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Falcon/Wultrad Quality Control Problem

MontanaMike

Well Known Member
:mad:Well, after Vans was nice enough to rush me a replacement new Falcon ASI this morning, and I drove down to the airport to R/R the old one to continue Phase I, the new factory sealed ASI revealed that both P and S port threads were damaged by someone in the past trying to install a coarse thread fitting. Both ports had some type of old black sealant down in the threads. My new Safeair-1 brass fittings could not go in even a full thread.

Now I would understand how this might happen on a used ASI. But not new.

Vans was kind enough to take it back in exchange, and save me the indignity of sending it to the culprits, Wultrad. When I went on the Wultrad website and tried to leave a message for Customer Service about whether they sell refurbished units as new, their server blew out an error code and erased my long winded tale of woe. So here you go, Falcon/Wultrad.

Critical flight instrument? Think so, Wultrad.

Mike Bauer
RV6 N918MB Phase I
 
We have stopped using any Falcon/Wultrad instruments in our planes. Over the past 2 years, we have had a 30% failure rate across the board on their instruments. It's pretty sad, because their pricing was good, but I guess you get what you pay for.
 
Wultrad QQ

CraigVince...thanks for the feedback.

I may file an 8070-1 and an ASRS on this issue if a replacement instrument is delayed past this week. I would like to include a copy of these posts with the forms if you do not mind. If you feel otherwise I will honor your wishes.

Update CraigVince...John at Vans has stepped up and will be overnighting a replacement ASI of the same unreliable manufacture, which I hope to fly with until it goes 30% with the others. I will revisit the 8070-1 during this experience.

Mike Bauer
RV6 N918MB Phase I
 
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Buy the wing kit...this is quite a great ride.

If I had it to do over again, I would spend about $500 instead of $215, and just get a better quality primary ASI. Or, you may end up with a glass panel and a little cheap unit like mine as your backup.

Build on, I think the others say.

Mike Bauer
RV6 N918MB Phase I
 
When we looked at setting up our panel, we priced steam gauges and Dynon. Using Falcon Chinese gauges was still more expensive than going glass with Dynon.

In the UK, we have to have basic standby instruments as well as glass so I will admit I got Falcon for the ASI/Alt and compass. Well I figure the compass can't go wrong - maybe leak but that's about it.

Can't say I will get too worries if the standbys fail in time.
 
confused

Van's accessories catalogue shows the manufacturer that supplies the marked airspeed indicators as UMA, not Falcon. I don't see any Falcon gages in the cataloge.

I don't remember checking carefully when mine arrived, I just installed it. My ASI is not very accurate at low speeds, so now you have me wondering -- Did Van's send me a Falcon instead of UMA? and would I be happier if I bought a better ASI?
 
100% United instruments in my 8. Had all United pitot-static instruments in my RV4 and PA28-180 and they were perfect. Almost double the money, but worth it IMHO.
 
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