Tower Hobbies/Flitestreak

LAST EDITED ON Jun-28-03 AT 11:53 AM (CDT)
 
Tower Hobbies are no longer shipping this or the Nobler to the UK!

I thought the shipping was rather low on mine ($36) considering the size of the package - I wonder if the shipping cost more than they quoted?

Or it may be to do with the UK agency (Ripmax) sole agency setup.

Tony

PS I saved £22 over the quoted UK price!

Glad you got yours ok, Tony...
I contacted Tower two days ago re the Nobler and Streak ARFs and they told me they don't ship international (I'm in Australia) because "Both items you are interested in are too large to ship internationally."
Our local national distributor is not interested in bringing the ARFs in (don't they read Stuka Stunt??) as their shortsighted focus is R/C so I am looking to source a supplier who WILL ship to Oz.
Great Hobbies in Canada will ship the ARFs but the shipping costs are almost as much as the kits themselves.

Hmmm, any other internationals got any answers to this problem??

(Nah, good idea but I'm not going to fly over to the US, duct-tape a few kits together and float them back as a raft... )

Peter

Peter,
My Flitestreak arrives next week! (in Sydney) - I arranged for a US buddy to buy one from a LHS in Arlington (Thanks Jim!) Apparently 42 inches is the largest for postage, so the Nobler might be a problem.

I have been chasing one of the bigger hobby shops (Kelletts)to pressure Dawn (the importer) to get some in, provided the price is right. Mine worked out at US$85, say 130 bucks Oz.

It might be possible to get together with some other guys, make up a package of say 20, & freight.

Where are you?

Dave et al in Oz

This was a hot topic at the NSW State Champs several weeks ago. Bri is talking toa lot of people.

Dawn Trading--local agent--head up fundamental so far they cannot tell which way is up.

Other grey market parallelimport options under investigation.

A few kits ordered from Canada, for example, might be economical packed and shipped--freight rather than postage.

Sorry guys, would help if I logged in before posting...

Dave & Geoff... haven’t done a firm survey down here re who would want to order, how many, what type, etc. (Bri may know... I’m up for a Nobler and a Streak, mate, if you’re reading this) but I agree with you guys and also think the Bulk Order Freight shipping option may be the only way to go for a cost effective solution if the distributors or a major hobby retailer doesn’t pick up the ball.

I know Bri is working to find a solution and the Bulk Freight option may be the one he springs for too... he may be in the best position to do it as he has contacts with just about everyone who buys local CL and offers fantastic national CL stock and support here. The difficulty is underwriting the import and distributing nationally... it requires big dollars up front.
Like lots of us here in Oz, I would think he’s rather disappointed (that MAY be an understatement) with the lack of local distributor support for these CL ARFs which will be the catalyst to bring more newbies into CL aeromodelling... as well as keep us time-poor flyers in the air!! It kinda worries me that the distributor may bow to pressure and bring in the CL ARFs, then price them too high, force the retailers to charge an exorbitant retail price for the distributor’s “effort” of dealing in CL and give us the old "told ya so!!" when sales aren't forthcoming... marketing suicide, I know, but call me a cynic!!

Peter O'Keeffe

BTW, Dave - I live in Ferntree Gully, Victoria... just a spit from the KMAC flying field... paradise on earth!! You know - 5 groomed grass flying circles dedicated to control-line only and beautifully maintained by our local Knox Council – free plug to council and da mowin' boyz!!...

Peter,
Yep, I agree - if Dawn did get involved the price would skyrocket - If Brian Gardner gets involved he has my support.Better still, if he can make a buck out of them, keeps it all in the C/L family.

I wonder if it might be possible to ship from source - China? Thailand? Vietnam? wherever.

Flitestreak:

UK importer £90
Tower (Airmail - didn't pay duty) £66
Great Hobbies £75 (surface) £100 (air)

Nobler:

UK importer £150
Great Hobbies £55 (kit only)

I still think it's gonna be cheaper to get it from Canada...

It may be cheaper for you, Tony (and half yer luck!!)... as you're not quite as far away from Canada as we are.

This is an extract of quoted prices (to ship the Nobler) I have from Great Hobbies (in Canadian dollars)...

"These are new kits and I was waiting for out first batch to come in to get the dimensions for shipping quotes. Airmail the kits would be about $140 each to ship, or $270 together. Surface mail they would be about $80 dollars each or $120 together."

Lessee - about these currency rates...
Great Hobbies sells the Nobler ARF for $120 Canada / $88 US /$133 AUS
Shipping costs $140 Canada / $104 US / $156 AUS...

WOW... by air, it costs more to MOVE it than BUY it!!

We're closer to the manufacturing base... MUST be a source closer for our Australian CL Market... we'll keep working on it!!

Cheers,

Peter

(PS: anyone from Melbourne going to Canada for the weekend??)

Dave Simons,

Between myself, you and somebody up in Canada, Jim Booker has either had on reserve or had in his hand three of the ARF Flite Streaks. And has yet to do anything with any of them.

Saw Jim Saturday in Arlington. He had a Twister of some sort with him, ready to fly until he realized the right lines were home. Left to get 'em, if he came back I had left by then.

However, I was letting others fly my FS and Jim did get in one flight.
Too bad the needle had been opened a bit too much, although it still flew well, Jim seemed to enjoy it.