News:


  • March 28, 2024, 04:44:28 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Update From SIG  (Read 4996 times)

Offline Dan McEntee

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6823
Update From SIG
« on: April 17, 2021, 08:28:09 AM »
    I understand that everyone doesn't do facebook, but may be interested in this update from SIG Manufacturing. This is a post to their FB page by the new owner;

        Good morning. My name is Tom Lagerhausen, COO & CFO of Sig Manufacturing.
I have received many requests for info on how Sig is doing and saw a few comments that people think Sig is out of business. I can honestly say Sig is alive and attempting to get back to its glory days.
My business partner and I saw an opportunity in the industry and acquired Sig last spring. We believe Sig can grow within the foam and plastic airplane model industry and maintain the high quality products Hazel promoted when she started the company in 1951.
We came into the business knowing there were many issues to overcome (my current list has 27 issues on it), but the two most important issues were aging equipment and a difficult balsa supply chain.
When we acquired the company, most of the equipment was 25 to 50 years old, including our 200 watt laser cutting machines (for the old people like me, DOS is the operating system). We acquired a new Tannewitz band saw for our saw room and last week we acquired two SL6200 500 watt laser cutting machines in New York. The lasers should be in operation by the end of the month.   
For the past year, worldwide balsa supply has been in turmoil. Major wind mill manufacturers have cornered the market to place balsa wood into their windmill blades, primarily in China. Reps have traveled to the farmers with cash in hand to circumvent supply.
In addition, the Covid pandemic closed many ports, especially in Ecuador, where the best balsa wood is grown. For years Sig was a bottom feeder, scrounging for whatever balsa brokers could find, which usually meant receiving balsa blocks supposedly that were 4" x 48" on paper, but after delivery we find they are 3.5" x 47" (not usable in our bigger kits).   
I searched and found a Ecuadorian company willing to import balsa wood directly from their dedicated farms in Ecuador, processed in their own facilities & kilns, and ship directly to our dock. At this moment our first shipment of 26,000 board feet from this company is sitting in customs and should be here in the next few weeks. I also secured a long term contract with the company for three more shipments this year, so I believe the balsa block supply chain going forward is good. We are also buying 3" and 4" balsa sheets of various thickness from Indonesia and New Guinea to bypass our saw room operations and go directly to our lasers.
My apologies for the length of this post. Every week or two, I will provide updates of our progress, touching on different aspects of the business.
For those of you asking about tours, we can accommodate your visit.  With 66,000 square feet of space in 12 buildings (two city blocks), you will see some clutter we are working on to get rid of. I work every weekend here in Montezuma and can be available to give a tour on Saturday or Sunday, just let me know at tom@sigmfg.com and we can schedule something.
More updates to come. My team appreciates your support to help Sig provide the best quality model aircraft kit in the world.
Tom Lagerhausen

       I take this as a great news and a good sign for their future. I have used SIG product for a long, long time and glad to see they are working on making a come back. I remember when they got their first laser cutting rig, and they were one of the first at that time and did all sorts of contract laser cutting for other kit manufacturers also. After reading Tom's letter I realized how long ago that was!!

   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee
 
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)

Offline Will Hinton

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 2765
    • www.authorwillhinton.com
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2021, 01:21:13 PM »
Thanks for the post, Dan, this actually gives me a bit of a warm fuzzy.  When we were there in '95 for the c/l weekend they were doing some laser cutting then, so yep, a long time. D>K
John 5:24   www.fcmodelers.com

Offline Crist Rigotti

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 3855
  • Electric - The future of Old Time Stunt
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2021, 02:51:27 PM »
Great news.  Thanks Dan and Sig!
Crist
AMA 482497
Waxahachie, TX
Electric - The Future of Old Time Stunt

Offline Howard Rush

  • 22 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 7805
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2021, 04:25:30 PM »
This could be an opportunity to get one of their old lasers cheap.
The Jive Combat Team
Making combat and stunt great again

Offline Warren Wagner

  • 22 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • *
  • Posts: 274
  • Bradenton, FL
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2021, 05:42:02 PM »
That is very encouraging news for our hobby/sport.  I would have liked to hear something
about the ability of SIG to produce the dope line that has always given such excellant
results.   I know his note was lengthy and he didn't have time to respond to everything,
but hopefully the supply chain for dopes is not a problem, and he didn't feel the need to
mention it.

I certainly wish SIG the very best in restoring the health to a company that has meant
so much to all of us.

Cheers.

Warren Wagner
Warren Wagner
AMA 1385

Offline Jim Catevenis

  • 22 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • *
  • Posts: 195
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2021, 08:31:18 PM »
Thanks Dan.  Good news for all of us that have been using Sig products for years.

Jim Catevenis
JCAT

Offline wwwarbird

  • 2016 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 7961
  • Welcome to the Stunt Hanger.
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2021, 10:02:48 PM »

 Excellent news, thanks for the update Dan. I had no idea Sig had been sold again. Great to hear they're working on a good good balsa supply, hope it pans out for the long term.

 And Tom, thanks for your investment in Sig and all your efforts. Wishing you and your team the best and hope you can Make Sig Great Again!  y1
Narrowly averting disaster since 1964! 

Wayne Willey
Albert Lea, MN U.S.A. IC C/L Aircraft Modeler, Ex AMA member

Offline FLOYD CARTER

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 4458
    • owner
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2021, 01:49:44 PM »
SIG produces much more than just balsa kits.  They seem to be overly concerned about balsa supply.

I'm concerned with their other supplies for building, and their fuel business.
89 years, but still going (sort of)
AMA #796  SAM #188  LSF #020

Offline Dennis Leonhardi

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1773
    • AirClassix on eBay
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2021, 01:53:51 PM »
Excellent news, thanks for the update Dan. I had no idea Sig had been sold again. Great to hear they're working on a good good balsa supply, hope it pans out for the long term.

 And Tom, thanks for your investment in Sig and all your efforts. Wishing you and your team the best and hope you can Make Sig Great Again!  y1


What Wayne said.  Sig is right up there with Apple Pie and Chevrolet (or something like that) ...

 y1
Think for yourself !  XXX might win the Nats, be an expert on designing, building, finishing, flying, tuning engines - but you might not wanna take tax advice from him.  Or consider his views on the climate to be fact ...

Offline mike londke

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2021, 03:42:30 PM »
Another update dropped this morning----Weekly update from Sig Manufacturing 04/16/21 – Tom Lagerhausen, COO & CFO
Thank you everyone for the comments and questions last weekend in response to the first Sig Post. I read every comment / question and started a file of requests and ideas for future thought and planning. Some of the comments were requests for the return of some vintage Sig kits, which I will definitely review with my team. Cost and manufacturing capability of the vintage kits will dictate progress.
Quick Updates-
Wood Shipment – The 26,000 board feet of Ecuadorian balsa was released from customs in Philadelphia on Friday and is on its way to Sig. Our saw room staff is eager to start cutting into it.
ARF Shipment – Cargo ship containing ARF shipment of 480 ARFs anchored at Los Angeles Port Thursday evening with estimated unloading next Saturday.  We provided another purchase order to our Vietnamese facility for 600 more ARFs to be fabricated in July.
Laser Cutting Machines – 500 watt laser cutting machines we acquired a few weeks ago are being disassembled for shipment to Sig. We are currently preparing the area in Sig’s main building for required power and ventilation.
Weekly Post – This week I will touch on the manufacturing of ARFs (Almost Ready to Fly) kits, a kit designed to allow customers to quickly build a kit and get it flying.
According to the AMA, ARFs were first introduced in 1964 by Len Purdy, who’s company produced over 150,000 ARFs from 1964 to 1978. Sig joined the ARF parade in the early 2000’s, first having our ARFs produced in China, then moving the operation to Seagull Manufacturing, located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Seagull is one of the premier ARF fabricators with over 35 world-wide distributors marketing their products. I attached some photos of the Seagull factory building and shipping some of our ARFs.
The designs used by Seagull for our ARFs were created by Sig’s own design team in our research & development area. Sig designed 44 different ARF kits in total, but we are only marketing 21 currently.
People have asked me, “Why don’t you produce the ARFs in the USA?”. The quick answer is USA labor costs versus labor costs in Vietnam. If you look at some of the attached photos, the manufacturing process to fabricate ARFs is very manual, with workers manufacturing fuselage after fuselage, wing after wing, etc. It would be difficult and expensive to bring that type of production to Iowa. 
Sig sells both Sig branded ARFs and Seagull branded ARFs in the USA. About 75% of our sales currently are Sig ARFs. Seagull is introducing new models every year and we will evaluate each model for inclusion in our product mix. We are also reviewing additional Sig model kits as potential ARF products, but those ambitions will be at least a year out.
Unlike producing Sig kits in our factory here in Montezuma, manufacturing overseas has its moments. Beside relying solely on quality control efforts from the outsource company, lead times from initial purchase order to delivery can be long. Our current lead time for ARFs is about six months. Once a purchase order is submitted, it would take approximately three months to get into Seagull’s production schedule, a month of actual manufacturing, and another two months for shipping via cargo ship over the Pacific Ocean to the west coast, and then a train to Sig. Due to the long lead time, for example, our Christmas inventory will need to be ordered mid-June.
In the past five years, Sig would receive two ARF shipments annually, about 1,100 planes. We are building stock this year, looking to order three shipments in 2021 with a potential of four shipments next year. It is our hope to have ARFs coming into Sig every two months by 2024.
Another item to consider when manufacturing overseas is obtaining ARF repair parts after a crash occurs. I do not know why, but some of our products we work so hard to create end up as ground fodder. Sometimes it is a wing or landing gear hitting the ground too hard, or sometimes a pilot wants to see if he can strike oil by embedding the propeller six inches into the earth.
Because the long lead time to get into Seagull’s production schedule, it could be six to nine months for a repair part to arrive. To build up our stock of ARF parts so they are available when requested, we are reviewing the more common repair parts that are requested for the 84 different ARFs we sell.
I have also been researching a potential answer to the repair part, using 3D printing technology at Sig to produce the part onsite. (Please, no comments from the build-from-scratch modelers saying using 3D technology is sacrilege). Today there exists various wood fiber filaments that can mimic balsa wood in weight and strength quite well using the 3D printing process.
When manufacturing overseas, it is a little difficult because we cannot see the daily operations like we can at our own facility here in Montezuma.  But keeping a good working relationship with the international partner will resolve that. I plan to visit Seagull later this year to keep that relationship going and see if Sig can assist in their production process to reduce the lead time required to produce our ARFs.
Next week Sig Post (4/23/21) – Sig’s Wood Warehouse and Saw Room Operations
AMA 48913  USPA D-19580  NRA Life Member  MI State Record Holder 50 way Freefall Formation Skydive  "Don't let the planet sneak up on you"

Offline Larry Renger

  • 21 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 3995
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2021, 08:27:55 PM »
I still have a sheet of SIG balsa marked $0.15 . Keep the good work. Your brand has always been best!

Look into alternate materials. Balsa is fantastic, but seems to suffer from things like compressed natural gas shippers and wind farm green air power nuts. (Where is nuclear power when you actually need it?{ Actually on our Navy ships for decades with total reliability})

Looking for alternatives, Foam with fiber overlay is remarkably strong. Foam sheet with fiber overlay would substitute for even the lightest balsa. A light spray of some fiber on the surfaces of a foam mold, shoot in the foam, and you have a really firm sheet of whatever density you desire.

When I worked at Cox, we made wings from foam that was used for egg cartons. It was very light, but on both surfaces it had a hardend surface. It would be a good model material.

I am no longer involved in the industry, but would be would be happy to comment on possible approaches to new techniques. (Google me if you are interested, no money involved, way long happily retired)
 
Let me know if you want a reprint of my article on paper bagging over foam wings. They ended up feather weight and the strength could be adjusted to the requirement by layers or adding fiberglass.
Think S.M.A.L.L. y'all and, it's all good, CL, FF and RC!

DesignMan
 BTW, Dracula Sucks!  A closed mouth gathers no feet!

Offline Craig Beswick

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 562
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2021, 09:48:41 PM »
I'm glad a major supplier is being re invigorated. Can only be good for the hobby. Nobody seems to have mentioned the Elephant in the room!

I do not want to be a doom sayer but my understanding was that SIG always had balsa. The issue was contest balsa was re graded from, 4lb to 6lb, up to 8lb to 10lb (something like that). I remember Paul Walker writing a piece, I am sure it was about SIG, saying he hand picked what he could get and the change in the weight category. If I have miss quoted Paul my apologies.

So, I hope they get what you are after. But it is increasingly difficult to find true contest balsa!!!

Best of luck
Craig
AUS 87123
"The Ninja"

Offline Dave Hull

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1901
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2021, 10:48:44 PM »
Heh, heh, heh. Can ya tell me da name of the ship in tha Harbour whut gots them arffies?  Got me scuba gear here all layed out and ruddy ta go....

Mr. "Fish"

By da way, anyone got any idear how many arffies whut can fit in a Zodiac?

Offline john e. holliday

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 22752
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2021, 12:36:38 PM »
Glad to hear SIG is taken over by some one who wishes to bring it back to its glory days.   We need something to attract new people of all ages to get started and for get about contest until they are hooked. 
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Online gene poremba

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • *
  • Posts: 328
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2021, 12:22:22 AM »

 Its refreshing to read some encouraging news in the model industry these days. Way to go! Great Post....Gene

Online John Park

  • Agricola
  • 2017
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 458
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #15 on: April 20, 2021, 03:27:39 AM »
When I worked at Cox, we made wings from foam that was used for egg cartons. It was very light, but on both surfaces it had a hardend surface. It would be a good model material.
In Britain, supermarket pizzas used to come on bases made of what must have been a similar foam - smooth on one side, dimpled on the other.  I saved dozens, thinking they must be useful for something: they were 3/16" thick and weighed the same as 5 lb/cu. ft. 3/32" balsa.  I've sandwiched a stack of blanks cut from those bases between a pair of Twister rib templates and cut round them with my hot-wire cutter.  The cut faces accept PVA glue.  I see no reason why they shouldn't make OK ribs (cap-stripped, of course).  There's only one problem: the pizzas sold in British supermarkets now come on a cardboard base!  All the same, something as mundane as that foam would certainly make a useful material for many modelling applications.

John
You want to make 'em nice, else you get mad lookin' at 'em!

Offline Dwayne Donnelly

  • 22 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 565
  • Balsa Beavers Toronto Canada
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #16 on: April 25, 2021, 01:06:33 PM »
And a awesome sight it is.  y1 #^
My purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

Offline Brett Buck

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • ******
  • Posts: 13716
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2021, 01:16:41 PM »
In Britain, supermarket pizzas used to come on bases made of what must have been a similar foam - smooth on one side, dimpled on the other.
...

There's only one problem: the pizzas sold in British supermarkets now come on a cardboard base! 

   I saved a bunch of those, the local "Round Table Pizza" used to come in those foam containers, and the tops were smooth on both sides. I intended to use them for rocket boost-glider wings (carbon fiber/epoxy shell around a foam core) as suggested by some of the experts of the time. I found that it was lighter to use very good balsa and jap tissue - lighter and *much tougher*.   Still, there should be some use for it.

     Brett

Offline Craig Beswick

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 562
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #18 on: April 26, 2021, 07:57:35 AM »
Mr, "Air Master",
if you had a lot of wastage your cabinet maker may very well have cut your wood on his table saw! I think you will find balsa is generally cut with a band saw. Though I am no expert on the matter.

A band saw blade, subject to saw size, ranges from say .035" up to .050". So the wastage is kept to a minimum.

Craig Beswick
AUS 87123
"The Ninja"

Offline Dan McEntee

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6823
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #19 on: April 26, 2021, 09:05:47 AM »
  Balsa is indeed cut with a band saw, and then run through a thickness planner/sander for more precise finished thickness. I believe Glenn Sig came up with a way to put sanding media onto a wide bandsaw blade to do this in the one process. This was probably done in the early days. I came across an opportunity to by some large balsa planks that were actually used as life preservers on a local river excursion boat many years ago, and experienced the learning curve of trying to cut useful wood from them. I was advised at the time that what I needed to use was a band saw with a meat cutting blade. They were wider and thinner and did not have an "set " to the teeth, which is the teeth are positioned alternately to the left and right to form a kerf  or relief behind the blade so it would not bind. The place I was working at during that time had a large band saw, and I have a blade made like what I just described and tried to cut wood. It didn't work so well. The wood will always come out fuzzy and need to be sanded. I was able to cut sheet wood for a few models at the time, but soon felt that the results were not worth the effort. I continue to use the wood for things like wing tip block and such. If you were to try cutting it on a circular saw, you get better results if you have a hollow ground blade that is made for the purpose. The blades are a bit thinner than normal, have no "set" to the teeth, and the main area of the blade from the teeth to the center hole is ground down to be thinner than the width of the teeth. This forms the kerf so that the blade doesn't jam. You still loose more material than a band saw, but get better results. You are limited on the width of the board you can put through it. I have toured the SIG factory a few times over the years, but never did get to see their wood cutting operation in progress. Now that they are setting up some new equipment, it may be interesting to see what they have available to them these days.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

   I forgot to add that I have a video of the American Junior Aircraft manufacturing facility from back in the late 50's or early 60's. Jim Walker had already passed by that time. Very interesting video as it showed a lot of their production machinery in action. There was VERY LITTLE to almost no wood lost when they were cutting balsa blanks for model parts, as they used machines that were knife like in operation. In the video you really never see any accumulated saw dust!! I'll have to get that converted to digital or see if that has been posted on YouTube by some one else.  I saw one guys whose job it was to test fly every "74" glider and Interceptor glider that was produced! They had a curtain hanging by a wall, with a large, wide flat belt conveyor running back away from the curtain. Test fly the glider, it hits the curtain and drops down, then comes back to the launcher. I recognized the man from an article that was in Model Builder Magazine about te operation back in the 1980's
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)

Offline john e. holliday

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 22752
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #20 on: April 26, 2021, 06:36:32 PM »
I remember when SIG was selling bags of saw dust from the cutting room.  They also had bags with odd cut sizes. D>K
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline badbill

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 385
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #21 on: June 04, 2021, 09:01:30 AM »
Check out their website today.... looks like it's gone gone
Bill Davenport
AMA 28141
If some is good, and more is better, then too much is just right!

Offline Dave_Trible

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6132
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #22 on: June 04, 2021, 10:03:33 AM »
I ordered some fuel from them yesterday, no problems.

Dave
AMA 20934
FAA Certificate FA3ATY4T94

Offline Peter in Fairfax, VA

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1101
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #23 on: June 04, 2021, 10:34:51 AM »
As usual, Karen from Sig answers the phone on (641) 623-5154 right away.  They are aware that there is a website issue.  The folks that they've hired to present the website are making arrangements to get the website "reset."  At this moment, there is no alternative URL available.

What's old is new again.  At age 13 in 1972, I was stock clerk at the local hobby shop (Model Masters in Annandale VA.)  One of my central duties was to make sure we had Sig balsa, kits, hardware, fuel, etc., calling in orders over the phone (collect calls.) 

While the $1.25 per hour wasn't top pay, even in that era, it was adequate to purchase a new Super Tigre or Fox combat motor as needed.  Another distinct benefit of that employment was working with customers and fellow hobby shop people, learning a lot about designing/constructing/flying models, as well as crafts often pursued by model builders, such as car mechanical and paint/body work, photography.  While I didn't inherit many combat models, several stunters ended up in my hands when people moved (Nobler/Fox .35, Banshee/OS 30, Ringmaster/Fox 35.)  To this day, I enjoy trading for built planes and flying.

Peter   
 

Offline Windwalker

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Lieutenant
  • ***
  • Posts: 62
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #24 on: June 04, 2021, 11:21:40 AM »
The SIG  website is back up and running...  y1 #^
Nick Gans aka
Windwalker

Offline Dennis Toth

  • 2020 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 4208
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #25 on: June 04, 2021, 12:24:28 PM »
I think they still have problems, a site comes up but is isn't SIG.

Best,    DennisT

Offline Windwalker

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Lieutenant
  • ***
  • Posts: 62
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #26 on: June 04, 2021, 12:57:04 PM »
I think they still have problems, a site comes up but is isn't SIG.

Best,    DennisT

Please enlighten me.. I just went to the site and browsed about a bit.. I then selected a few items for online purchase.. I went through all the steps right up to "checkout", but didn't finalize the transaction. I then edited "MY Cart" in order to remove those selected items. Everything seems to work as it should.. How is that not SIG?
Nick Gans aka
Windwalker

Offline Ken Culbertson

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6034
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #27 on: June 04, 2021, 02:58:47 PM »
What's old is new again.  At age 13 in 1972, I was stock clerk at the local hobby shop (Model Masters in Annandale VA.)
Went to Annandale High for the 10th grade (1962).   Flew over at Fairfax High's football field.  Can't remember the club's name.  I do remember the bicycle trips to a hobby shop in Annandale.  Was that the only LHS there?   By '72 I was into my second tour in SEA and our LHS was a quonset hut but, they had SIG balsa.

Ken
AMA 15382
If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

Offline Peter in Fairfax, VA

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1101
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #28 on: June 04, 2021, 04:50:55 PM »
Finally came back for me.  The nature of domain name propagation is that some browsers/servers may have cached the old info, while others have the new info.

Looks like it's set to be registered for years to come.

Offline Peter in Fairfax, VA

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1101
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #29 on: June 04, 2021, 05:38:06 PM »
Ken,

Yes, Northern Virginia had a lot of hobby shops in that era.  You are probably thinking of "Annandale Sport and Hobby."  You could buy model stuff or a baseball bat.  In the next town, 3.3 miles away, was "Springfield Hobbies."  Halfway between was our 4k square foot shop, "Model Masters."  Yet another shop was "Arlington Hobby Crafters," which included more trains.

Peter

Offline Ken Culbertson

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6034
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #30 on: June 04, 2021, 09:48:55 PM »
Ken,

Yes, Northern Virginia had a lot of hobby shops in that era.  You are probably thinking of "Annandale Sport and Hobby."  You could buy model stuff or a baseball bat.  In the next town, 3.3 miles away, was "Springfield Hobbies."  Halfway between was our 4k square foot shop, "Model Masters."  Yet another shop was "Arlington Hobby Crafters," which included more trains.

Peter
We actually lived on Easton in N. Springfield but if I remember, Annandale "shopping" was closer.  Probably one of the others.  That area was a hotbed of CL activity in those days.  Where did it all go?

Thanks - Ken
AMA 15382
If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

Offline Peter in Fairfax, VA

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1101
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #31 on: June 05, 2021, 08:10:37 AM »
Ken, it is a really small world.  In fact, we flew c/l in a residential cul-de-sac right off Easton Dr.  Back then, every family did not have 3 to 5 cars, so we could fly in the 80' diameter circle.  For a kid aged 10-12 in a large family, being able to fly 100' from the house was convenient.

We typically used 26' Carl Goldberg nylon/dacron flying line and tried to avoid the power/phone lines.  Cox Golden Bee with dual port cylinder on Fox Missile Mist and a CG Stuntman 23, CG Swordsman 18 or CD Lil' Wizard gave some of our best results.  Though I flew a Ringmaster / Fox 35 in the same space on the same lines.  Inside loops were the popular stunt.  On rare occasion, we would fly two at the same time.

Finally graduated to a Jim Walker Firebird on .008 cables flown at N. Springfield elementary.  The day I mastered the Lazy 8 and began to fly inverted opened up a whole new world of stunt flying. Except for comments from the hobby shop owner, who don't recall flew c/l, we learned everything on our own, no coaches. 

By age 13 I was working at the hobby shop and invited to attend combat contests with some top fliers, eventually the Nats.  Though I entered one stunt contest in that era, Warminster PA 1976, my coaches mostly flew combat.  Kind of resented getting a zero for my clover; should have tried a little harder to communicate with the officials to find what they didn't like. Yes, that was one score on one stunt 45 years ago. 

43 years later, I entered another stunt contest (Brodak's 2019.)  Really enjoyed that they had five or six circles going all week long.  Plenty of flying.  Great coaching at Brodak's.

Northern Virginia remains a good place to fly.  NVCL has an excellent field with people flying several days per week, and that's not the only field.  Trading is also active, with some older flyers downsizing as they retire from flying.

Peter

Offline Ken Culbertson

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6034
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #32 on: June 05, 2021, 12:37:55 PM »
Ken, it is a really small world.  In fact, we flew c/l in a residential cul-de-sac right off Easton Dr.  Back then, every family did not have 3 to 5 cars, so we could fly in the 80' diameter circle.  For a kid aged 10-12 in a large family, being able to fly 100' from the house was convenient.

We typically used 26' Carl Goldberg nylon/dacron flying line and tried to avoid the power/phone lines.  Cox Golden Bee with dual port cylinder on Fox Missile Mist and a CG Stuntman 23, CG Swordsman 18 or CD Lil' Wizard gave some of our best results.  Though I flew a Ringmaster / Fox 35 in the same space on the same lines.  Inside loops were the popular stunt.  On rare occasion, we would fly two at the same time.

Finally graduated to a Jim Walker Firebird on .008 cables flown at N. Springfield elementary.  The day I mastered the Lazy 8 and began to fly inverted opened up a whole new world of stunt flying. Except for comments from the hobby shop owner, who don't recall flew c/l, we learned everything on our own, no coaches. 

By age 13 I was working at the hobby shop and invited to attend combat contests with some top fliers, eventually the Nats.  Though I entered one stunt contest in that era, Warminster PA 1976, my coaches mostly flew combat.  Kind of resented getting a zero for my clover; should have tried a little harder to communicate with the officials to find what they didn't like. Yes, that was one score on one stunt 45 years ago. 

43 years later, I entered another stunt contest (Brodak's 2019.)  Really enjoyed that they had five or six circles going all week long.  Plenty of flying.  Great coaching at Brodak's.

Northern Virginia remains a good place to fly.  NVCL has an excellent field with people flying several days per week, and that's not the only field.  Trading is also active, with some older flyers downsizing as they retire from flying.

Peter
It is even smaller than you think.  Our house was four, five if you count the corner house,  down (to the right on the picture 5411)  from THAT cul-de-sac.  We flew there almost every day.. Three kids on the street flew.  Did my first lazy eight there with a Stuntman 23.  That is how I learned that a Baby Bee wouldn't fly inverted.  It was a very military neighborhood then and instead of complaining about the noise, the neighbors would move their cars so we could fly.   How times have changed.  I graduated to a huge Fox 15 on a Jr Flight Streak.  Flew it at North Springfield Elementary.  First Nobler was at that house then my father retired and we moved to Texas.  Pix are from our house on Easton, we lived there from '59 - '62.  Is it possible we crossed paths?

Ken 
« Last Edit: June 05, 2021, 01:51:11 PM by Ken Culbertson »
AMA 15382
If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

Offline Dennis Toth

  • 2020 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 4208
Re: Update From SIG
« Reply #33 on: June 05, 2021, 04:53:31 PM »
Windwalker,
OK just went to https://sigmfg.com/collections/sig-kits it works fine.

Best,    DennisT


Advertise Here
Tags:
 


Advertise Here