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#1
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C.D.Damron wrote:
"Dennis Fetters" wrote in message m... I should, I wrote it! But you're the one that made the false accusation and can't back it up. I'll round it up. In the meantime, do you want to tell us how many hours you had on your prototype, not the Cicare prototype you took to Oshkosh, before you started selling your helicopters? I know this is the kind of questions that make you squirm, Dennis. Why don't you just read for yourself sometime? The first time I took it to Oshkosh it had 0 hours. The second time it had 210 hours. Dennis Fetters Designer of; Air Command 1/plcs Gyroplanes Air Command 2/plcs Gyroplanes Mini-500 1/Plcs Helicopter Voyager-500 2/Plcs Helicopter Excalibur 5/Plcs Turbine Helicopter Star-Lite-A VTUAV Helicopter Star-Lite-B VTUAV Helicopter |
#2
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![]() "Dennis Fetters" wrote in message news ![]() The first time I took it to Oshkosh it had 0 hours. The second time it had 210 hours. Dennis, in separate posts, you have provided the info required to establish a timeline that shows you were more concerned with marketing than testing. In the Summer of 1992, the Mini-500 showed up at Oshkosh, but that aircraft didn't have its 40 hours flown off yet. Whether this was the first Mini or not, the timeline suggests that Fetters designed and tested his new design in a year and half, or less. Sometime in 1992, brochures were in circulation stating non-engine TBO's of 2000+ hours. By October of 1992, Revolution reported at least 150 orders had been placed. I'm not sure when the first Mini-500's shipped, but it is clear that the sales effort was on before the design was completed and TBO claims were advertised that had not been tested. By July of 1995, N500ZZ (serial #0000) only had 200 hours and was by everybody's opinion, the aircraft with the most time. Dennis, when Revolution had 150 orders, how many hours did your high time aircraft have??? |
#3
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C.D.Damron wrote:
"Dennis Fetters" wrote... The first time I took it to Oshkosh it had 0 hours. The second time it had 210 hours. Who left the master switch on? By July of 1995, N500ZZ (serial #0000) only had 200 hours and was by everybody's opinion, the aircraft with the most time. |
#4
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![]() "Darrel Toepfer" wrote in message ... C.D.Damron wrote: "Dennis Fetters" wrote... The first time I took it to Oshkosh it had 0 hours. The second time it had 210 hours. Who left the master switch on? By July of 1995, N500ZZ (serial #0000) only had 200 hours and was by everybody's opinion, the aircraft with the most time. For Fetters, the history of the Mini-500 starts with the display and demos of Cicare CH-6 at Oshkosh. He refers to this aircraft as "the prototype", but in his own posts states that he did not have access to the prototype after he ended his relationship with Cicare, forcing him to design and test a helicopter from scratch. Based on the timeline, Fetters designed a helicopter from scratch in a year and half after ending his relationship with Cicare, all the while taking orders based largely on the excitement generated by the earlier CH-6. I find it an amazing task that a helicopter could be designed, built, and tested in this timeframe. If you think that timeframe is a little tight, throw in a 1993 flood that Fetters has said resulted in delays. The high-time aircraft had about 200 hours on it by July of 1995. I DIDN'T THINK OF IT EARLIER, BUT I WONDER WHEN THE FIRST AIRCRAFT WAS ASSEMBLED AND TESTED USING PRODUCTION PARTS AS THEY APPEARED IN ACTUAL PRODUCTION KITS. This is an important question, as many of the problems associated with the Mini-500 were quality control issues that might have been revealed had adequate testing been performed on a kit-built aircraft, instead of a prototype craft where every part is crafted under close scrutiny. |
#5
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My observation is:
1. Denise is a good businessman, but not a good designer. 2. Cicarre is a good designer, but not a good businessman. |
#6
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Flyingmonk wrote:
My observation is: 1. Denise is a good businessman, but not a good designer. 2. Cicarre is a good designer, but not a good businessman. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, no matter how uneducated it may be. Dennis Fetters Designer of; Air Command 1/plcs Gyroplanes Air Command 2/plcs Gyroplanes Mini-500 1/Plcs Helicopter Voyager-500 2/Plcs Helicopter Excalibur 5/Plcs Turbine Helicopter Star-Lite-A VTUAV Helicopter Star-Lite-B VTUAV Helicopter |
#7
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Everyone has a right to think they're designers, no matter how unsafe
their designs may be or how many has died because of it. |
#8
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On 3 Dec 2005 10:27:02 -0800, "Flyingmonk" wrote:
My observation is: 1. Denise is a good businessman, but not a good designer. 2. Cicarre is a good designer, but not a good businessman. Does a GOOD businessman.... 1. Run his business into the ground? 2. Keep deposits on undelivered goods? 3. Leave others holding the bag? 4. Open more businesses to repeat the above? Does a GOOD SALESMAN.... 1. Sell a refrigerator to an eskimo, 2. Get the money, 3. Sleep with or marry the eskimo's daughter.... 4. NEVER have to deliver the refrigerator. City Father - Excelsior Springs, MO Home of a failed kit helicopter company |
#9
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C.D.Damron wrote:
"Darrel Toepfer" wrote in message ... C.D.Damron wrote: "Dennis Fetters" wrote... The first time I took it to Oshkosh it had 0 hours. The second time it had 210 hours. Who left the master switch on? By July of 1995, N500ZZ (serial #0000) only had 200 hours and was by everybody's opinion, the aircraft with the most time. For Fetters, the history of the Mini-500 starts with the display and demos of Cicare CH-6 at Oshkosh. He refers to this aircraft as "the prototype", but in his own posts states that he did not have access to the prototype after he ended his relationship with Cicare, forcing him to design and test a helicopter from scratch. Correct. Mr. Cicare, for whatever reason he had, could not live up to his end of the deal, forcing me to take on the Mini-500 on my own and with none of his help or experience, which would have been beneficial. Based on the timeline, Fetters designed a helicopter from scratch in a year and half after ending his relationship with Cicare, all the while taking orders based largely on the excitement generated by the earlier CH-6. I find it an amazing task that a helicopter could be designed, built, and tested in this timeframe. Thank you. It was an incredible amount of work. A challenge of a lifetime. Testing continued on many years after until we shipped the first kit, and many years after that until we closed our doors in 2000. If you think that timeframe is a little tight, throw in a 1993 flood that Fetters has said resulted in delays. Right. We even lost our only flying Mini-500, along with all of our factory equipment, molds and part supplies. We had to start all over, and move to a new location and outfit it too. Yet, in a year and a half after, we shipped our first kit. It was a magnificent comeback and triumph over adversity. Thank you for recognizing this. The high-time aircraft had about 200 hours on it by July of 1995. I DIDN'T THINK OF IT EARLIER, BUT I WONDER WHEN THE FIRST AIRCRAFT WAS ASSEMBLED AND TESTED USING PRODUCTION PARTS AS THEY APPEARED IN ACTUAL PRODUCTION KITS. The first Mini-500 I made had 95% of the same parts in it as was in the finalized machines. We also had a second Mini-500 before shipping, that was helping in the testing. The design was frozen sometime in early 1995, and tested on until the day we closed. This is an important question, as many of the problems associated with the Mini-500 were quality control issues that might have been revealed had adequate testing been performed on a kit-built aircraft, instead of a prototype craft where every part is crafted under close scrutiny. We had some quality control issues, as well as any new company with a product. Look at the R-22 and R-44 problems, and those were certified helicopters! We solved our problems, as they did. If you had some real-earth experience in what you were saying, then you would not be saying it. Dennis Fetters Designer of; Air Command 1/plcs Gyroplanes Air Command 2/plcs Gyroplanes Mini-500 1/Plcs Helicopter Voyager-500 2/Plcs Helicopter Excalibur 5/Plcs Turbine Helicopter Star-Lite-A VTUAV Helicopter Star-Lite-B VTUAV Helicopter |
#10
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![]() "Dennis Fetters" wrote in message . com... If you had some real-earth experience in what you were saying, then you would not be saying it. You don't have to design and market a helicopter to understand that you should probably design and test your product adequately before selling it. Call me old fashioned, but that is how I think it should be done, especially if lives are at stake. |
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