HK Apparition 2

[Old School]

I just received this boat in this morning's post and alas am not a very happy customer. The clearcoat applied to the boat is very blotchy with cloudy matte surfaces amongst the high gloss finish. The hull has numerous scratches in the clearcoat. The scratches look to have been done after the clearcoating was applied. The boat also was covered in finger print grease smudges indicating the boat has received a lot of handling post construction. Previously received HK boats have not had fingerprint smudges in the clearcoat as any handling smudges/grease were removed prior shipment.

To add insult to injury the right hand propshaft (reverse rotation) is severely bent and when hand rotated the spinner tip tracks a circle about 1/4" diameter. I have raised a claim with the store and hope to get this cleared up quickly as it was intended as a gift for my son. The purchase has left me feeling quite sick in the stomach as online reports show the site is very slow in processing claims. I received two painted "bare" hulls in the same purchase and they were perfect.

I have my suspicions that the boat was a previous customer return that has found its way back onsale. I assume the driveshaft is a two piece shaft and would need a one-piece reverse rotation replacement shaft with hopefully no damage to the stinger.

As regards the cosmetic damage to the hull, I think that either a full repaint is needed or the scratches will need to be ignored and the hull lightly sanded and a further clearcoat added. This is obviously a last resort as I am hoping for a replacement boat to the same excellent standard as other HK boats received.

[rol243]

Thats no good. Hobby king are pretty good with returns so take a couple of pics of the damaged areas and submit a warranty claim with them and no doubt you will receive another boat free of charge.

[Old School]

HK have issued a return authorisation number so will ship the item back today and hope that my opinion of the poor quality of the boat is in accordance with their appraisal. I purchased the boat as they were offering free shipping. Now it is going to cost me more to return the boat than I saved in shipping costs in the first instance. Fingers crossed for a replacement boat that is in the condition a new boat should be, not a previous customer's return.

[rol243]

my son bought an r/c plane some time ago and it was damaged when he received it, h/k shipped out another plane free of charge so he ended up with a spare model.

[Old School]

HK want the boat returned so will cost me $33.00 (I am just three hours drive from their wharehouse) for signature on delivery postage. I will have tracking so will follow the package to their door and the signature will verify receipt. The store says to use the cheapest shipping method available as postage may not be refunded.

What looked like a good deal with free shipping has turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Edit: on looking up the specs on the boat I was surprised that the motors supplied (HK describe as 380 style 2881kv brushless motors) are actually a 4-pole TFL SSS 2961 1300 watt 20 volt (maximum) motor. These retail online for upwards of $50.00 usd each with attached water jacket. The shafts are also counter rotating with the right propellor a reverse rotation.

[rol243]

looks like your a winner anyway thanks to those better motors etc. hey 3 hours drive and return = some petrol. i think i would be going for the $33 postage.

[Old School]

Thirty year ago I used to regularly travel the highway down to Moruya (the golf club had a great 19th hole), Best time for the plus 300 klms was 2 hr 50 mins, including city traffic. Then the government placed a blanket 100 k speed limit and the thrill was gone. The little Mini 1100K and the Cooper "S" knew the way blindfolded and loved the curves through the national forests. A lot older now but still remember the drives down south.

[rol243]

yes driving was a pleasure years back but now its a nightmare. also owned a quick cooper s kitted out to 1310 plus dual webers., ex race engine from Lakeside Raceway Days.

[Old School]

Mine was an original Mk1 with the large valves. The Mk2 had smaller valves due the Mk1 burning out valve seats, cracking the head between the valves. The fix back then was to replace with a 998 Cooper head that had been modified with the additional head studs that the Cooper "S" had. Was a great little car that gave a lot of gas guzzling V8's a run for their money, particularly through the curves. They would overtake me on the passing lanes but I was always there at the end of the straights and would pass them as they slowed down for the curves. They tried to keep up in the curves but gave up usually after the first corner.

[Peter A]

What looked like a good deal with free shipping has turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Ha I know some pain like this. At the beginning of this month I purchased an Osprey and a HK YEP HV 180 ESC, they were both on special and free shipping on the ESC. I did separate purchases to deliberately be under the $400 NZ limits to avoid customs duties/taxes. HK send with Seko Logistics. Three days to get to NZ from Oz, 17 days to get from Auckland to me, about 2 1/2 hours drive. They also combined the two package values and it cost me another $183 so there was the savings gone! It took them 4 days to contact me, 6 days to send me the customs invoice, and another four days to put it on the delivery courier, which when it was loaded locally for delivery, took 5 1/2 hours to bring it 15 mins drive. Freight companies! No care for customer service what so ever. Yeah I know it is a busy time of year but......At least I have it now.
In comparison, I ordered some parts from OSE Monday night (Sunday in the US), they shipped the next morning so I expect to see them mid next week, usually 8-10 days and the tracking works! OSE is by far the best place to buy stuff from for service and delivery.

[martin]

Peter what do you think of the Osprey & build quality also does the Leopard 4074 motor that comes in the boat have the vented end caps with the wires coming out of the end gap. Rather than the earlier Ospreys that had the Leopard car motor fitted with the solid end caps & wire coming out of the side of the can. I did hear that the water jacket is now a metal jacket rather than the horrible silicon jacket they used to come with, can you confirm that they now come with the metal jacket.

[Old School]

Peter what do you think of the Osprey & build quality also does the Leopard 4074 motor that comes in the boat have the vented end caps with the wires coming out of the end gap. Rather than the earlier Ospreys that had the Leopard car motor fitted with the solid end caps & wire coming out of the side of the can. I did hear that the water jacket is now a metal jacket rather than the horrible silicon jacket they used to come with, can you confirm that they now come with the metal jacket.

I also recently purchased an Osprey and the motor has vented end caps with the wires exiting the end cap. The water jacket is a clear anodised alloy cover. The build quality to me is fine, although I will still apply a reinforcing inlay. My two criticisms are that the applied stickers are useless and will simply peel off and secondly the battery trays seem to be just hot glued/superglued in position and a small force will easily dislodge them.

I feel that they represent excellent value plus at present they are $100.00 cheaper than I paid plus free shipping from a local wharehouse.

[Old School]

Peter,
I also feel your pain. At least until the senate decides otherwise, we have the $1000.00 GST free limit. Today, the wharehouse is scheduled to receive my returned boat and hopefully decide on a replacement. With the current discounted price, free shipping and the quality (?) 2961 4-pole SSS brushless motors I feel that the Apparition is great value, so am hoping on a new replacement. I have seen videos of these on 4s (2881kv motors) and they do get up and fly.

[martin]

A question to both Old School & Peter re any hook in the hull bottoms that you have, are the bottoms fairly flat with a straight edge at the rear of the hulls bottom or is their any hollows.

[Old School]

I reported in another thread that one side of the hull has an approximate 0.5 - 1.00mm depression just forward of the transom.