VALUABLE SUPPORT

The season is drawing to a close, and we’ve completed many training flights. The noise from the motor of my F3A aerobatic model is getting noticeably louder during the descent, when the motor slows the model down—it doesn’t sound good at all! We’re removing the Dualsky KOAX CRS3000 power unit to check what’s causing the problem. A ball bearing has likely come loose and fallen out. As a result, the drive shaft of the contra-rotating propeller is no longer guided, and significant wear has developed on the large gear. I can’t fly like this anymore—the risk is too high of losing the entire model in the event of a total failure. The last aerobatics competition of the season is in a few days—what should I do now? Leomotion is currently offering this type of power unit on sale. We ordered the Dualsky KOAX CRS3000 MkII F3A power unit over the phone. The power unit was delivered the very next day—surprisingly at a special price, as a gesture of support for a junior pilot, so to speak. We were able to install the part in the model right away and complete some practice flights before heading to the Challenge Cup hosted by Felix Andres in Breitenbach. The season ended on a high note. But it gets even better—I was able to send the defective Dualsky power unit to Leomotion for repair. A few weeks later, I received word that the motor had returned from repairs in Asia. The next surprise came when I opened the invoice: yet another preferential price, which I received without even asking for it.

**This whole story is further proof to me that specialty retailers in Switzerland are incredibly valuable to us model airplane enthusiasts. They’re there when we need something, they can deliver quickly, and they take care of things when something needs to be repaired. “Being cheap is cool” ends up backfiring!**