6/15/2007 6:30AM

Probably the best page for building tips is here. http://www.bobj.co.uk/prod01.htm
Bob, I hope you stay with it for a long time.

6/5/2007 5:30AM

The last several kits we shipped were evidently from a later batch. The torque tube components all fit perfectly without any modification. I think Synergy is listening and is working on more improvements in QC.

5/17/2007 3:30AM

It is confirmed. Jason Krause is no longer with Synergy. He provided them with a fantastic design and worked hard over the last year to improve the product.
He has elected to fly exclusively for Align and continue his work there as a factory pilot and design consultant. He will compete at the XFC with a T-rex 600 Nitro.

Todd will continue his work with Synergy as the U.S. distributor.

1/19/2007 8:30AM

I just finished restructuring the Synergy menu in the online store. Take a look.

1/16/2007 7:30AM

After helping one of my local customers assemble his torque tube, I've decided to offer my help to anyone who is buying a new kit and asks. It looks like the tube itself has some variation in the inside diameter. Not much, but enough to make it hard to get the ends in. Short of just pounding it in with a hammer, the ends can be very stubborn. I take the ends, put them in my lathe and turn the portion that goes inside the tube. So far about all I'm taking off is the anodization. Since the collar that locks it is very positive, I'm not concerned if this means the splines are cut down somewhat. His tube came out perfect. I will also assemble the bearings/bearing carriers because I have an arbor press and it's pretty easy to do. Remember to use some lubricant such as Windex when putting the bearing carriers on the tube and when inserting the tube in the boom. Also a tiny bit of CA should be applied to the tube at the bearing carriers. I'll be taping one of our Teflon pipettes to the torque tube if a customer asks for my help. It lets you put a fraction of a drop right where you want it.

12/26/2006 16:00 PM

We just got a big shipment of parts and kits. Stock status is shown on all parts.

12/13/2006 05:00 AM

Plans are shaping up for this year's Corpus Christi funfly to be a pretty large event. Todd, Jason and Bob Johnston are considering coming. I'll let you know when this is confirmed. The event starts on February 17th. I'll post details on the funfly page later. Please don't call to ask questions about the event until later. Right now you know as much as we do. All the details will be posted and anyone is welcome to come. If you've never been to our funfly before, trust me...it's different.

11/29/2006 06:15 AM

More parts and kits are due in early in December. In 2007 there will be ample and quick parts support for this model. We are showing stock status for the parts.

11/7/2006 06:15 AM

The parts wall is healthy. We sold out of clutches and we don't have any canopies or lower collets. Other than that, we pretty much have plenty parts.

I've thought about the start shaft a little. I haven't tried it, but I think you could replace the start shaft with a hardened drill blank.  It would be imperative to grind a flat on it for the hex adapter. These things are the same material that we make hardened allen wrenches out of. They don't bend and they won't get burrs when you tighten the set screw on them. The question is, will they be able to be pressed into the clutch? I'll let you know. I'll get my blanks from www.msc-direct.com but first I have to get a clutch.

11/2/2006 05:53 AM

At this moment, Synergy parts in the online store are in stock if they are shown in the store. Some parts we have plenty of, some we don't. I am going to be away for a couple days so this will get outdated very quickly.

11/1/2006 14:40 PM

The rest of the order came in today. We will update the website as soon as possible.

10/31/2006 16:34 PM

Watch the online store tonight. We got a big order of Synergy parts in. We will check them in and update the online store tonight.

9/27/2006 13:34 PM

One thing everyone seems to agree on; the Synergy flies great! I want everyone who purchased their kit from us to know that we will do everything we can to help with any problems. If this means replacing balls that are too small, that's what we'll do. Of course we have to get some balls first and that is a problem today. Most people aren't having an issue with the balls, and those that are only have a couple that are loose. For the most part, it has very little affect on the way it flies.

9/25/2006 06:00 AM

Upper collets and short links are available for those that need them.

9/5/2006 12:40 PM

Kits are in the hands of quite a few customers. As with any new kit, there are some small issues which can cause a delay in the completion of the kit. I understand the frustration, trust me. If there's anything we can do to help, please ask.

8/25/2006 17:40 PM

All the kits were shipped today. The backorder list is a LOT shorter this evening :-) We should get more kits in about 10 days. Canadian customers must order their kits from www.pivotalhobbies.com. We can only ship kits to addresses within the United States.

8/25/2006 13:46 PM

Kits just arrived. Enough to fill just about all of the orders.

8/24/2006 16:51 PM

Kits are on their way. They left Chicago this morning. This is a fairly small batch and it wouldn't surprise me if the mother load gets here before the ones from Chicago.

8/23/2006 17:11 PM

Parts are in the online store as of now. No pictures yet, but they're coming. The description doesn't tell how many of each item is in a package. I'll be working on those items that have more than one piece. For a while, I'm going to limit quantities until we get comfortable with the demand. So don't bother ordering more than one or two of any item. If it's critical that you get more than one or two, include a note or call.

8/23/2006 11:05 AM

Parts have arrived and will be available for sale tonight in the online store. Please, for the first couple days, place your orders via the online store. We will limit quantities for a while until we see which parts we need to have in large quantities. I don't think that will be very many. We'll place another parts order next week. We will do our very best to keep all the parts in stock. There are two parts that did not come in that some of you might want to order...main shafts and the upper fan collet. We should have the main shafts very soon.

Our kits are still stuck in U.S. Customs. We are taking steps to get them released, but it's difficult dealing with Customs. What really chaps me is that the kits are in Chicago instead of in Corpus. Trying to deal with the Customs people in Chicago is practically impossible. We've had to hire a local broker in Chicago to get the kits released. I'm not too happy right now.

8/21/2006 10:05 AM

No kits arrived today :-(

We should have a Calli Graphics package for the Synergy this week.

8/17/2006 15:38 PM

Some guys are having a problem installing the torque tube. It was made to be a tight fit intentionally. Spraying the O rings and the inside of the boom with WD40 will make the installation go a lot easier. You want the lubricant in the boom ahead of the O rings as you push it in. You can also spray a little on the connectors. Do this and installing the torque tube becomes a piece of cake.

Another issue that has come up in a couple instances is the engine collet could be defective and dial indicating the engine shows too much run out. If this is the case, try making the slot in the collet a little wider using a thin Dremel cutoff wheel. If that doesn't improve the run out dramatically, call Todd and he will send you a new collet right away. If you do make the slot wider, be sure to trim any burrs from the inside of the collet before reinstalling it.

More kits are in the country, but Customs has them at Chicago O'Hare. Customs admits that the kits should not have been stopped, but now that they have, we have to go through the procedure to get them cleared. It should only take a few days. It's always a joy dealing with U.S. Customs. I don't envy them in their job! They are good folks dealing with ever changing regulations.

8/14/2006 21:30 PM

As I write this I am on my way back from the IRCHA jamboree. We got to see quite a few flights with the Synergy. Nigel Brown really whaled on his. This is a good machine. I didn't see any failures or mechanical problems what so ever.  We got another batch in and shipped out on Friday. More are on the way.  We submitted our initial spare parts order and expect them in around the end of August.

7/31/2006 07:03 AM

I was disappointed to find out that we could only ship 15 kits on the 28th. I don't expect more kits until later this week or even the following week. I do not know why this happened. Hopefully there is a silver lining in this cloud somewhere. Kits will ship the day they arrive.

7/22/2006 21:11 PM

I delayed my trip to Iowa so I could get some pictures up today. I am very impressed with the quality of the parts. It's hard to believe something this heavy duty can weigh only 10.4 pounds. The bearings are all Japanese, which means they are good quality. The finish on the parts is outstanding. I'm posting a few pictures tonight. More will come in August. A part list with prices is on the Synergy site. I'm not sure of what our discount will be, but I imagine we will be able to discount the list prices slightly. Take a look at these pictures. They are pretty big.

This head block is BIG. I doubt if there will be any dampening upgrades for this machine...it won't need it.

Beautiful stuff.

Those are 12mm holes for the 12mm hollow main shaft! This swashplate is as good as any in the business.

Jason Krause designed this gearbox. He didn't copy it from something he saw at IRCHA last year. The 6mm output shaft is massive.

The manual is pretty good. It has the clearest drawings I've seen. I'll have it online soon. Don't expect step by step instructions. It really doesn't need it, but if there are any questions, we're here to help.

07/21/2006 16:26 PM

We will begin shipping kits as soon as the official release date arrives. That is tentatively set as July 28th. Unfortunately, I probably won't be here that day because of personal reasons. I've set everything up to go smoothly while I'm away.

I have to renege on the offer to put other items in the box. The boxes are packed very tight and sealed very well. On the upside, we know that the box will not be oversize. Shipping for the kit via ground to as far as California is $17. Your actual shipping charge might be slightly more or less, depending on your location. You can check your shipping cost at www.ups.com. Our zip code is 78413. The box is 37x15x8 and weighs 14.4 pounds and it will be valued at $1000. Be sure to select residential or commercial address. A business in a residential neighborhood is considered residential and costs a buck or two more. The price of the kit is now set at $980 plus shipping. Extra items will go in a separate box.

07/20/2006 05:26 AM

We got several calls yesterday about paying with Paypal. You can send the money any time. I know $1000 will cover the kit and UPS ground shipping inside the 48 contiguous states. Alaska and Hawaii might be a little more. In the note section of your payment, put "Synergy Kit Only". Once we receive your payment we will mark your kit order paid and ship it as soon as your name comes up on the list. This will not move you up on the list, but it will ensure your kit won't be delayed. If you ordered other items along with the kit you can contact Karen at extension 20 for a total.

07/19/2006 05:19 AM

The first batch of kits is due in soon. Here's how we are going to decide who's order gets shipped first. We will go down the list of orders starting with the earliest date/time. We will charge the person's card for the complete order. If the card goes through, we will ship the kit. If your card declines for any reason, we will attempt one phone call to your daytime phone number. If there is no answer, we will send an email to the email address on file telling you that your card declined and move on to the next person on the list. That next person gets your kit. When you reply and we can successfully charge your card, you go back to the top of the list. Please bear in mind that we are getting a limited number of kits and they will go out very fast. My advice is to call your credit card company in advance and verify that the card will go through. Any inquiries about your order should go through Karen at extension 20. Please do not send carbon copies of messages to anyone else. Do this and you'll be flying your Synergy N9 before you know it.

We are pretty sure the kits will arrive over a period of a few days. As of now, the release date is still July 28th. We also are pretty sure that we will be able to get the kits in boxes that are not oversize, but it's going to be very close. We will do our very best, but my best guess is that it will be within an inch of being oversize. I figured the shipping to several places. UPS 2 day is from $46 - $68. Ground is from $13 - $19. These numbers are based on a box size of 38x15x7 and a shipping weight of 15 lbs going to a commercial address. If it's going to a residence, UPS charges about another $2.   Remember, this is just for the kit. From the size of the kit box, the kit is packed pretty tight so I doubt if we can fit an engine in the box without removing it from it's box. Servos will probably fit okay. If you tell us in advance that's it's okay to take things such as the engine out of the box, we can probably fit a few things inside the same box. Otherwise, if you ordered other items, there will be two boxes.

We know the price will be somewhere between $980 and $995. It depends on how much our final cost is going to be.

You are going to like this kit...a lot!

07/05/2006 9:14 AM

Simon Lockington sent me a link to his Synergy build page. He was lucky enough to get a kit early. He has quite a website.

06/15/2007 04:29 AM

We still don't have a firm street selling price but I'm fairly certain it will be $1000. As soon as the official price is released, I will post it.

07/05/2006 06:00 AM - We started taking orders for the Synergy N9 in late June. We expect about 60 kits to arrive this month. All those kits are sold. But, as usual, there might be some cancellations, so if you want a kit, place your order now. The second shipment should be in August.

Parts won't arrive until August. If you crash before then, we will do our best to get you back in the air.

The release date for the kits is July 28th. From what I understand, kits cannot be shipped from any dealer worldwide before that date. We will comply with their wishes...no exceptions. If you talk a dealer into shipping a kit before that date it will cost him his dealership so be kind, don't ask.

We can only ship kits to destinations inside of the United States, U.S. possessions, and Mexico.