300 Series Cessna 170 Build

[Phugoid]

I bought this kit a couple of weeks back.

Now when you buy a Guillows kit you don't expect competition grade balsa however the stuff in this kit was off the charts at around 17-18 lbs more than twice the density of what you need to use for rubber power. Rubber power simply would not get that sort of weight off the ground just two sheets weigh 30g.

I contacted Guillows customer Service for replacement wood over 2 weeks ago, dissapointingly I've heard nothing at all in that time....

[scigs30]

I have noticed the newer Guillows kits come with better die cut wood but the wood is also a lot heavier. I have better luck buying the older kits on Ebay. I noticed the 300 series kits cost about 23 bucks, you figure for that much Guillows could do a better job of balsa selection.

[Phugoid]

What you pay in bucks we pay in pounds more or less.... so we are payng over 30 bucks for these kits. Despite a reminder to Guillows customer service still nothing. When I complained about the weight of the Hurricane I bought a year or so back then they said they would not replace because I'd used the parts, fair enough but I'm just being ignored this time.

30 bucks is a lot to pay for a nose moulding, decals, wheels and strip which is all I can use from this kit at present.

[krob]

My next build is a 500 series Me109 and the kitwood is coming in at almost 35 grams! The 500 series Guillows kits are only like $11, though.
Maybe they're all gone for the holidays.

[ADW 123]

customer service usually replies, but i have had a few times where i was ignoored as well. probably becuse they just dont want to deal with it. but there is only one person who replys to the emails, and i have had it happen where i email them and they dont reply for a long time because that person was sick for a while. certainly a frstrating situation

[H65 Driver]

Good point about the holidays, Krob. I would bet that the Guillow's folks have been out for Thanksgiving, but should be back next week.

[Phugoid]

Could be Thanksgiving, us Brits don't celebrate that......

[Phugoid]

5 weeks plus 2 reminders and counting, still no response from Guillows "Customer Service"................

[John G Jedinak]

Try contacting Mark Tennant who is Moderator here and Guillow Tech Support...mtennant@guillow.com. Believe he will assist in solving your problem.......Luck, JGJ

[John G Jedinak]

Drop the "support" in the above email address...JGJ

[Phugoid]

Thanks for that John

I've E-mailed Mark, and referenced this thread, we'll see what happens.

Andrew

[scigs30]

Andrew, Sorry to hear you are having issues with Guillows Customer Service, they have always been pretty good with me. The 300 series kits are great designs and fly real well but not with that lumber. The yahoo Guillows Challenge this year is the 300 series and the challenge allows you to replace the kit wood. I am thinking of building a few of these kits per the plans with no modifications other than replacing the 20lb wood with 8 to 10 lb wood.

[Phugoid]

Mark has come straight back to me with the promise of better wood staight away hurah!

It seems like there is an error soemwhere in the e-mail, the address matches up ok so I'm not sure if my ISP is screwing up or what. I'm happy to get a response so I'm not going to ask any more questions of why......

Yep, I wanted to have a go at the chalange and use the kit wood if possible to get the extra points. I've bought three of these series kits all with very heavy wood. The other two I intend to try electric power out some day with as I think that they would make a solid platform for that type of power and the heavy wood doesn't matter, but this one I wanted to fly rubber power.

[John G Jedinak]

Happy to hear you have response. As both Scigs and I, as well as, others will vouch....Guillows is a first class operation!!!!

[Phugoid]

Thanks again for the help John. I hope to get this bird all done by Whitsun ready and waiting for that "perfect flying day"...

Andrew