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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gray, couldn't have said it better myself-thought
about doing it several times, then found something else that really needed
doing. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One thing you did not mention is the amount of
labor that goes into just the layups, and forget the 100's of hours making
the molds, you never recover it. If we had this as our income "job" that we
had to take care of our families on--forget it! We do it because we love
modelling, and getting top quality products out for people to enjoy, ain't no
other reason . </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jerry</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>RC Model Enterprises</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gfowler@raytheon.com href="mailto:gfowler@raytheon.com">Gray E
Fowler</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, January 07, 2005 10:09
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: PL Products now
Aeroslave</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>I am sure Lance will reply
later, but me first. I would to say that Amir is the <B>second</B> funniest
guy on the list. When I saw his post I first thought that Lance had gone
beserk......giving answers to questions that are typically my type
answers...thats when I realized it was Amir's post. Amir is now in official
Aeroslave "Timeout" and on double secret probation for bad behaviour. I
will call you Amir when you can get out.....it may be a
while.<BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Seriously....The questions
are easy to answer, but the real answer is what happens when the real problems
arrive. We are a garage shop, actually a FOUR (big time expansion) garage
shop, depending on which parts you are talking about. As a result we
make kits in our FREE time. I have three kids and a wifey, all three play
soccer which means 3 games on Saturday, two are in Basketball right now, and
then there is this job here at the Salt Mine that kinda pays my real bills.
Lance has a similar situation. We fly in as many contests as we can....how
much free time do think we have?</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2>Because of this, we usually have a 2-3 month backlog (right now it is 1
month for the Symphony). We do not accept any money as a down payment. We saw
this as a sore point with many flyers. We keep a list, and when Your plane is
about ready to ship we then ask for payment. You can back out if the time
frame was too long or you got something from someone else. We hate holding
peoples money, which seems to be a standard practice. </FONT><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>On shipping, we tried to keep the costs as low as
possible. We came up with packing scheme that was low cost and shipped about
50 planes without incident. Then we ship a Symphony to GA and the crush
the crap outta the box. Man, that puts our deliveries behind! At that point we
had to bump the time frame back on the next guy on the list and make a
replacement plane. We made the replacement, shipped it to GA again and guess
what! they crunched that one too! We made a third, put it in a kevelar box
(actually I BLESSED that plane), switched from Fed EX to UPS, and it made it!
So when people wonder why we got behind, that was a major reason. The
other guys on the Symphony list had to suffer because of the FedEx trash
compactor truck, and our inability to manufacture planes by the hundreds.
</FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2><BR>When someone loses a canopy
or more likely crushes a chin cowl we have to take the canopy or chin cowl
molds off line for kit production and make a replacement. What we try to do is
find a good time to do this. Right now, since they crushed those two fuses,
but not the other parts we have a spare, but you can see how hard it is just
to have spares. If we ever get ahead of teh deliveries then we can make and
stock spares.</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>On shipping we are going
to a more expensive BOX to stop the gorillas. This cost we must pass on, but
still, it is no where near the cost of getting a plane from our wonderful
"allies" (sorry-thats a personal dislike and not an official Aeroslave
policy). </FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Our kits are also shipped
with probably the most extensive instruction booklet in the industry. When
people run into problems building either real or perceived they can call us.
Lance especially spends alot of time on the phone talking people though the
steps to build the kits. Most problems are perceived, some are not and the
ones that are real we try our best to correct.</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>The complaint that showed up on the list about us just
prior to Christmas was a guy who bought a plane had a real problem, which we
fixed. He then says he had other problems, but failed to ever notify us. He
saw us at several contests and never said anything. About a year and some
months after getting the kit, and starting to build it, he posted his version
of a flame email. I surmise that he expected us to take back his partially
built kit because his "filler" did not stick. In this case, even though he
still has NEVER asked for his money back, I would have to say no. This is our
only case where we have someone who is obviously totally unsatisfied, that I
am aware of.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Lance's earlier post
stated our problems really well. The planes are expensive, and as a result,
people expect the world, because they ARE paying a significant amount of
money. People do expect the same type of service from Aeroslave that they get
from some huge corporation. We really try to do the right things when problems
arise. Lance and I are obvious idiots for doing this business. Pattern flyers
are the toughest customers in the world. Just look at the majority of peoples
gorgeous finshed airplanes. Do you think that they got that pretty and are so
well taken care of by NOT being anal? Of course we know this going in. Think
about it this way, the typical business will sell product at 3X their cost.
This means a Symphony should cost $1500, which of course it does not.</FONT>
<BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Lance and I make enough money to pay for our
personal pattern addiction, which is nice, but trust me I could make more
money as a Butcher or mowing grass.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2><B>AND by the way....We have AIRES kits IN STOCK, sheeted and un
sheeted wings. This is an excellent flying plane for any class.</B></FONT>
<BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>So Mike...Did you lose a canopy? Use a
spring loaded mechanism and do not fly over swamps......<BR><BR>Gray
Fowler<BR>Principal Chemical Engineer<BR>Composites Engineering</FONT>
<BR><BR><BR>
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<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1><B>"Mike Hester"
<kerlock@comcast.net></B></FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=1>Sent by: discussion-request@nsrca.org</FONT>
<P><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>01/06/2005 10:38 PM</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=1>Please respond to discussion</FONT> <BR></P>
<TD><FONT face=Arial size=1> </FONT><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=1> To:
<discussion@nsrca.org></FONT> <BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=1> cc:
</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>
Subject: Re: PL Products now
Aeroslave</FONT></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ok,
but here's a good question or two Lance.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3> </FONT>
<BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Let's say I have a Symphony. Oh crap I was doing
knife edges over swampy Ga, forgot to tighten my canopy bolts (or whatever)
and I lost the canopy! It's my only pattern plane, and the season is only 2
months from now. I call you. What response do I get?</FONT> <BR><FONT
size=3> </FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>That answer alone could be
the difference between "Aeroslave is awesome" and "Aeroslave sucks". If the
quality is there, that's great. From what I've seen it looks like it is.
But it doesn't end there. It only begins there.</FONT> <BR><FONT
size=3> </FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you sold a guy a wing
panel sheeted, and it had the tube sockets installed, and god forbid it
snapped a wing panel because....whatever reason, but lets say it's a very rare
case of "oops". What is the response?</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3> </FONT>
<BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know how you operate, because I have dealt with
you personally before. You did the right things, even went above and beyond.
THAT I can get behind and respect. I know that you've had good and bad
experiences and reviews, it's part of it. But it's how you handle it that
makes you or breaks you.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3> </FONT> <BR><FONT
face=Arial size=2>So answer the questions, enquiring minds want to know. You
have the mic.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3> </FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>-Mike</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3> </FONT>
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