[Gordon W]

They "learn" how to make composite models by literally pulling molds off the Valenta Storm.

I hope that the new Sloperacer products will not be at the same risk.

Gordon

[Yoyo]

I hope that the new Sloperacer products will not be at the same risk.

Gordon

I doubt it - they are getting some of the established European manufacturers to make them, and even after that Tony isn't known for shoddy workmanship...

Or did you mean the designs might get 'remodelled' in the Far East? That's always a risk but these planes all look fairly identifiable so far...

[Gordon W]

Or did you mean the designs might get 'remodelled' in the Far East?

What I meant was that I hope the airframes don't get used as plugs by RCRCM for producing ripped-off copies.

[James Hammond]

Sorry to read this, you guys at Sloperacer went above and beyond to try and help smooth over the significant quality problems with RCRCM product.

When OleRC came on the scene the depth of their cynicism was made abundantly clear.

They "learn" how to make composite models by literally pulling molds off the Valenta Storm.

Then they get a Westerner (James) to offer designs and help promote them.

Then they got distributors to line up and support their substandard product

Then they screwed everyone involved by opening OleRC.

For me, total scumbags. I won't fly one of their planes because of it, as much as I very much admire James' design chops and desperately want to check one of his planes out.

Anyways, sorry that you had to go through this, and best of luck with the new endeavor. It can only be better!!

Steve

Thanks Steve!

It has been a bit traumatic I have to say, but the light is at the end of the tunnel for me at least...for Zoom/RCRCM it may be the opposite.

Right now the Schwing testing is going very well indeed and I'm looking forward to seeing the other new stuff fly.

Thanks again for the support!

James

[James Hammond]

I hope that the new Sloperacer products will not be at the same risk.

Gordon

Hi Gordon,
                 Zoom/RCRCM would, without doubt, copy any plane from any designer, that they perceived could earn money - including the Sloperacer/JH new ones. They started like this and I think will have to revert back to it soon.

But...realistically, I doubt that they would copy one of my designs, or at least if they did then they would change something to try to "de-identify" it. (as they did on the Tame Tom Cat, and the Dead Fish Dorado for example)

By now though, I think that thick skinned though they are; there might be such a storm of derision emamnating from blatant copying that by such actions they would finally be nailing thier own coffins shut. Normally my designs are pretty recognizable.

The Zoom/RCRCM design locker is empty, and I doubt that anybody good would work with them any longer given the extremes they went to in order to discredit me - though I have to say that the memory of those claims still gives me a quiet chuckle now and then.

I hope they will just disappear up thier own bungholes, and leave me to do what I do best.

We live in hope!

Cheers,

James

[andrewmawr]

Us the customers of course have the biggest part to play by buying the originals and not the copies....Obviously!

[Rafale]

Us the customers of course have the biggest part to play by buying the originals and not the copies....Obviously!

Have to agree there

Good luck James and Tony, I personally will not go the route of buying anything from them what ever they call themselves on the day

Nige.

[slopeflyer]

I think if the products are made in the UK or Europe and are aimed at the same price level as the typhoon/Luna, rcrcm could see themselves losing a lot of business.
Look forward to full details, if it's ready before my pace, then I may be tempted 2.5m fast agile mouldie is still required in the hangar.

[Patmac]

If I were a mod I'd pull a number of the posts from this thread before any libel writs are issued. 

[satinet]

As I said back at the start of the thread, olerc/rcrcm is selling products direct at lower prices than the distributors are able to sell at. Whatever the rights and wrongs of this or the rights and wrongs of the Hammond/RCRCM relationship, it's obvious to anyone that it doesn't make sense for the likes of slope racer to keep selling RCRCM products.  Simple business.  No one can blame Tony for making a decision to stop stocking rcrcm products.

Otherwise it is just going over old rcrcm/hammond ground again. 

[andrewmawr]

Fairtrade models

[slopeflyer]

I've seen some of the Rcm stuff in the flesh. And don't have one.
I'll examine a Schwing in the flesh before I buy.
Remember, it's a level playing field out there, if it's better, if its cheaper, it'll sell. End of.
Take the new speedo, it's more expensive, is it better (don't know yet), will it sell? Well it better be better as its already more expensive.

[Rafale]

No one can blame Tony for making a decision to stop stocking rcrcm products.


Looking at James's reply No. 22 Tom, it was Tony that was dropped.

But I agree with your setiment, why put himself in the position of a loss.

Nige. 

[Yoyo]

Remember, it's a level playing field out there, if it's better, if its cheaper, it'll sell. End of.

Better and cheaper aren't on the same axis - there's a number of blends of the right quality at the right price that match different peoples needs.

I suspect the bottom end of the Sloperacer range is going up some in quality and price from where it was with RCRCM in there, but even the bottom part of the Sloperacer range was never the very cheapest planes around anyway - some people want/need cheaper and can accept the lower quality that comes with it, others can afford to pay more to get what they want and can still get exactly what they're after by going to Tony.

[wdeighton]

The scary part is that if China got its act together, they could produce the quality and quantity at the lowest cost.

thanks for the kind works James.

[SteveBB]

The scary part is that if China got its act together, they could produce the quality and quantity at the lowest cost.

..Perhaps, but having done direct business with them in another field, I still doubt you'd get to a point where you'd believe a word they say, or treat a contract as little more than something to hang on a nail...

[rumbey]

Well I've purchased from UK suppliers, namely T9 and Sloperacer and they are both great.

I wanted a typhoon and efuz to go with it and my only option was to go to olerc directly. 

My model and accessories all arrived today within 5 days of payment and the quality is better than expected.

I also deal with several Chinese companies within my consumer electronics business and like UK ones most are excellent and a few are not.

Thats my personal experience.

[James Hammond]

Well I've purchased from UK suppliers, namely T9 and Sloperacer and they are both great.

I wanted a typhoon and efuz to go with it and my only option was to go to olerc directly. 

My model and accessories all arrived today within 5 days of payment and the quality is better than expected.

I also deal with several Chinese companies within my consumer electronics business and like UK ones most are excellent and a few are not.

Thats my personal experience.

Actually I think quite a lot of people - probably a lot more than we know have had OK experiences with Ole RC.

But, as stated before, don't expect the kind of service from them that you would get from a distributor if things had turned out to be not so good quality wise, or for that matter if you have a problem in the future. I sincerely hope not by the way.

I think Steve made the best point some posts ago.

Essentially RCRCM have made many, many, promises to a lot of people - that they never had any intention whatsoever of keeping.

Imagine Tony's plight:

If you were a distributor, that was suddenly told that you were no longer a distributor, with no warning, overnight, and you had a very very large amount of money already paid for goods that they will do thier best to find ways of not giving you, (Money paid or goods) then with your China experience, what would you do?

I live in Taiwan, I speak Mandarin Chinese close to perfectly, I have 8 years of university legal training, and I can tell you: I'd have no idea what to do at all.

That is my experience.

Cheers,

James.

 

 

[Zim]

Jim, it should be noted that those issues aren't those of the consumer, and I'm confident that Tony is dealing with the changes in a businesslike way that will strengthen SlopeRacer for the future.

Z

[James Hammond]

Jim, it should be noted that those issues aren't those of the consumer, and I'm confident that Tony is dealing with the changes in a businesslike way that will strengthen SlopeRacer for the future.

Z

I'm happy to say that you are absolutely right, Warrick - I am just sad that he had to be put into such a position.

And as you say, these are not the issues of the consumer.

Cheers,

James.

[rumbey]

James,  I really think that you should now concentrate on your partnership with Tony and stop slating competition.  We all know of your issues with RcRcm and to be honest with you I'm sick of hearing it!!

I wouldn't like the world to know about my confidential business transactions and I don't think you need to go into details about stock Tony has purchased and not received yet.

I'd much rather hear about your new designs and future developments. 

I always believe no smoke without Fire. Just hope a few years down the road we don't get a repeat of this type of Thread/threads with Sloperacer as the Bad guy?

Dave

[slopeflyer]

Perhaps Off Topic is good in this case.

Now when is this lousy weather predicted to end?

[James Hammond]

James,  I really think that you should now concentrate on your partnership with Tony and stop slating competition.  We all know of your issues with RcRcm and to be honest with you I'm sick of hearing it!!

I wouldn't like the world to know about my confidential business transactions and I don't think you need to go into details about stock Tony has purchased and not received yet.

I'd much rather hear about your new designs and future developments. 

I always believe no smoke without Fire. Just hope a few years down the road we don't get a repeat of this type of Thread/threads with Sloperacer as the Bad guy?

Dave

Hi Dave - sorry if I offended you; it was not intentional.

If you knew how many "China Experts" - the vast majority of whom have never even set foot in the country - who have absolutely no incling of what they are talking about but whom have abundantly propounded theories on my problems, then you'd probably know where I'm coming from.

As you say - lets stick to the good stuff.

As for the fire and smoke? I doubt it mate...

Cheers, and again my aplogies. 

[rumbey]

As you say - lets stick to the good stuff.

Agreed 

[Tony Fu]

And on that note lets focus on what's happening right now. I haven't kept up with what's happening on this post but it all seems very negative but in actual fact it's quite the opposite.

Sloperacer is growing fast and moving in a much better arena. It may be situated in a shed but it's a shed that many of us fliers seem to love coming to. I had 7 separate visitors yesterday, last one left about 10pm. Never mind everything else going on and yes that includes training a new member of staff. Anyway, here's an idea of what we are about and whats happening right now! http://www.sloperacer.blogspot.co.uk/

[ian & suki]

Wow Tony
  Never mind how good the Schwing looks, I don't think that anyone can argue that SlopeRacer is the biggest stockist of models.

  Congratulations on taking SlopeRacer to a whole new level!

Ian

[Yoyo]

And on that note lets focus on what's happening right now. I haven't kept up with what's happening on this post but it all seems very negative but in actual fact it's quite the opposite.

No worries Tony, it's only negative about RCRCM, not Sloperacer.

There can't be many businesses where the definition of 'rapid growth' means 'we may need to build another shelf'

Each of those shelves holds an awfully high value of stock though...

[Europhia Pete]

Hi Tony
Congratulations on your first 1/2 year (bi-annual?) report 
May I take this opportunity to wish you well for the future and to hope that what you may see as criticism(s) at present are usually people trying to be helpful, just not phrasing their input positively. 
On that note, can I suggest that you add a statement to your homepage and blog, to confirm your intentions as regards the RCRCM models you currently have in stock and what you want to do with them, along with the removal of RCRCM products from your current range on the website - not the politics or the reasons for the changes - just where you are going from here in replacing the current range of RCRCM products with others.
There, no criticism, just hopefully a useful suggestion.....
Lastly, on a personal note, I assume I can now put my name down for a Schwing but, any idea when deliveries to customers will commence? 
Regards
Pete

[Tony Fu]

All in good time Pete, I still have RCRCM stock to sell.

As regards the Schwing. This pre- production prototype landed yesterday and will hopefully be ready for testing Monday. Most of the things we changed have been done and I'm excited!

I've just pushed the button for 5 more to test the production quality and we are literally weeks away (unless something turns up in the flying tests).

You can pre order the Schwing now. 70+ are already spoken for.

 

[slope_dragon_x]

Where is the clapping icon?

Well done Tony and James for Schwing.  That looks fantastic.

Well done Tony for remaining true to this hobby.

[Yoyo]

I've just pushed the button for 5 more to test the production quality and we are literally weeks away (unless something turns up in the flying tests).

You can pre order the Schwing now. 70+ are already spoken for.

Wow, 70+? How many(ish) of those are UK-bound?

[James Hammond]

Where is the clapping icon?

Well done Tony and James for Schwing.  That looks fantastic.

Well done Tony for remaining true to this hobby.

Thanks Mate!

And the good news is that the flight performance is everything we wanted too.

The "live" aerofoil is a completely new deaparture, as Mark is finding out in the test flying.

Lets see what happens with the second prototype that Tony is just finishing now - and has a number of improvements.

Its close, and if you all could see what else is on the drawing board or in fact on the milling machine right now, I think you'd be as excited and Tony and I are!!

Cheers and thanks again for the encouragement.

James   

[satinet]

James you're saying coupling the flaps to the elevator is a new idea!?

[James Hammond]

James you're saying coupling the flaps to the elevator is a new idea!?

Nah...but this section was actually designed to have the flaps and ailerons moving constantly rather than just coupling them up.

Its part of my ongoing study of trying to get the best response from the least control movement.

It does actually make a difference.

Cheers,

JH

[satinet]

I don't really understand what the difference is from snap flap which most people use. Is it supposed to be flown with a 4th control for the trailing edge like aeromod planes?

The painted model looks excellent btw.

[Zim]

Oooh I like this topic - I'm starting a new thread for it... Whereupon I'll have a bash at explaining it as I understand it, and then wait for James to correct me!

New thread here http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php/topic,90880.0.html

Z

[One Life Fly It]

Oo err 

[Big A]

I've removed the offending post, perhaps they should try again!!

[skirmish]

Personally speaking I'd be happy to see the whole thread removed as it's all rather negative.
It's not 'good news' about a distributor adding a line of products but (to punters) bad news about removing them.

At times I feel there is a little too much 'business' news in this section and it might be better at times if the bias was more towards the ordinary slope flier.

[Big A]

Thread has run its course now I think!