Tower Hobbies and GMS are from a common ancestry, with Super Tigre moving their factory to China for labor and cost reasons. Super Tigre is made to Italian specifications and is still owned by Italians. Tower Hobbies engines are made in Taiwan by a company that makes sewing machines as their main product.
DLE Engines is a brand of gasoline-powered engines for RC airplanes, founded in 2008 and becoming a popular choice for hobbyists and professionals alike. Tower Hobbies was started in 1971 by Bruce Holecek, a hobbies enthusiast. The company is now a division of Horizon Hobby, LLC, which is headquartered in California. OS Engines, a renowned manufacturer of Radio-Controlled engines and related products, has been producing engines for various RC applications, including cars, trucks, airplanes, helicopters, and more.
The old Tower Hobbies was owned by Hobbico, the parent company for many brands of excellent RC equipment. The Model Engine Company of America in California had the contract to make the TH engines for Tower Hobbies. They were made in Taiwan by a company that made sewing machines as their main product. They did contract casting and machining.
Tower Hobbies and GMS are known for their high-quality Airplane Engines, designed for optimal durability and performance. They offer a wide range of high-quality products for hobbyists and professionals alike. The Tower 40 R/C Model Airplane Engine with Muffler Nitro is available for purchase at $79.99.
📹 $35000 GIANT RC jet explosion! 🔥😳
Is ARRMA owned by Horizon Hobby?
The ARRMA website, a trade name of Horizon Hobby Ltd, is a platform for personal information, communication, and transactions with the company. The website is subject to the following terms and conditions and all applicable laws. By accessing the website, users accept these terms and conditions. The ARRMA website is operated for the purpose of disseminating information about the company, products, and services. It also provides access to associated ARRMA websites, such as arrma-rc. com, enabling users to request and receive information and place orders for ARRMA products.
The website, its content, functionality, and design are protected by copyrights, trademarks, designs, and other intellectual property rights, either used by Horizon Hobby Ltd or owned by them. This includes Horizon Hobby Ltd, its subsidiaries, selected companies, and agencies and suppliers. The website, its content, functionality, and design may not be used in any manner except as provided for in these Terms and Conditions, the text on the website, or within the strict terms of written permission obtained in advance.
The materials on the website are provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, and Horizon Hobby Ltd disclaims all warranties of satisfactory quality and fitness for a particular purpose. The company does not warrant that the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free.
Who is the owner of the Hobbico?
Hobbbico, Inc. was a manufacturer and distributor of hobby products, including radio control airplanes, boats, cars, helicopters, and multirotors/drones. The company had around 850 employees worldwide. In 2018, Hobbico filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced its sale. Horizon Hobby acquired control of most Hobbico RC brands and IP, except for Great Planes Manufacturing. Estes Industries acquired the Estes-Cox business unit, and a German venture capital group acquired Revell Germany whole and the Revell-Monogram brands, IP, and molds.
The company distributed over 150 brands of hobby products, including about 30 proprietary brands. Hobbbico was the exclusive distributor for Futaba radio control products in North and South America, O. S. Engines in North America, and HPI Racing, Italeri, Novak Electronics, and Nine Eagles in North and South America.
Who owns Tower hobbies?
Tower Hobbies, established in 1971 by hobbyist Bruce Holecek, is currently a division of Horizon Hobby, LLC, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Horizon Hobby, LLC is a subsidiary of the larger company.
When did Horizon Hobby buy Tower Hobbies?
Tower Hobbies, a renowned RC airplane company, went bankrupt in 2018 and was later acquired by Horizon Hobby. The company’s website has been a mess, and customer service has been difficult to reach. One customer, who purchased the Strega 30 CC, experienced issues with their website showing in stock but never receiving the item. They attempted to contact customer service via chat but were disconnected multiple times. After a few weeks, the order still didn’t arrive.
The customer was given a refund number but was told it would take 10 days to appear. The customer was told to follow up with accounting and get back to them via email. The customer was told to do this at least three times over a week, and the process of contacting them is draining. The company’s reputation has been tarnished since the acquisition of Horizon Hobby.
Is Tower still in business?
Tower Records, an international retail franchise and online music store, was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when the company filed for bankruptcy and liquidation. In November 2020, Tower Records announced its return as an online retailer with plans to open future physical locations. The company was purchased by a separate entity and was not affected by the retail store closings.
In 1960, Russell Solomon opened the first Tower Records store in Sacramento, California, named after his father’s drugstore. By 1976, Solomon had opened Tower Books, Posters, and Plants at 1600 Broadway. In 1995, Tower. com opened, making the enterprise one of the first retailers to move online.
What killed Tower Records?
Tower Records, an international retail franchise and online music store, entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2004 due to heavy debt incurred during its aggressive expansion in the 1990s, growing competition from mass discounters, and internet piracy. The company was formerly based in Sacramento, California, and operated retail stores in the US from 1960 to 2006. Tower Records was purchased by a separate entity and was not affected by the store closings.
In November 2020, Tower Records announced its return as an online retailer with plans to open future physical locations. The first Tower Records store was opened in 1960 in Sacramento, California, by Russell Solomon. By 1976, Solomon had opened Tower Books, Posters, and Plants at 1600 Broadway. In 1995, Tower. com opened, making the enterprise one of the first retailers to move online.
Does Horizon Hobby own ArRMA?
ARRMA website, its content, functionality, and design are protected by copyrights, trademarks, designs, and other intellectual property rights. The website is not a toy and is not suitable for children under 14 without adult supervision. Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring minors receive appropriate guidance. The product is not suitable for public streets, near people or animals, or in small areas.
It is important to read the online manual and familiarize yourself with the product and its electronics before operating. The kit is in accordance with RED Directive 2014/53/EU and should be kept out of reach of small children. The website is in compliance with RED Directive 2014/53/EU.
Is Horizon Hobby a Chinese company?
Horizon Hobby, LLC is an American multinational RC radio control model, model train manufacturer, and distributor. Founded in 1985 by Rick Stephens, Janet Ottmers, Debra Love, and Eric Meyers, the company is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Horizon Hobby products are sold in over 50 countries, with additional facilities in California and abroad in the United Kingdom, Germany, and China. The company began shipping inventory on October 1, 1985, and began distributing product lines such as Goldberg, Royal, K and B, Sullivan, and Du-Bro.
In 1986, a second distribution center was opened in Paso Robles, California, allowing Horizon Hobby to service retailers west of the Rockies. A year later, a third distribution center was opened in Ashland, Virginia, allowing Horizon Hobby to service retailers on the East Coast.
What happened to Hobbico?
Lincoln International, a leading global mid-market investment bank, has announced the sale of Hobbico, Inc., a company based in Champaign, Illinois, in three separate transactions. The sale was made under section 363 of the bankruptcy code. Hobbico designs and distributes radio-controlled and general hobby products globally, offering a wide range of vehicles, models, and related accessories. The company’s products are sold through a network of independent hobby dealers, big-box retailers, and online platforms.
Lincoln served as the exclusive investment banker to Hobbico and worked closely with the management team and stakeholders through the chapter 11 bankruptcy and section 363 sale processes. The comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives led to the sale of Hobbico’s operating businesses to three different acquirers, including one in Germany. Managing Director Alex Stevenson expressed satisfaction with the successful closure of the transactions and the preservation of Hobbico’s iconic brands in the hobby industry.
Is ARRMA owned by horizon hobby?
The ARRMA website, a trade name of Horizon Hobby Ltd, is a platform for personal information, communication, and transactions with the company. The website is subject to the following terms and conditions and all applicable laws. By accessing the website, users accept these terms and conditions. The ARRMA website is operated for the purpose of disseminating information about the company, products, and services. It also provides access to associated ARRMA websites, such as arrma-rc. com, enabling users to request and receive information and place orders for ARRMA products.
The website, its content, functionality, and design are protected by copyrights, trademarks, designs, and other intellectual property rights, either used by Horizon Hobby Ltd or owned by them. This includes Horizon Hobby Ltd, its subsidiaries, selected companies, and agencies and suppliers. The website, its content, functionality, and design may not be used in any manner except as provided for in these Terms and Conditions, the text on the website, or within the strict terms of written permission obtained in advance.
The materials on the website are provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, and Horizon Hobby Ltd disclaims all warranties of satisfactory quality and fitness for a particular purpose. The company does not warrant that the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free.
What are the big 3 Tower companies?
The three largest cell tower companies in the United States, American Tower, Crown Castle, and SBA Communications, collectively own nearly 65 percent of all cell towers in the country.
📹 Tower Hobbies Pro 46 Out For A Run
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I know exactly how that feels. I’ve spent months and months building a Mustang “Miss America” with my father in the 80’s and at the maiden flight in Austria it was moving lovely, until at one point it became uncontrollable and crashed. We’ve come to the conclusion that it must have been the receiver battery that came loose and pulled it’s own plug. That may not have been $35000 in cost, but definitely in man hours and I can tell you it hurt real bad for long….
If the pilot has been doing this for some time then after the crash he’s not going to be feeling as devastated it might seem. Designed for extreme performance the propulsion system, flight control as well as airframe itself are being pushed very close to their limits. It doesn’t take much to push it a little too far. Sure, it’s a good chunk of change as well many hours of setup and tuning but if he’s been in the hobby for a good amount of time( which he has) then he knows the risks involved. He’s crashed plenty of times before this point. Probably close to a hundred . Not all are turned into toothpicks but a decent portion do. I’m not aware of any statistics but I do have a significant amount of RC experience with large scale aerobatic models and this is a guess. I’d say the average large scale high performance plane such as this has a life span of 50 to maybe 100 hours. All depends on the pilot, build quality, builder skills, maintenance and setup, components etc. If there’s a crowd…the risk of crash probably goes up exponentially.. 😂
4:10 Does everyone see the high power electric transmission lines in the background? He got too close to them causing his radio frequency to be lost to the plane. Those are lower voltage cables, maybe 10,000 volts. Where do you think the 66% loss of power in transmission goes? I would think RC guys would know this.
Impressive! Back in the ’80s when I flew R/C fixed-wing aircraft one could expect to lose between $150 to $550 on a hull loss. That stated, with Formula 1 or even Quickie 500, a lot of engines and radio equipment took a beating as well, so add that in. But even when considering inflation, it is no where close to the losses today. Finally, I have just one question: how does one explain this to the little misses? That’s a bathroom or perhaps even a kitchen remodel.
My friend is a major-league RC hobbyist, has some aircraft hanging from basically every ceiling in his house! (-he’s single!). He told me this story: Some years ago he was at a big RC event and witnessed this: Another guy was flying this scratch-built, jet powered B-52 bomber, doing lazy passes back and forth across the field. Suddenly he really throttled up, did this scorching flyover, but something went wrong and the thing spiraled into the ground and made this small, flaming, expensive crater. There he was, standing there stunned with his now useless RC controller still in his hands: -from behind him, his…WIFE spoke up: “Well, THERE goes Twenty-THOUSAND dollars.” I’m not sure where the injury ended and the insult began!
What a difficult loss. And not by the skill of the controls. This was as mechanical fault just perhaps as a factor of the g forces shown to maneuver. The low pass 180 executed was astonishing in the tight envelope as turn radius. I suspect a fuel issue where flames burned thru vital control wiring, servo led to the destruction. It was a beautiful model, wonderful flying. I hope the pilot on the ground will continue to build and fly. M.
Would love to know if the pilot ever discovered exactly what happened here. Besides the flame-out he seems to have completely lost control of the plane. Normally a flameout at that altitude would be an easy dead-stick landing for a decent pilot (and this guy was a good pilot), asssuming you still have radiio control and working servos.
You pay the money… you take the chances. I like RC aviation, I’m also career long aircraft mechanic & pilot. If these guys would put a camera in the airplane for visual reference it would minimize the accidents. RC aircraft are not stressed for the G load the real bird is… one control surface fails you’re toast!!!
Beautiful aircraft, fantastic flying, excellent airshow. I think the chances of a crash for any R/C that cost a $1000 or more is the square of the flight number, 1st flight: 1, 2nd flight: 4, 3rd flight: 9, 5th flight: 25, etc. Builder/Pilot: “It can do ANYTHING and I can do ANYTHING with it FOREVER.” Wanna bet? If you really do wanna fly the thing for a long time, you need to set a limit to the maneuvers you perform. I don’t think the audience would be disappointed with conservative flying. I would consider it to be VERY smart. But when you see such a beautiful aircraft performing so well, and then to see it crash JUST LIKE IN REAL LIFE is sooooooooooo heartbreaking–whether or not you’re a pilot. My condolences.
Well, he had roll control but not pitch control so the thing lawn-darted. Sic semper RC planes. The only ones to survive are those you haven’t yet crashed when you either die or hang it up and put them in the attic for your grandkids. And it’s just DAMN lucky this potentially lethal projectile fell in a farmer’s field and not on a house, a car, or a person out walking his dog. I cannot believe the AMA would give insurance to such a thing. I got the fear of such disasters scared into my bones back in the 70s when, as a barely teenage kid, I misjudged a landing and hit another pilot with my plane. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt although the plane he was flying of course crashed. And another pilot set his own transmitter down to try to save that guy’s plane, only of course to watch his own plane subsequently crash. So from then on, I went for 1/2-A planes. They were cheaper and quicker to build and operate, and didn’t have the kinetic energy to go much harm (although their high-revving props could really cut you). Plus, glow-fuel is WAY less flammable than real fuel, so you never see a crash burn except from rare electrical causes. I just don’t understand today’s infatuation with huge, heavy, stupidly expensive planes that can kill people and cause huge lawsuits, yet are no more reliable than the small ones.
Nasty, that was a URD (Unintended Rapid Disassembly) or the turbine. I wonder how many hours was put on the turbine without doing its regular bearing replacement. $35K would be an underestimation of the “in air” cost of a turbine jet this big. Very sad for the owner. But he can afford it. You never put anything in the air or on the racetrack unless you can afford to walk away from it.
Seeing that expert flying reminds me of my late brother Jake. He took his share of losses including one plane that he spent all winter building only to be crashed by an over enthusiastic flyer who turned his radio on during Jakes landing. He accepted the loss kindly and gracefully. I hope this flyer can survive his loss financially The money is only part of the loss.
These things are so dangerous to the public. I used to play a golf course in California with an RC airport across the street. The RC people were not supposed o fly over he golf course but they did anyway. One day they kept flying only about 40 feet over our head maybe less and it was one of these jet models! They had no concern that they were wrecking our day by buzzing us while we were trying to play golf. Nor did it enter their pea brains that this projectile with a pointy nose going 100 miles plus per hour could impale someone and kill them if something went wrong. We finally got tired of it and on on of their passes we all threw a club up at it and we hit it! It didn’t explode but it did come crashing down. They thought they were gonna be tough guys and come show the golfers who’s who ! So they start coming towards us and well we all just grabbed another club and the foursome behind us did too and they kind of got the message it might no be a good idea cause we would club the crap out of them! So tell me what would this guy had done if his plane came down on someone? Or on some ones house and burned it to the ground? Or it could have sparked a forest fire who knows! Sorry to point it out but some people are just very narrow minded when it comes to the safety of others!
👏🏻👏🏻Bravo ! That was absolutely f*****g tremendous 🤣, its pity the crops obscured the ground impact a bit, but the fire ball kind of made up for it, please get another one and do it again, but crash it preferably where we can see there actual impact of it biting the dust 😉 don’t forget to post it up on YouTube for us to see 🤣🤣
Impressive aircraft and piloting skills. Luckily though, the random hand of fate dove this jet into a cornfield instead of a cluster of spectators, which could easily have killed people. I’ve spent enough time flying RC to know the technology is nowhere near safe enough to control an aircraft this large & powerful without placing bystanders at risk of serious injury or worse.
I’m curious. 1 Can you buy insurance for these type of expensive hobbies ??? 2 Is it impossible to glide the aircraft after such a flame out ??. Sorry but I love perusal but have no idea of flying. WOW is all I can say and I second joe on the wife comment. Wonder what her crash point is. Well most likely has a mattress in the garage for all those late build nights.
Im sure this doesn’t happen much with RC planes. But when it does, that’s a very expensive loss😮 But if you’re a 6 figure money maker like a lot of these guys, that’s into RC flying. To lose one is like me on a fixed income, saying I broke my fishing rod at the lake when I hooked that big catfish! 😂
What a terrible shame after such a spectacularly skilled piece of control and ability, seing it performing was thrilling and i feel very sorry for him, the moment he loses control and theres nothing he can do, tragic…hopefully he’ll be back as he’s so good it’d be a shame to pack up after the accident…✌🍻
Not for nothing, but if he’d have lost control and that would have gone down into a crowd of people, somebody could have gotten hurt or killed. Not being a Karen here, just pointing out the when you get to that level in the RC world, it’s serious business… That said, I hope he gets to build and fly again. Those things are pretty damn amazing.
I’m reading the comments and it very obvious to me that these people who are very much into the RC toys most definitely can AFFORD them my next door neighbor is a pilot with united airlines and can definitely afford the two that he has thats his thing i have over a $ 100.000 in a Ford hot rod thats my thing nothing from my 401k
Wife: Ring-ring📱. Pilot boy: Hello. Wife: Honey, could you bring home some sweetcorn to grill, when you get done playing with your toy plane? Pilot boy: I’m getting ready to head home now. I’ve got good news & bad news. Which do you want to hear first? Wife: Good news. Pilot boy: I’ve already got the sweetcorn and it’s already cooked. Wife: Well, that is good. So, what’s the bad news? Pilot boy: It cost me $35,000.00 to grill it, and it’s seasoned with fire extinguisher dust and jet fuel! 😢
Having a hard time feeling bad for someone who has 35 grand to blow on a hobby that has a high likelihood of it going down the drain (or exploding on impact). It’s more than half of America earns in a year. So he’ll be fine. Of course if the owner is not rich AF then maybe try an index fond or something like that… how does it even cost that much, aren’t RC jet engines around 2-4 grand. Which is extraordinarily expensive for a hobby but pretty far from this one.
My dad accidently crashed someone elses plane back before dsm was a thing. He grabbed the wrong field frequecy flag and started getting ready to take off while the other dudes plane went head first right into a corn field. Dude was a champ about it but i bet that crash made my dad more sick than any plane of his own that he crashed
This is why I don’t fly radio control airplanes anymore. This happened to me too much too many crashes. I quit. Started playing guitar instead. Sorry for your loss. I know it’s a very painful thing to lose such a beautiful airplane. I know a lot of hard work goes into putting those together, I put a lot of plans together in my life. I quit this hobby in 1974 and exchanged it for guitar.🎸🎼🎵🎶🎸
Hey Dave, great article! Can you share initial settings for high speed and low speed idle adjustments? Also, my manual says my GMS 2000 4.7 needs a long thread glow plug, which aren’t easy to locate and expensive. Do you think your OS no. 2 might be a good choice for my engine? I’m finishing up installing new bearings. Once that’s done, I’ll be test running. Love your articles! Thanks so much!
Yes sir, I too will attest to the power these Tower hobbies Pro 46 engines can produce as I have one I also bought off ebay a month ago for only 64 bucks pre-owned but in excellent condition. With a thinner cyl. head shim installed, plus using the (red) Jett muffler instead of the stock one and running it on VP Racing fuels 15% it turns some damn high rpms WOT with a APC 9-6 prop and really hauls my good ‘ol Scat Cat quickie 500 around quite nicely!
I picked up one of these this fall, $50 off eBay to put in a high wing sport plane. I just ran it today, pulled about 11,500 on a test stand. I noticed the main needle like to be really rich, at least on mine. It wouldn’t even run without being 3 turns open and peak tune was about 2 3/4 turns. Do you happen to know what the peak rpm is? I can’t find a PDF of the tower manual anywhere and the MECOA manual for the GMS 2000 engines is pretty lacking in detail.