Who says hobby companies don't listen?

Not I, that's for sure.

I got an e-mail the other day from the folks at helidirect.com verifying that an order had been sent. This would have been great had I actually ordered anything.

No mistake.

I'd left a comment on their talk page regarding the incredible problems that I'd had trying to make their Microheli mainshaft and E-sky maingear combo work for my Blade. Microheli's own website claims the combo will work.

Actually, it doesn't.

The shaft is too long.

Helidirect had already sent me one replacement; this one was totally unexpected. For the record, I've bought several items from them and I'm totally satisfied. They actually lost money on this transaction to begin with and cheerfully lost more in an unsolicited effort to make me happy.

Since I have some fresh new parts to play with (the first mainshaft was returned to Helidirect and the second destroyed in a crash), I may pick the brains of the folks at Microheli to see just what the heck I need to do in order to make this mongrel work.

On a sadder note, a gentleman who has been one of my best friends for nearly thirty years just lost his mom. His dad passed away a couple of years ago and I'd named one of my planes after him since he'd served in the Army Air Corps. Mom and family loved the gesture.