My name is Don Morris, and I am an Aviation Professor at SIU. You can find me in the staff directory at siu.edu. That is my real job, and it is why you should not order from this web site unless you understand that it is a side gig for me. Over the past 4 years or so, I have become the world’s leading authority on plywood engine models. The models you see here are my designs, and they are intended to be built by kit. Sometimes my family helps me make and send out the kits, but it is all done under my name.
I design, produce, and ship all of my models in and from Southern Illinois. Due to excessive paperwork requirements, I am not a registered business. This means that I cannot sell models in the state of Illinois. They must ship out of state. (Legal notice. This is a small operation, and I do not have a legal nexus in any state besides Illinois.)
My designs are primarily cut from Baltic Birch Plywood on a CamFive Laser Cutter. I try to keep common models on the shelf and ready to go, but that is not always practical. Even if the web site says a model is in stock, there is a good chance that it will have to be cut and boxed before it can be shipped. Please allow for up to two weeks to ship small (single sized) orders, and up to a month for double sized items. Please do not order triple sized items without contacting me first to find out when they can be produced. In some cases, it could be several months.
I do our best to make quality kits and to keep my prices as low as possible. If there are missing parts or defects in your kit, please let me know. I will do my best to fix it quickly. Should you accidentally break a part or need spares, feel free to contact me. I can supply any parts for the kits I have sold – and have most common parts sitting on the shelf. Unless the order is because of a defect in the kit, I do ask that you pay for shipping and handling on any parts orders.
Unfortunately, the US postal system does not do a good job shipping packages to other countries. If you are ordering from another country, my software offers several choices as to what carrier you would like to use. For international orders, I can only be responsible to ship the item. I cannot take responsibility for any items once they have left the country.
Please look at my product pictures, files, and videos carefully to understand what you are ordering. Because of my small facilities and low inventories, I ask that you be certain of your order before placing it. Returns are accepted only if the kit and box are in complete, unstarted condition. In this case, the purchaser is responsible for return shipment, and for a 25% restocking fee.
I do sometimes take on custom jobs – and I am interested in working with groups. I can generally provide bulk orders of my smaller engines at significant savings. Please feel free to contact me.