Disturbing Sig rumor

[Richard Koehler]

When only a small part of my special order from Sig showed up at the local hobby shop this weekend I heard a rumor that Sig had been purchased by Tower.  Anybody heard anything?

[john e. holliday]

If you want the facts, contact them direct.

[Randy Powell]

I just ordered some stuff from them direct. Good service and the stuff came on time, not that that means anything, I guess.

[Paul Taylor]

First I heard of this but a quick google search brought back.....

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2010/01/22/hobbico_acquires_model_rocket_maker


Maybe this is the root of your rumor.

[Steve Fitton]

The news about Estes is bad enough, never mind sig.  Reading the press release makes it sound like Hobbico is going to further abandon the model rocket modeler in favor of cheap arf type models and cheaped out engines sold through Wal Mart.

[Brett Buck]

The news about Estes is bad enough, never mind sig.  Reading the press release makes it sound like Hobbico is going to further abandon the model rocket modeler in favor of cheap arf type models and cheaped out engines sold through Wal Mart.

Agreed, more crappy products sold using Vern's good name. I just got a Tower catalog and was startled to find it was quite difficult to even find kits, and they nearly apologized for the fact.

    Brett

[Bill Hodges]

I just sent an email to Sig asking it this rumor is fact or fiction.  I will post their reply when I get one.  I certainly hope it is fiction.  I occasionally do business with Tower/Hobbico, but I am tired of seeing them try to swallow up the entire modeling industry.

If it turns out to be true, I will have to order some Sig kits (RC & CL) to put away for the future.

Bill Hodges

[David Redden]

Hi guys,

Bill Hodges e-mail came across my desk here at Sig. This is only the most recent one of these rumors that we hear about and they happen about once a month. I'm sure the source of these rumors are the many stock outages that Sig has had over the past few months. Our ARF production in China was disrupted and we are still putting that back together. At the same time, we got a container of balsa from South America where the quality of balsa in that shipment can only be described as %#$^*%$*&^$ - you don't want to know. Anyway, we refused to put this low-quality wood in our kits or sell it as open stock balsa wood and it's not like you can go down to Walmart and buy a truckload of raw balsa wood.

Anyway, a new shipment of wonderful quality wood arrived about 2 weeks ago and we are back in full time wood and kit production. It will take us several weeks to gear up but things are getting back to normal.

In short, Sig has NOT changed ownership and you should start to see Sig kits back in stock very soon.

David Redden
Sig Manufacturing

[Jim Oliver]

David,

Thanks for setting the record straight! 

Sig has been, and continues to be, my supplier of choice for most of the "stuff" that I need and use for modeling.  I trust that you guys will be around for many years to come and won't become another victim of the "toy store virus" that has ruined most hobby shops and distributors.

BTW, I miss the great CL Stunt designs that you once kitted.

Cheers,
Jim

[Bill Hodges]

David:

Thanks for the reply to my email and thanks for putting this rumor to rest.

Bill Hodges

[Paul Taylor]

Hi guys,

Bill Hodges e-mail came across my desk here at Sig. This is only the most recent one of these rumors that we hear about and they happen about once a month. I'm sure the source of these rumors are the many stock outages that Sig has had over the past few months. Our ARF production in China was disrupted and we are still putting that back together. At the same time, we got a container of balsa from South America where the quality of balsa in that shipment can only be described as %#$^*%$*&^$ - you don't want to know. Anyway, we refused to put this low-quality wood in our kits or sell it as open stock balsa wood and it's not like you can go down to Walmart and buy a truckload of raw balsa wood.

Anyway, a new shipment of wonderful quality wood arrived about 2 weeks ago and we are back in full time wood and kit production. It will take us several weeks to gear up but things are getting back to normal.

In short, Sig has NOT changed ownership and you should start to see Sig kits back in stock very soon.

David Redden
Sig Manufacturing

David,
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy day to keep us in the know. Not very many people would take this step.
I have almost all SIG control line planes. (all the larger ones, .15 size and up)
SIG has made some very nice kits in the past and it would be nice to see more Control Line planes in your product lines.
But some of these guys will kit bash a R/C for C/L.
Thanks again to SIG and all they do for us.
Paul

[Guy B Jr]

I contacted Bob Nelson, at SIG, on 2/2/10 re: the dreaded "bow" in the Primary Force fuselage. As for their China supplier, he said that they were out of stock and wouldn't have any more Primary Force kits or fuselages until at least the end of the year because they had to order a whole container at one time. That is a lot of kits.

He said that he was flying a PF with the same inboard bow as my fuselage. All he did was use a 2 deg engine mount offset plate from Brodak. I told him that since they could not replace my fuselage for a year, that they ought to send me a set of the offset plates. He said no because they did not carry Brodak parts. That left me a little miffed. It wasn't the cost, it is the principle.

[Paul Taylor]

Hey Guy,
A quick fix would be to get some pad stock at Home Depot. Put two washers under the front lugs and go fly.!

 

[Alan Hahn]

I contacted Bob Nelson, at SIG, on 2/2/10 re: the dreaded "bow" in the Primary Force fuselage. As for their China supplier, he said that they were out of stock and wouldn't have any more Primary Force kits or fuselages until at least the end of the year because they had to order a whole container at one time. That is a lot of kits.

He said that he was flying a PF with the same inboard bow as my fuselage. All he did was use a 2 deg engine mount offset plate from Brodak. I told him that since they could not replace my fuselage for a year, that they ought to send me a set of the offset plates. He said no because they did not carry Brodak parts. That left me a little miffed. It wasn't the cost, it is the principle.

Well don't get miffed. They really don't carry the offset plates. For them to make a personal order to Brodak, then ship it to you is probably a bit beyond what they can normally do.

But I think adding offset plates isn't a very good idea anyway. So if I were you, I would make a new fuse out a straight piece of wood (or glue two 1/4" pieces together if the fuse is 1/2".

I know it sort of defeats the purpose of an ARF, but I think you are stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Maybe Sig could ship you a piece of wood for the replacement.

[john e. holliday]

Todays modelers are spoiled.  If I had a kit that had a bowed fuselage I would sit down and think how can this be corrected.  The manufacture does the best they can with what they have to work with.  I have had to replace sheet wood and some strip wood at one time or another.  Even getting balsa for scratch building I can't find or get the optimum wood needed for certain applications.  Like a warped sheet for a profile fuse, I try to lay it out so it bows to the out side.  Since it is hard to find straight 1/2 inch I am now resorting to 1/4 inch sheets laminated as I can straighten them out during the laminating process.  Also laminating makes for stiffer fuselages.

In the case of an ARF/ARC I would probably have taken an iron or hot air gun to see if some of the warp could be removed.  The alternative is to make slices in the fuse to get to where it can be bent the correct direction and add hard wood inserts.  It is easier to show in person than to write about it.      

[Robert Jones]

A quick fix would be to get some pad stock at Home Depot. Put two washers under the front lugs and go fly.!

What is "pad stock"?

[Paul Smith]

I think "pad stock" is basically a tapered shim to put under the engine to make offset.

Sort of like what I would get if is set my Sears miter saw at 2 degrees and flipped the stock between cuts to make piece of 4 degree offset stock.  With this piece of stok fabricated I would cut it into shim-size pices with an X-Acto saw or a scroll saw. 

[Alan Hahn]

What is "pad stock"?

Actually I think Paul (aka Rootbeard, not Paul Smith!) just means some 1/8"x3/8 aluminum strip to put under the engine lugs. Then put two washers between the pad and the lug.
Not great for engine support, but it does keep the washers (which give the offset to counteract the warped fuse) from digging into the nose.

[john e. holliday]

I use the aluminum pads even on a straight fuse to give more bearing surface, which helps with vibration.  In fact on some of my planes, the engine is bolted to the pad and then the pad to the fuse.  This is for using different engines.  Seems todays engines don't have a set pattern like the old days.