Cessna 180 Group Build

[BillParker]

Guillow's Cessna 180 Skywagon Kit Number: 601
Wing Span: 20"

Build Photos at:

http://www.parkerinfo.com/ap84.htm

Taa Daa!




















and... walla!

[SteveM]

voilà!

[MakMov]

My wing is complete crap, due to Guillow's junky die crud parts. Sometimes, it's like why even bother? Guillow's your are wasting my time.

Why even box up a piece of crud like that and call it a kit?

[Phugoid]

y

[BassettsAllSorts]

My wing is complete crap, due to Guillow's junky die crud parts. Sometimes, it's like why even bother? Guillow's your are wasting my time.

Why even box up a piece of crud like that and call it a kit?

Hi MakMov

I've had the same trouble to a certain extent although I don't think it was as bad as your kit by the sound of it.

I made one wing last night and it wasn't too good with the slots for the top brace. I didn't realise until I had glued it in that it put a little pressure on the brace on a section. Some of the ribs didn't fit snug to the wing but but I've made do with the parts.

I also had to cut the two stringers out myself as they didn't supply enough. I think Andrew had to do it earlier on in the build thread but I could be wrong on that.

I'm hoping that I have enough wood for the wing supports - I have one that's just about the right length from the leading edge but not quite. I might just have to buy some more wood which will be a pain.

Tom

[BassettsAllSorts]

Here is my wing from last night.



You can see how the brace is under pressure on the straight section nearest to what will be the fuse.

Do you guys think this will be OK?

Thanks in advance.

Tom

[supercruiser]

Tom,
From the pictures, it doesn't look like you are going to have any problems with what you've built.

[supercruiser]

My wing is complete crap, due to Guillow's junky die crud parts. Sometimes, it's like why even bother? Guillow's your are wasting my time.

Why even box up a piece of crud like that and call it a kit?

I know it can be frustrating. Like phugoid said, a few minutes reworking usually solves the problem. These kits are not an exact science and considering the price compared to other manufacturers; are a decent prospect. As you know, some folks chunk the whole works and make their own parts from the drawings on the plans. I work on full-size aircraft for a living, sometimes we even have to do some minor re-work to a part that is brand new from the factory.
Keep at it. Guillow appears to be improving. According to the latest news they are going to be making more kits laser cut.
I think the whole 400 series is next???? Not sure.

[BassettsAllSorts]

Tom,
From the pictures, it doesn't look like you are going to have any problems with what you've built.

Hi Supercruiser

Thank you for that.

I really should have dry fitted the brace but I was a little tired and typically it was the last piece to glue. I'll make sure I check it on the next wing.

Thanks again.

Tom

[MakMov]

Here is my wing from last night.



You can see how the brace is under pressure on the straight section nearest to what will be the fuse.

Do you guys think this will be OK?

Thanks in advance.

Tom

That is exactly the way mine looks... F2 doesn't seem to be right.

Oh well, it is what it is, I press onwards.

I belive it's 300 series next in the cue for laser cutting.

[BassettsAllSorts]

Hi MalMov

Yeah it must be a common thing - I wish I paid attention when I put the stringer in the slots before gluing but what can you do. I'm sure it will work out fine for us both in the end. It is annoying when you spend so long building the frames with care. Once its covered you will not see it any more so it'll be fine.

I'm really looking forward to trying out one of the laser cut kits. A friend of mine just bought the 400 spit and said the pieces fell out of the wood and fitted very well.

But it will be a little while as I have two 500 series to build (The spit and the Hurricane).

I thought I might buy the Messerschmitt BF-109 laser cut and see how I go.

Tom

[MakMov]

It's one thing to just screw the pooch on your own, but to not even have a fighting chance. Bad bad bad, very bad. Shame on Guillows.

Oh well since everyone is more or less having the same issues, I will finish it up. I pulled the wing up off the board this morrning and man is it flimsy, but I guess is looks okay other than the spar being all jacked up.

I saw that it was jacked up before gluing it together, but I am tired of fixing every single cotton picking part on a Guillows kit.

Largely why I ended up with a banana fuselage was the left and right sides were not cut the same, and ended up with one that was a little shorter than the other. If you built it per the instructions it makes everything else off. It's not a banana anymore but the formers are not exactly square.

I have a bunch of laser cut kits, I just though I would cut my teeth on some cheap Guillows kits and hone up my building skills. Maybe I got more than I bargined for

Guillows does appear to be impoving, but there is still a lot to be desired. I got a new P-40 Warhawk and the parts were very cleanly cut, but there was still things out whack, needed modified or completely rebuilt from scratch. I did buy a kit, not a box of junk-figure it out on your own puzzle.

I have built one laser cut kit and it was wonderful. A little Peck Polymer Andreason, you couldn't ask for much more out of a kit. I also have most every laser cut kit Guillows makes, and a bunch of Dare Designs, and even a couple Dave Diels kits that are now laser cut as well. I even have a pile of Comet kits that to be perfectly honest I would rather just have good printed wood than horrible die cut parts.

It's no wonder Guillows has such a bad reputation. You really need to build quite few Guillows kits to kind of figure them out and then you can correct stuff before it gets to be a problem; however, how many fight and struggle through one and say man I am never doing that again. No wonder there is only like 25 people in the world in our hobby.

[BassettsAllSorts]

Hi Makmov

I'm exactly the same as I have only just got into this hobby after having a kit many years ago that I couldn't finish due to my age at the time.

I'm following the same system of working through a few kits to get good at the building stages and tissue covering etc and then move on the the more expensive kits as well as doing the old war planes justice. One day I hope to get into the RC and convert one of the bigger kits I don't really know where to start on that one though!

I don't think the kits are too bad but It does get frustrating and I can see why some people might think one was enough.

However, if the plane flies the problems with some pieces will all go out of the window!

I thought that my super piper cub had good die cast pieces except for the mistake with too few of the larger stringers (I had to cut them myself from a bigger piece of wood like on this build). It must be a manufacturing fault?

It also flew so hopefully our cessnas will have a chance!!!

Looking forward to seeing your finished model.

Stick with it

Tom

[MakMov]

I will, If it wasn't in for the long haul I would just mashed up all my Guillow kits and you just would never have heard from me again.

Just needed to vent off some frustrations. I have minimum standards of quality expectations that were not being met.

[Phugoid]

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