JC's Planes and Projects

At the field with the completed Su-do-khoi. Can you say "wing area"?

Morris Hobbies Giant Su-Do-Khoi

The marketing wizards will say that the way you feel about a purchase comes from your expectations. I purchased the Morris Hobbies Giant Su-Do-Khoi (GSDK) with the expectation of a very complete, high quality, kit that would build very quickly and fly superbly. Needless to say, my expectations were quite high as I paid a premium price ($250.00 including shipping) for this kit. Just for reference, a Midwest CAP or Extra would be about the same price.

I have never been as disappointed with a modeling purchase as I was upon opening the GSDK box. I am way past the point of being angry and I will try my best to offer a fair review of this product. At first my disappointment was directed at the instructions and construction methods. The instructions are ten pages of typewritten text with no photos. In addition to the text are eleven illustrations, a parts list, and an addendum to the instructions. As a modeler who had only built Great Planes, SIG, and Top Flite kits I was definitely alarmed by these comparatively crude instructions. Particularly alarming was the addendum that has five construction changes listed. They are numbered 1-5 but do not explicitly reference the instructions. In fact, the instructions are not numbered. The addendum is very important as the critical wing mounting method is changed.

After reading through the brief instructions I decided that maybe the plans would help shed some light on the project. The plans are blueprints and are comprised of two sheets. All drawings are full size. The plans are definitely of a better quality than the instructions. After a good two hours of studying the instructions and plans I had a good mental image of how this plane was going to go together and I was not happy with the construction methods. Remember that one of my expectations was that this kit would go together quickly? It is a profile or fun-fly airplane right? Well, the fuselage is essentially "scratch built" from many pieces of 2" x 1/8" stock that the builder must custom cut and fit. The only machine-cut parts are in the area of the engine mount and wing mount. Everything else is built up from the sheet stock. This plane was not going to go together quickly. In fact, it was going to be downright tedious.

OK, some of you are saying "If you knew you were in over your head why didn't you just send it back for a refund?" Well, that was exactly my thought process. My expectations in the area of quality and quickness were not met. I called Robert at Morris Hobbies (now MVVS) and told him I was disappointed in the kit and wanted to send it back. I pointed out my disappointment with the instructions as well as the tedious construction methods and lack of pre-fabricated parts. Robert was very nice and encouraging, but he would not take the kit back without a 15% restocking fee. The restocking fee and insured return shipping would have cost me about $60.00. Robert would not back down on the restocking fee because he would have to ensure that the kit was complete before he could sell it again. I gave him my word that that I had only read the instructions and unrolled the plans, but "no dice." I kept the kit. In retrospect it is ironic that I would be charged a restocking fee since the parts list and the actual kit contents correlate poorly. How would they know that I didn't keep half the wood?

With renewed grit, I decided that I was going to make this thing and make it right! I will try to capture as best I can my construction methodology with text and pictures.

This shot will give you a good idea of the size of the airplane. It is big! For comparison, I am 6-feet tall.

Please click on the link below to track the construction of the GSDK: