RotorX kit purchasers

[Sam Oliver]

I'm posting this here and in the RotorX section as well.

I started a Facebook group for RotorX Kit Purchasers. It may or may not be worth a crap.

The intent is to have a place where RotorX kit purchasers can share information and make comments on the current Bankruptcy and what may or may not come from it. Maybe get a group effort to legally be involved in the bankruptcy proceedings, who knows. But a place where we won't have people with potential competing interest involved. Hopefully a place for civil honest discourse about our options.

Not all Kit Purchasers are on this forum, nor Facebook. If you don't want to be on facebook,but are a kit purchaser, let me know. WE can exchange email addresses and I'll keep you up to date on the Facebook happenings.

It's for RotorX kit purchasers only, just in an effort to lesson the drama as our situation is drastically different from the average rotorway owner/builder. If you are a RotorX Kit Purchaser you can join the group by logging into Facebook, searching for "RotorX Kit Purchaser" and ask to join the group. It is a private group. Only members (RotorX Kit purchasers) can post or see the post.

We are the ones who are out tens of thousands of dollars.

[Eric Anderson]

100’s of thousands of dollars! Count me in.

[Eric Anderson]

For the one or two people who still visit this website for info, I did get a little more information yesterday. We all know that Don filled for bankruptcy with a court date scheduled for late November. I called the clerk of the AZ bankruptcy court to place myself on the list of creditors. I was told however that, while RotorX did in fact file, the case has since been suspended. (Or something to that effect. I don’t know the legal terms.) Don or his representative was informed that their paperwork was improperly done and lacked a complete list of creditors. He was given until 10/24 to submit the application properly and completely and failed to do so.

[homer bell]

Thanks for the update, it affects us ,too.

[Eric Anderson]

Yeah I know. I even reached out to Southern Helicopters in the UK. They, like many of you, have built businesses around Rotorway. Somebody has to make kits, not just parts, or the helicopter is in real trouble. Without parts nobody in their right mind is going to buy a used ship, or learn to fly, or go to gatherings, or stay in the hobby and so on.

[homer bell]

Parts, yes, new kits, not so sure. People not in their right minds? We have plenty of those in this country today. Unfortunately many of them are in leadership positions telling us where we can go , what we eat, drive, cook our food with, how we can defend ourselves against thieves and people that would harm us and take our property. These people would tax us and give the money to people who are not citizens of our country, who hate our country and loath how we live. Could go on , but I digress.

Someone will pick up the pieces of RW/RX and go with it if the greenies don’t shut us all down because we’re polluting.

[Alex Minassian]

I am one of the first purchasers of Rotorx. So far I have received the first three section but without fourth shipment, I have nothing. Call Don last month and he told me that all Rotorx builders will get their kit but he is suspending sales on the Helicopter. I bought my kit in February of 2020. At this point we can kiss our investment good bye and if by any chance they deliver, I will sell the chopper as soon as its finished. Can't trust them to stay in business very long. I think they hope to sell the drone so that is why they will stay in business a little longer.

[Sam Oliver]

I have been trying to keep a stiff upper lip about all this. Since I really have no option. I can join the legal bandwagon and hire a lawyer but that gets me nowhere. Or I can sit around and wait and see if Don Shaw is just a really bad businessmen, or is actually a really bad person. For the life of me, I don't see how he can pull this out of the fire unless he has some significant help.

I've asked him countless times to just do such a simple thing as keeping his customers informed. But he is unable to do even that. Which leads me to believe is is in the bad person category as much as I hate to think that.

As far as waiting for somebody else to come in and pick up the pieces and resurrect parts support for existing kits, that's a tough proposition as well in my mind. I'm usually an optimist, but in the case of Rotorway/RotorX helicopters I'm definitely a pessimist now. I see them slowly drifting away into oblivion.

[Alex Minassian]

I guess we don't have a choice but wait and see what happens. In the mean time, I think selling the kit would be my best option. If someone wants to wait for the last shipment, they can have my kit for $75K and just pay about $15k for the last section.

[homer bell]

Eric, on the contrary, the turn out at Jim’s last month was excellent, over 20 machines and I know of myself 4 used machines have changed hands in last few weeks. One of those was a RotorX purchaser who decided to go ahead and buy a machine that was finished and start flying . He was at the gathering and saw that while RotorX may be done, there is still life in all the RW’s that are out there and they will continue to fly.
My personal experience is , the used ships are actually selling better than I’ve ever seen.
If I were in your shoes , I’d really be pissed ,too. But, if you want a two place kit helicopter , the RW is still the best bet for the money.

[Eric Anderson]

Oh I certainly don’t think it is dead. But without a company carrying the brand, it will be a concern for perspective buyers. I had two friends who both sold their 162Fs for less than 40k when the South Africans folded. Of course the company was able to continue in new hands months later. I imagine that this will happen again. For me, buying a built machine is a non-starter because I don’t have an A&P and would not be able to do the conditional annual.

[homer bell]

There are AP that will work with you. Bob StDenis would help you out with that I’d imagine. There are others who are working on being able to do that.
I have a 162F engine I’d sell for $20k with the new water jackets. Has about 100 hrs on it. Get your kit going and licensed with it, then change it out later if you get one from Shaw .

[Alex Minassian]

I have found an engine also from 162 exec but they have changed the whole harness and even with parts supplied has to be modified. Schematics don't show everything even Wade could not figure out the changes. The RDAC and warning lights, and engine modules have different wiring and with no help from factory makes it too difficult. even Bob has not seen the new air frame and wiring. Seems like they were missing key personal at factory with complete knowledge of the Talon changes. It took me three months questioning about the warning lights on panel. Could not fine them in packaging so I can install them, then finally I received a call that lights come on a circuit board which they did not have in stock. They need to build a full kit so they can tackle all the problems instead of the customers. Steve Langford was building one, but he did not get too far from what I hear. He was the instructor working with Rotorx. Unless they finish a full kit and inventory all parts, they should not open their doors. By the way, engine harness was never shipped to me.

[Eric Anderson]

Thanks Homer. It’s frustrating but the community has been great. You probably have figured out from my posts that I am no mechanic, at least not by your standard, and that of Mark, Orv, Pablo etc. Without step by step instructions with LOTS of pictures, I am lost. So completing this machine is just not in the cards for me. I’ll hang onto it for a year and maybe try Mosquito if nothing develops.

[Eric Anderson]

Oh and I’ve reached out to my circle of A&Ps. None of them would dare put their name on a helicopter logbook, much less an experimental one. That’s why I decided to build in the first place. (It would have been WAY easier to just get an A&P!)