Maxford USA
by Jay Smith
If you regularly read MA or Park Pilot magazine, you might have seen the name Maxford USA, because its models have been reviewed in both publications. The company produces what owner Richard Sang refers to as "sport-scale" aircraft. The goal of the product line is to be easy to assemble and fly while maintaining a scale appearance.
Richard's interest in aviation started early and was fostered in school in China, where he learned how to build and fly an FF (free flight) model with a teacher's help. He continued to dabble in free flight as he grew older. Richard didn't get involved in RC until shortly after moving to the US in 2001.
In 2004 he decided to open a business and was torn between starting a computer software company or an RC establishment. Although Richard's education was in computers, the joy of aviation and the dream of being involved with it won out, and Maxford USA was born.
The models the company carried in the beginning were designed and produced in China and were available to anyone who wanted to distribute them. As the business began to grow, it was decided that Maxford should design its own airplanes. The benefits were twofold: greater control over the aircraft and their designs, and the ability to build the business as a brand rather than merely a distributor.
The first in-house design Maxford released was its Hughes H-1 racer. The project took nearly two years to complete and included notable design concepts such as the Max Cowling magnetic cowl, which required no screws, and routing all control linkages inside the airplane for a cleaner look. The Hughes was a success, and Maxford continued designing aircraft for production.
Design and production process
Many design ideas come from customers. The company assesses each idea for production difficulty and market demand, since the goal is to sell hundreds of models.
Typical steps in the development process:
- Drawings are prepared at Maxford USA.
- Drawings are provided to one of five Maxford OEM (original equipment manufacturer) factories in China; a specific factory is selected for each project.
- A prototype is created by the factory.
- The prototype is built and flown at Maxford; designs can undergo several revisions.
- The service manager, Curt Sidles—an RC pilot with more than 35 years of experience—writes the manual and approves the final design.
The entire process can take between eight months and two years.
Continuous improvement
Maxford is notable for improving models even after release. Some aircraft have undergone one or two revisions based on customer feedback. For example, soon after the Gee Bee's release, pilots requested a larger battery compartment to accommodate 2100–2200 mAh batteries. To meet this need, the fuselage and wing were modified, and the next shipment incorporated the change.
Richard says, "We always listen to customer feedback to make our products better. We do a lot of research but cannot find everything. So the next time an order is made from the factory, changes are incorporated to make it better."
Sales, support, and community programs
Maxford USA places customer satisfaction at the top of its business model. Products are distributed through dealers and direct sales via the company website. The company also supports clubs through its RC Club Group Purchase Program, which allows clubs to place large orders at a discount and receive donations for events—the more the club spends, the more products it receives.
In six years Maxford USA has grown from a small one-man operation selling ARFs into a company with 10 employees that, with the help of its factories, designs all of its own aircraft. The company's goals are to expand its product line, increase distribution outside the US, and continue to provide quality merchandise at reasonable prices as Richard continues to fulfill his lifelong dream of being involved in aviation.
— MA Jay Smith [email protected]
Sources:
Maxford USA 15247 Texaco Ave. Paramount, CA 90723 (562) 529-3988 www.maxfordusa.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
