Avios Grumman Albatross!

[Twowingtj]

I had the same suspicions as XV commented about and had reservations about ordering so now I'll just wait and see what the fallout is. I
TJ..........Be real curious whether you receive someone else's remediated reject :head_bandage: Lets hope not :worried:

Got it yesterday. It's NIB and not a reworked or returned. Very nice bird. The finish is top notch.

[OV10]

I had the same suspicions as XV commented about and had reservations about ordering so now I'll just wait and see what the fallout is. I
TJ..........Be real curious whether you receive someone else's remediated reject :head_bandage: Lets hope not :worried:

[xviper]

I chatted with HK CS yesterday and they said they only got a few and had sold out again. This morning I looked at it and it showed in stock.

It has always baffled me how HobbyKing manages to "find" a few examples of a models to put "back in stock". I have a hard time believing that the factory only makes so few and releases them, rather than doing a proper "run" before letting them go to market. It makes me wonder where HK finds these things. Were they hidden under a tarp in the back room of the warehouse? Were they rejects from a previous run that has only just been "fixed" and tested? Were they returns from customers who, for whatever reason, decided they didn't want them and HK got them back, checked them out, fixed what was wrong and put them back in stock? This aspect of HobbyKing remains a mystery. I have seen a product be "Out of Stock" for weeks and then suddenly get back in stock, only to be out of stock within 1 hr.

[Twowingtj]

Glad to help Jerry. I've been checking the site almost daily. For a long time it said ETA early Sept. Then about two weeks ago, the ETA changed to mid Aug. Two days ago, it changed to Out of Stock with no ETA. I chatted with HK CS yesterday and they said they only got a few and had sold out again. This morning I looked at it and it showed in stock. Sometimes being OCD pays off.

[Hardway]

For those that have been waiting, the Albatross is back in stock at the US warehouse. Finally got mine ordered!

Thanks!!!!! Mine is on order finally! I appreciate the heads-up Bro!!! Jerry

[Twowingtj]

For those that have been waiting, the Albatross is back in stock at the US warehouse. Finally got mine ordered!

[wvrailfan]

I flew mine from water using differential thrust for the first time today. It is going to take a little getting used to.

Like Xviper, I find mine steers pretty good on grass using just the rudder, but on water it wants to weather vane so without the water rudder the differential thrust is kind of necessary.

I'm flying using Admiral 3000 4 cell for power and it flies very scale like with power to spare. I have my timer set to 6 minutes and generally come down with 35% left in the pack after mixed throttle flying.

[xviper]

Finally managed to get a hat cam video of my Albatross. I've flown it a few times now and it flies "heavy" because it is heavy. Flown "scale", it's OK, but I like my planes to have ample power for loops and rolls without fear of the thing not making it. I also like to have some power in reserve for getting out of jams. Mine is WITHOUT throttle diff. It turns on the grass by rudder alone. On calm to mild windy days, rudder is all you need. On windier days, rudder and ailerons on high rates, used in conjunction will turn the thing from heading into the wind to going with the wind on the ground. I like the plane for its presence in the air. It's a beautiful plane to see fly by. Mine will never see water. Take offs and landings are best done on 1/2 flaps or no flaps. Full flap landings can be clumsy as the plane can go deceptively slow and it's easier to have it fall those last couple of feet and give you a "plop" landing - not pretty. So far, it's a fairly tough plane but I've not had any real hard landings with it nor have I had any mishaps with it. I'm still dialing in the rates and expo to tame down the "roller coaster" effect, but that will come with trial and error. I will most likely fly this one more in the winter off snow/ice.
Those who have invented gear for this plane will likely find that flying it off thick grass like I do, will tear those things right off. Keeping it a "skidder" is the best option in such conditions.

[Fallguy44]

If anyone is selling one of these, please PM me. Thank you.

[brk6188]

Firstly the mount just shattered -- impossible to piece together as a pattern. However I removed the good one from other side so have pattern. Looked at my many extra "X" mounts but nothing that could be modified. In my youth I remember HAVING to use hacksaw and files to make many bellcranks, steering arms, rotor blade mounts etc from alum sheet but -------- ! In my last employment I was in charge of our prototype machine shop (Bridgeports, Colchester Lathes, bend presses, shears, welding, sand blasting, plating,) boy do I miss that as I made many spinners, engine mounts, real oleo landing gear, wing struts, rotor discs, carburetor parts, scale airframe parts etc.

Anyway I found "Small Parts CNC" , sent them the dimensions they came back with an "on file" blank that seems might be workable --- ordered a couple, should be here tomorrow. If it works will post so that other Albatross owners can obtain if required.

[OV10]

NICE..............thanx Woody. That'll give me a good point to start looking at

[thisguy65]

Hi Charlie,

I have 2 actually. The picture is my favorite, it called a MaxNC, my other, which is also very good. Is called a Sherline. I also have a Sherline mini CNC lathe.If you get one make sure and get the optional rotary table. You can make almost anything with it.

Best Regards
Woody

It's rewarding to turn this






in to this. Started out as 8lbs and finished at 3.5-ish pounds.20 mins op 1 and 10 for op 2.

[Woodcock]

Couldn't enlarge the pic clear enough to see the name of that vert mill. Been looking for a reasonable priced bench top unit.

Hi Charlie,

I have 2 actually. The picture is my favorite, it called a MaxNC, my other, which is also very good. Is called a Sherline. I also have a Sherline mini CNC lathe.If you get one make sure and get the optional rotary table. You can make almost anything with it.

Best Regards
Woody

[OV10]

Couldn't enlarge the pic clear enough to see the name of that vert mill. Been looking for a reasonable priced bench top unit.

[Woodcock]

I use one of these for my custom parts. I couple this with my Mini Tig welder. Once you learn how to use it, it makes short work of making unavailable parts. I never leave home with out it.
Woody

[xviper]

You certainly cannot buy the crucifix aluminum motor mount as a spare part. One of mine shattered after a prop broke, she never made it to a runway or a lake. Probably have to buy the complete motor set IF they ever get on the spare parts list.

Is it possible to make your own? You have the old broken one that you can lay down as a template. Get a piece of aluminum plate the same thickness and cut out an "X" (or cross as you call it). Drill the holes where you need them.
Or buy a similar motor mount and modify it to work. I have done this on several occasions in the past and it has worked. It may not be identical but I doubt the plane will care.

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/catalogsearch/result/?cat=&q=motor+mount

[brk6188]

You certainly cannot buy the crucifix aluminum motor mount as a spare part. One of mine shattered after a prop broke, she never made it to a runway or a lake. Probably have to buy the complete motor set IF they ever get on the spare parts list.

[rampage]

The first batch was probably split up among all of the warehouses.

It's still in stock in the UK apparently.

They also just supplied several warehouses with a full range of spare parts.

If someone REALLY wants one and is REALLY ambitious, they could buy the parts for a complete airframe for $215. That's considerably cheaper than the $280 PNP price. Then you could also put your own electronics in it.

[xviper]

I think people are looking at site sponsorship the wrong way, its not that the sponsors are struggling, more that the said site no longer offers a return on investment. If a site charges a premium for add space and sponsors are not seeing a return on that, they will walk, as has happened recently, and not just with HK.

S.

I think you are correct, since you've been in that stable and are still in the business. I don't visit RCGroups much anymore. When I used to have hundreds of subscriptions there, I now have 2 and those are only to milk them for information and to ask the occasional question about a plane. And when I do go there, I virtually NEVER pay attention to the ads, especially the HobbyKing ones because HobbyKing "Google ad" me to death on other sites I visit. I hate being tracked and I hate having ads shoved in my face because I visit a site now and then (even though they claim they don't track me).
A site like RCG must make 100's of thousands of bucks a year on ad revenue. I wonder how much of it they tell the IRS?

Anyway, as for the Albatross, I still think "something" is going on with HK with this plane and the big Herc. They sold the first batch in no time at all. Why would they think they wouldn't sell the same amount (and more) if they made a second batch? Big enough order to the factory? I really doubt it. If the first batch was "big enough", why wouldn't another batch the same size be enough?

[Spitfire4life]

I think people are looking at site sponsorship the wrong way, its not that the sponsors are struggling, more that the said site no longer offers a return on investment. If a site charges a premium for add space and sponsors are not seeing a return on that, they will walk, as has happened recently, and not just with HK.

S.