I remember a book on automobiles that I used to love when I was a kid, namely The First Book of Automobiles by Jeanne Bendick. Wanted to build that go-kart described in the last chapter like you wouldn't believe, but I digress. In it was a statement about how Rolls-Royce had the best customer service in the world, even going so far once as to send a technician to Africa to assist a British aristocrat out on safari. Parts? No sweat. I understand that the company stocks virtually all parts back to about the 1909 model year. Those of you with a Silver Ghost or Phantom II in your garage, please take note.

On the other hand, it seems as though the hobby industry at large is quickly catching up to that level of service.

I've never had anything but the best service imaginable from Horizon Hobby. If something of theirs breaks under unusual circumstances, odds are they will cheerfully and quickly replace the item. They've done so for me from everything to an aluminum Blade CP swashplate that came apart in flight (new one's on its way) to entire aircraft, like the ParkZone P-51 that lost an aileron on its second flight and hit the deck hard.

Or how about Castle Creations? Buy their ESCs and you're set for life regarding firmware upgrades. I've lost two Phoenix-25 controllers in crashes. Both were replaced for the princely sum of $25 each.

I just sent my PowerZone adapter board back to its manufacturer in Folsom, California. This is the wondrous little item that allows folks with ParkZone planes...or a Blade CP or similar chopper...to use a brushless ESC with the proprietary electronics. I've been having some glitching issues with mine. They'd gotten to the point where the helicopter would simply stop functioning in midair. Ouch.

Cutting to the chase, the gentleman who builds these wonderful boards just updated the firmware to version 1.3 for just that problem.

He offered to flash my board with the v1.3 firmware.

For free.

No more glitching, or so I hope. I'm only out the cost of a padded envelope and insured first class mail.

Look out, Rolls-Royce.