 020 stuff as I can since a Brodak 049 is outta site (plus nobody makes and 020, sorry free flight guys). There is no reason why the brodak 049 should cost 44 bucks... I learned things about engines from Cox when I was a kid that could never be substituted with anything else, and now this is what i find. What a shame... plus, the guy was a total jerk wad on the phone. What a total a@@
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I don't see why $44 for the Brodak .049 seems out of line. R&D and manufacturing start up costs need to be recovered, and it's (probably) not like there is a huge market for them.
cheers,
Ken
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The Norvels cost even more and are worth every penny. The Brodak is certainly not out of sight at 44 bucks. In fact, given inflation, I can buy more Brodaks now than I could buy Cox 049 motors when I was a kid. While I still like the Cox motors the Brodak and Norvels are much, much better engines. Spend the extra money and get the Norvel or Brodak, you will be happy.
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Agreed, the Norvel and Brodak engines are fairly priced. I'v got no experience with the Brodak, but my Norvel .061 is a great little engine, after the slightly extended break in period required of course.
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The Norvels cost even more and are worth every penny. The Brodak is certainly not out of sight at 44 bucks. In fact, given inflation, I can buy more Brodaks now than I could buy Cox 049 motors when I was a kid. While I still like the Cox motors the Brodak and Norvels are much, much better engines. Spend the extra money and get the Norvel or Brodak, you will be happy.
Besides that why not support the companies that still care about control line..
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I can not remember the online store but a few years back when I we did the .049 stuff, I bought one new for around $40. So Brodaks is not that far off. And like someone said, the Norvel's are good engines and more power IMHO.
Paul
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Hi guys,
I am a Cox engine lover for sentimental reasons, that is, they remind me of my child hood, I know them well, and they are very simple little engines to use and maintain and I feel comfortable letting the kids play with them because they aren't at all very dangerous by comparison to larger engines.
I must say I resisted the change to Norvel and even after buying a Norvel I didnt use it for months. But having recently built my 1/2A Patfinder and puting a Norvel .061 in it, I'm kinda thinking now, for anything serious, forget the Cox and use a Norvel. These engines are absolutely fantastic!
I still love my Cox's and will continue to fly them, but I think I will use a lot more Norvel's now for 1/2A Control Line and Free Flight. And the price of a Cox on ebay is the same if not more than a Norvel so the Norvel's are definitely better value for money.
Cheers
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Cox engines were for the most part manufactured on automatic screw machines, at least the metal parts. Parts were manufactured by the thousands at one time and then assembled. If you noticed Cox started to introduce plastic where they could to reduce costs. Then they were sold and moved north and most of the machines didnt go. The parts were probably jobbed out and the production lot sizes reduced. The cost went up not down as the new ownors had hopped. Then somebody at Estes realized that this wasnt there thing and sold it again. The only thing worth anything was the Cox name. So thats where it stands today. The name will someday surface again on an electric toy airplane. The motors produced for Brodak and Norvel come from smaller shops in much more smaller production lots and with a heck of a lot more quality. Well worth the $44.00 bucks.
Thanks
Wayne