Small Scale Military Headquarters

Just a suggestion: because of the spot problem, JSI should give a free set of pilots to customers for every F-14 they bought.

When the pilot sets are released, each customer could get in contact with their dealer and provide a proof of purchase (i.e., their order number) and the dealer would send a free pilot set to the customer.

It sure would go a long way towards restoring the collectors' faith in JSI.

This is an awesome idea

They could, at least, acknowledge that they failed miserably with the spotcat weathering and release FREE decals for the F-14 markings, so people can fix the thing themselves.

As far as the pilot/RIO set is concerned, it might be a good idea. But why should the retailers go to all the trouble of stocking up on those, which needlessly takes up warehouse space, to make up for JSI's snafu, when the retailers did nothing wrong in the first place? It's JSI (or Merit at any rate), and not the retailers, who should take responsibility for their actions, IMO.

they don't seem to care that they failed. i just got an email from jsi, and they said i have no idea what i'm talking about and that they think the tomcat looks good. ha! it looks good if you can get past the spots, but they are still there. thank god for people like tko211.

thatf14guy wrote:they don't seem to care that they failed. i just got an email from jsi, and they said i have no idea what i'm talking about and that they think the tomcat looks good. ha! it looks good if you can get past the spots, but they are still there. thank god for people like tko211.

I guess if they "see nothing wrong" then all of us who are holding out hope for the "later" batches having the problem subdued are just wishful thinking. They will all have spots as bad as the Special Edition. Like Aviatornut said, the production regular version and the special ed at AWOH show both looked the same.
I have been waiting till my local hobby shop gets theirs in hoping they will be less spotty - odds are they are all the same. If JSI doesn't acknowledge the problem why would they be trying to "fix it." ? They won't give pilots away if they don't fix the spots.

thatf14guy wrote:they don't seem to care that they failed. i just got an email from jsi, and they said i have no idea what i'm talking about and that they think the tomcat looks good. ha! it looks good if you can get past the spots, but they are still there. thank god for people like tko211.

From JSI's point of view it's a success, they sold out their entire run to dealers. I'm impressed that you even got a response by JSI about this! Could you give me the name of the contact who replied so that I could contact them direct with some questions?

pcoughran wrote:

thatf14guy wrote:they don't seem to care that they failed. i just got an email from jsi, and they said i have no idea what i'm talking about and that they think the tomcat looks good. ha! it looks good if you can get past the spots, but they are still there. thank god for people like tko211.

I guess if they "see nothing wrong" then all of us who are holding out hope for the "later" batches having the problem subdued are just wishful thinking. They will all have spots as bad as the Special Edition. Like Aviatornut said, the production regular version and the special ed at AWOH show both looked the same.
I have been waiting till my local hobby shop gets theirs in hoping they will be less spotty - odds are they are all the same. If JSI doesn't acknowledge the problem why would they be trying to "fix it." ? They won't give pilots away if they don't fix the spots.

What many of you are not looking at is that your dealing with a country that has a different cultural view than most American's have. To ask someone to apologize for something in an asian culture is a tremendous slap in the face and an insult. Your not going to get it. The F-14A was born out in JSI's think tanks in China as far as I understand and working out there. Merit I believe is just a distributer, anyway what I'm saying it that this model was their idea of what an F-14 should be. So to tell them you got it wrong apologize and get it right is insulting. At least put in those ways. If I put out my first solo effort and only got a stream of critisism followed by a bunch of demands I'd tell you all to bend over and get "this" for free.

Culturally the best way to approach this would have been, "We applaud your effort may I suggest that you do this in the future to make your product even better and more receptive to your clientele.

Sounds lame I know, but threats and bullying get no where, even in America. Why should it work there. I don't know about most of you guys. I too am a veteran of the Air Force and a disabled one at that. But I wonder if any of you have learned any wisdom in your travels? I was stationed in the Middle East in 1980, 1980! That was well before Dessert Storm and all the rest. I've been from here to Japan, Germany and all the rest. In my travels it wasn't about just sitting on my butt at some base. You have to get out and meet the people and learn about the cultures you are dealing with and quit being such children as most americans come off being.

Also I want to ask, did you guys also demand that 21st apologize for the long wait for the Avenger or the crummy wings on the Hellcat? How about the wrong sized cockpit on the P-47 and P-40?

In the end I'm not saying be complacent or accepting but do things in a way that is mature and reasonable.

To restore my faith in JSI,

Number one- have them admit that the weathering was "not as good as it could be"
Number two-pledge that any future runs will not have this problem.

If they stick with "It's a great success,because all the dealers have sold out" B.S.,I do not have any faith in this company.

I will not pre order ANY further models from this company.

Jericoeagle1 wrote:

pcoughran wrote: I guess if they "see nothing wrong" then all of us who are holding out hope for the "later" batches having the problem subdued are just wishful thinking. They will all have spots as bad as the Special Edition. Like Aviatornut said, the production regular version and the special ed at AWOH show both looked the same.
I have been waiting till my local hobby shop gets theirs in hoping they will be less spotty - odds are they are all the same. If JSI doesn't acknowledge the problem why would they be trying to "fix it." ? They won't give pilots away if they don't fix the spots.

What many of you are not looking at is that your dealing with a country that has a different cultural view than most American's have. To ask someone to apologize for something in an asian culture is a tremendous slap in the face and an insult. Your not going to get it. The F-14A was born out in JSI's think tanks in China as far as I understand and working out there. Merit I believe is just a distributer, anyway what I'm saying it that this model was their idea of what an F-14 should be. So to tell them you got it wrong apologize and get it right is insulting. At least put in those ways. If I put out my first solo effort and only got a stream of critisism followed by a bunch of demands I'd tell you all to bend over and get "this" for free.

Culturally the best way to approach this would have been, "We applaud your effort may I suggest that you do this in the future to make your product even better and more receptive to your clientele.

Sounds lame I know, but threats and bullying get no where, even in America. Why should it work there. I don't know about most of you guys. I too am a veteran of the Air Force and a disabled one at that. But I wonder if any of you have learned any wisdom in your travels? I was stationed in the Middle East in 1980, 1980! That was well before Dessert Storm and all the rest. I've been from here to Japan, Germany and all the rest. In my travels it wasn't about just sitting on my butt at some base. You have to get out and meet the people and learn about the cultures you are dealing with and quit being such children as most americans come off being.

Also I want to ask, did you guys also demand that 21st apologize for the long wait for the Avenger or the crummy wings on the Hellcat? How about the wrong sized cockpit on the P-47 and P-40?

In the end I'm not saying be complacent or accepting but do things in a way that is mature and reasonable.

Jerico,
I'm guessing you are "lecturing" thatf14guy? I never sent any emails to JSI complaining about anything or asking about apologies. I was just commenting on the question of whether JSI would try to make any ammends. My answer was they won't.
I agree with what you said about how you have to approach Asians in general. My Dad worked for a Japanese company and I grew up with Asian friends so I've had a little experience. I'm also a vet, just never served in Asia.
I don't know what was in thatf14guy's email's and whether there was any "political correctness" or not, you're making an assumption based on reading posts in this forum, which may or may not be similar in tone to the emails sent. I prefer to believe most of us "spill our guts" and drop niceties more here in a forum atmosphere than in a professional communique, so I'll give thatf14guy the benefit of the doubt. I could be giving more credit than is due, but I prefer to see the "glass half full."
Peace and Merry Christmas

Jericoeagle1 wrote:

pcoughran wrote: I guess if they "see nothing wrong" then all of us who are holding out hope for the "later" batches having the problem subdued are just wishful thinking. They will all have spots as bad as the Special Edition. Like Aviatornut said, the production regular version and the special ed at AWOH show both looked the same.
I have been waiting till my local hobby shop gets theirs in hoping they will be less spotty - odds are they are all the same. If JSI doesn't acknowledge the problem why would they be trying to "fix it." ? They won't give pilots away if they don't fix the spots.

What many of you are not looking at is that your dealing with a country that has a different cultural view than most American's have. To ask someone to apologize for something in an asian culture is a tremendous slap in the face and an insult. Your not going to get it. The F-14A was born out in JSI's think tanks in China as far as I understand and working out there. Merit I believe is just a distributer, anyway what I'm saying it that this model was their idea of what an F-14 should be. So to tell them you got it wrong apologize and get it right is insulting. At least put in those ways. If I put out my first solo effort and only got a stream of critisism followed by a bunch of demands I'd tell you all to bend over and get "this" for free.

Culturally the best way to approach this would have been, "We applaud your effort may I suggest that you do this in the future to make your product even better and more receptive to your clientele.

Sounds lame I know, but threats and bullying get no where, even in America. Why should it work there. I don't know about most of you guys. I too am a veteran of the Air Force and a disabled one at that. But I wonder if any of you have learned any wisdom in your travels? I was stationed in the Middle East in 1980, 1980! That was well before Dessert Storm and all the rest. I've been from here to Japan, Germany and all the rest. In my travels it wasn't about just sitting on my butt at some base. You have to get out and meet the people and learn about the cultures you are dealing with and quit being such children as most americans come off being.

Also I want to ask, did you guys also demand that 21st apologize for the long wait for the Avenger or the crummy wings on the Hellcat? How about the wrong sized cockpit on the P-47 and P-40?

In the end I'm not saying be complacent or accepting but do things in a way that is mature and reasonable.

Funny, the Chinese people I work with (even though they are actually Taiwanese, their ethnicity is the same if I'm not mistaken) are the exact oppposite of what you describe. You may not get your way with them always when it comes to solving a problem, but they do go out of their way to apologize when they feel you are upset about the way they handle things. At least, that's my personal experience.

No lectures meant to anyone in particular just saying, people are different world over. What may work here may not work in other parts of the world and I agree with you. I think we do tend to vent more here then we probably would in the non-virtual world.

I do tend to get wordy at times.

To restore faith, simply put, JSI just needs to make sure the next run of F-14's lack spots, and doesn't have loose parts like the horizontal stab connection, canopy, AWG-9, no red TCS lens, et al.

Shin Densetsu wrote:To restore faith, simply put, JSI just needs to make sure the next run of F-14's lack spots, and doesn't have loose parts like the horizontal stab connection, canopy, AWG-9, no red TCS lens, et al.

I'm just curious, what color should the TCS lense be? Would it really light up at all? I've seen several people comment on it, but no one says what is correct.

I'm just curious, what color should the TCS lense be? Would it really light up at all? I've seen several people comment on it, but no one says what is correct.

Shouldn't light up at all, should just be clear.

I agree with what Jericoe has said here. I have recieved more than great responses from most of the manufacturers when I approach them in this manner.

Was this an early batch delivery? BCA sits shows they are expected to ship next week?

DH

I still have faith in them the other 3 items from them where great.

There is no faith to restore. I had no faith in them to begin with.

Spots aside, my big complaint about the F-14 is no pilots.
Idealistically, I still wish JSI would provide free pilots to compensate for the spots.