Couple of suggestions for Guillows

[scigs30]

I really enjoy building Guillows kits and love to fly them with rubber. There are a lot of modifications that can be made for a better flying model, but I like to keep things simple and build per the plans. I am also strange in that I like the look of all the excess balsa in these over engineered designs. Now with that being said, I really do think Guillows has a great opportunity to make some minor changes since they are laser cutting most of their kits. First would be to add a removeable nose block to their plastic cowlings, something simple like my N11. This is not hard since the plans are now digital and easy to add the parts. The other change I think they need to add is better landing gear mounting in some of their kits. The 300 series Cessna 150 uses wire landing gear that is sandwiched between the formers and makes for a strong landing gear. In their 300 series Cub the landing gear is just a needle pin in the balsa landing gear strut. Now I know we can go on and on with modifications for Guillows, but I really think a couple of modern updates wouldn't hurt. I have tried adding the wire to landing gear strut like Guillows suggests in some kits and it does not work. The removeable nose block would make adding nose weight easy and simple access to the rubber. Anyway that's its...…...

[Konrad]

I too think there is a lot of room for improvement, without adding to the manufacturing cost or changing the character of the models we love.
The landing gear and nose blocks have always been the Achilles heal of these models if one is trying to fly them. I think these two issues have cost Guillow and the hobby a lot of repeat customers.

All the best,
Konrad

[Blacksheep214]

I think these two issues have cost Guillow and the hobby a lot of repeat customers.

All the best,
Konrad

Not knocking Guillow's one bit, but in a sense, they (any business) needs repeat customers. How else are they going to make money if they sell kits every once in a while to builders? Not trying to ruffle any feathers here! My biggest squawk for years has been the fitment of the plastic cowl over the nose of the plane. Every plane I have ever built with Guillow's has been a grossly oversized nose that needs considerable sanding to make the cowl fit. With laser cutting and high tech engineering, why can't they make that kind of stuff fit like a glove from the box?

[scigs30]

Howard did a great job with the Beaver while keeping the design to Guillows standards. One can buy the Beaver kit, assemble and fly with what is included in the kit even with the supplied rubber. The kit comes with appropriate size prop and even clay to balance, the nose is removable and the landing gear is durable. I don't even mind the rubber bands in the 500 series but they should at least supply a second rubberband or use the one from the 900 series, the current 7 inch rubber band will not fly most of those designs. Once again I don't expect big or costly changes, just be happy with minor updates. The landing gear on the 900 series WWII kits is designed to last a landing or ROG.

[Bill Gaylord]

The simplest improvements are ones that cost nothing. There's ample unused wood on the parts sheets to add precision sized aileron headers and ribs, to add functional ailerons. Adds a minor amount of LG cutting time to the process. Takes a good bit of time to cut and size precision parts by hand. For the FW-190 below, all that is needed is the 2 headers and 1 aileron end rib, for each side. The existing ribs could have inked cut lines, for the aileron option.

[kittyfritters]

The simplest improvements are ones that cost nothing. There's ample unused wood on the parts sheets to add precision sized aileron headers and ribs, to add functional ailerons. Adds a minor amount of LG cutting time to the process. Takes a good bit of time to cut and size precision parts by hand. For the FW-190 below, all that is needed is the 2 headers and 1 aileron end rib, for each side. The existing ribs could have inked cut lines, for the aileron option.

Bill,

You would have loved Cleveland kits.

Howard