Kits and shipping

[john e. holliday]

On Lees post about shipping costs of a kit to other great countries, I wondered about short kits again.   I several from Great Britton that are print wood and I completed one that was die cut.   They came with full size plans and all the parts on the sheets.   No hardware and most no wire gear.   All strip wood and sheets I had to supply.   I've had a few phone conversations with our great kit producer Walter Umland on the phone when I could hear.  Mike Griffith even had some made for me.   They come in a much smaller package with the plans being folded.   They also take up less room in the shop.

Of course some of our builders may not have access to strip and sheet wood locally.   But I have found some really great balsa at our local Hobby Lobby.   One of the clerks was not going to let me have a couple of pieces of strip wood because c couple of inches were broken off the end.  Then I explained to her that it was still long enough that it was going to be cut shorter.   I know I should go to my local hobby shop,  but when they won't carry wood sizes I need I get them where I can.  Since Lonestar Balsa is no more I haven't ordered in bulk, but have ordered from National Balsa which is a good company.  Got some really good balsa sheets out of Florida on the Ebay so called auction site. 

So I wonder if it is feasible for the manufacturers to go the short kit route in some cases.  The hardware packages could be a separate package.  My feeble thoughts.    Have fun,  DOC Holliday

[Fredvon4]

To add to Doc's thought... rarely are the long pieces flat and straight

At least ways several of my recent kits required me to get better balsa from Sig or National Balsa if I could not find the right stick(s) at Hobby lobby MidWest bin

I have several Pat Johnston short kits that do include spars and LE/TE pieces with pre planned scarf joints... the package is well under any 46" international shipping limit....even with a full sized Fuselage

Because of the other over seas shipping thread, I measured my Brodak ME 109 kit and the box is exactly 46" long.... since there is a shipping concern, I personally think the box long side could easily be many inches shorter using scarf joints strategically planned out away from the center

Or--- offered as--- both a domestic full kit, and a international short kit

I am still miffed that the last two kits, a Brodak ME-109 and Sig SkyRay came to me with other order items added into the kit box and caused damage to critical parts...fixable but a serious aggravation IMO.... and in my opinion, preventable ,with thoughtful packing of the kit parts and the addition of loose items.

All the kits...short or full... from Erik Rule, Pat Johnston, Built Rite (Walt U), and some I am forgetting...all arrive cheaply and in good condition....not a true statement from Brodak (who I hasten to add I love and buy much from), or Tower, Sig, and a few others I forget

I have friends in many foreign countries and do not have a expensive problem getting some e-bay stuff for them and trans-shipping from my rural US post office...

BUT you gotta be careful with some countries in the customs description

Because of the customs or VAT (value added tax) crap, OR a refusal of any "perceived" Haz Mat...

Example: several countries consider an ENGINE (assumed oil and fuel inside) as Hax Mat and will refuse to allow it in...

I declare it as a "Model aircraft, Hobby propulsion unit, incomplete"..."NOTE: Fuel, Batteries, oil, mounting, and propeller NOT included"...spelled out on several lines, in English... screw the ignorant Romanian's Et Al...

Where I can, I ship via USPS in THEIR fixed rate boxes... the USPS fees to many international countries, in their flat rate boxes is ALWAYS a lot less than FedEX or UPS...

[Gerald Arana]

To add to Doc's thought... rarely are the long pieces flat and straight

At least ways several of my recent kits required me to get better balsa from Sig or National Balsa if I could not find the right stick(s) at Hobby lobby MidWest bin

I have several Pat Johnston short kits that do include spars and LE/TE pieces with pre planned scarf joints... the package is well under any 46" international shipping limit....even with a full sized Fuselage

Because of the other over seas shipping thread, I measured my Brodak ME 109 kit and the box is exactly 46" long.... since there is a shipping concern, I personally think the box long side could easily be many inches shorter using scarf joints strategically planned out away from the center

Or--- offered as--- both a domestic full kit, and a international short kit

I am still miffed that the last two kits, a Brodak ME-109 and Sig SkyRay came to me with other order items added into the kit box and caused damage to critical parts...fixable but a serious aggravation IMO.... and in my opinion, preventable ,with thoughtful packing of the kit parts and the addition of loose items.

All the kits...short or full... from Erik Rule, Pat Johnston, Built Rite (Walt U), and some I am forgetting...all arrive cheaply and in good condition....not a true statement from Brodak (who I hasten to add I love and buy much from), or Tower, Sig, and a few others I forget

I have friends in many foreign countries and do not have a expensive problem getting some e-bay stuff for them and trans-shipping from my rural US post office...

BUT you gotta be careful with some countries in the customs description

Because of the customs or VAT (value added tax) crap, OR a refusal of any "perceived" Haz Mat...

Example: several countries consider an ENGINE (assumed oil and fuel inside) as Hax Mat and will refuse to allow it in...

I declare it as a "Model aircraft, Hobby propulsion unit, incomplete"..."NOTE: Fuel, Batteries, oil, mounting, and propeller NOT included"...spelled out on several lines, in English... screw the ignorant Romanian's Et Al...

Where I can, I ship via USPS in THEIR fixed rate boxes... the USPS fees to many international countries, in their flat rate boxes is ALWAYS a lot less than FedEX or UPS...

Fred,

Along those same lines, I was using the "International" shipping "HUB" to ship abroad and LOST two very good "used" engines because they had OIL in them from being run?? They refunded the buyers $$ and I was paid BUT what happened to those erreplaceable engines?

Stupid fornicating fools!

I will NEVER use that system again, period!

Cheers, Jerry

[Mike Griffin]

I am glad Doc brought up the subject of "short kits".  I have found over the years that the term short kit means different things to different people.  Some folks think a short kit is all the laser cut parts needed to build the model less hardware of any kind, less canopy, less landing gear and less sheeting and sticks.  Some think a short kit is composed of ribs, formers (if a full body model), fuselage sides and doublers, no hardware of any kind, no canopy and no landing gear, no sheets or sticks.  Some folks think a gear is included but no canopy.  Some think a gear and canopy should be included in all short kits.  Some people think you should include a bellcrank.

My point being, a short kit is different things to different people.  I personally ordered a short kit of a full body model not too long ago and it came with the fuselage sides and doublers but no formers and the plan did not show a top view of the plan.  I thought that was kind of odd.

There has never been, to my knowledge, a hard and fast rule as to what a full body or profile short kit should contain.  That is why, when a kit manufacturer advertises a short kit, you should ask what is in that kit if they do not specify what is in the box.

Mike

[Steve Helmick]

Better yet, the kit maker should list whatever extra wood and hardware are required to complete the project!    Steve

[Mike Griffin]

I do Steve but some do not.  Another thing I failed to mention in my first post is that what is in or not in the kit can affect the price greatly also.

Mike