Park Street is not the factory. It's India Hobby Center, Kolkata.
Palash is the balsa guy, a real Master Crafts Man.
They even manufactures rubber power props also. But their marketing strategy is the worst one I have observed. Most of the newcomers are disappointed and left the hobby for this shop only just for oveeeer price when they compare. I have left just after starting over 2 decade and started again when I got this platform.

You will be sad to here that Race cource authority (Fort william Army office) Banned flying model in Race cource field. Still Police intake physical test tents are there.

behind the hobby center .. they hve the factory .. did u go to the workshop room behind?? they have all the machinary ther.

I recently bought a Banana 2000 from IHC Kolkata- Mr. Palash was the person I dealt with.
The shop has now lost its past glory. The two rooms inside are filled with unused scale model cars (including rare scale models of Rover etc running on battery), and there is very little activity in there. In fact, I was surprised to see that even the person behind the toys counter knew nothing about aeromodelling. I had to wait for Mr. Palash to come in order to get more information about the kits. And there is only one trainer model available-the rest are RIDICULOUSLY high priced RTF kits that are being sold at prices almost 300% more than the other LHS like RC Bazaar etc.
I remember  visiting the store back in 2000-2001. It had a charm even then, engines were tested there, there were so many people involved in the Aeromodelling section, and planes, ships and RC cars were the mainstay of the store. Now, it's just the restaurant that attracts people and the toy shop. Aeromodelling has been relegated to a corner. Their display shelf outside the store is pretty nice though.
About the model:

I was very disappointed. I bought the kit costing Rs. 2000/- from them because i trusted their expertise. Little did I know that the plans were not to scale, the diagrams were of a print quality that nobody would take even for free. The Balsa pieces were incomplete  and poorly cut. After completing the fuselage, I realized that few wing ribs were missing, wing trailing edge was not there. I called them up, and i was told that I should collect it from their shop. I study in Kharagpur, Why would I travel 120 km just to collect the parts that I had already paid for? I was very sad looking at the quality of the kits.
I don't want to be personal, but the people there are everything but motivating for the beginner. They refuse to guide them, sell them chinese radio sets for Rs. 8000 whereas the cost on LHS is only Rs. 3000/-. They have little motivation for promoting the hobby.
I shall post a more detailed review later. The experience left me so frustrated that I bought a Mr. Moss glider from RC for all, and it arrived just 2 days from the date of ordering . I made the plane following the detailed video instructions. It needs a bit of fine tuning, but it did fly.
IHC wasted the opportunity it had. Kolkata could have  been  hotspot for the aeromodellers, with so many nice flying locations just a few kilometers from the city (including many lakes for float flying). But I really feel that the IHC, with it's very high pricing, no focus on getting modern and cheap products, and the unpleasant shopping experience and poor quality balsa kits has ruined many budding aeromodellers. I have a friend here who made a plane spending 16000/- (just a normal balsa trainer) and now feels that the hobby is too expensive and cumbersome to pursue in India. 
They pioneered the hobby in India, and deserve true credits for being, at one point of time, a truly international hobby store. The stocks they had in the past were really marvelous. Today, the lack of passion is reflected the moment you enter the store. Perhaps it's a sign of the overall state of affairs in the state. 

Having practically 'grown up' at Hobby Centre, and being associated with them as a customer since 1975, it is indeed heart breaking to hear about the state of affairs.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to get into aeromodelling, all you had to do was to go to this shop and all your problems would be solved. They knew and were willing to teach.

Today, if you want to be an aeromodeller, don't ever visit that shop or buy anything from them. The experience will be so frustrating that you will be discouraged from entering this hobby. Neither do they know nor are they willing to learn.

Had they changed with the times,Calcutta would have still been the Mecca of Aeromodelling, as it was back in the seventies.

Quote from: VC on September 12, 2012, 10:58:06 AM
Had they changed with the times

That is the key, Staying abreast of tech else people like us would still be flying CL models, that is what it is at IHC, i visited them more than couple of times. Mr Rishi visited me with his models at Kharagpur when we did the air show (Rohit and Kalyan too were there). Dished out some rubber powered models to the kids who were around. the far end of the corner of the shop, if you noticed, standing majestically (Albeit in appalling condition) is an aeroplane (Real Sized)

But if you go to RCTC (Royal Calcutta Turf Club), on a Sunday, you wont find a slot to get airborne, once i counted 36 Aeroplanes airborne at one time, (Written about that earlier). There is also Aero Sports Association of Bengal, headed by Air Marshal M Banerjee AVSM, VM, VSM _(Retd) at 29 Rammohan Dutta Rd Bhowanipore. He is trying to revive the past glory, i will provide all possible help.

Together we can make it happen, Calcutta, Guwahati and may be Shillong a minor hub centres of Aeromodelling. That is possible only if the present lot (a) Stop in-fighting and engaging in petty politics (b) Serve selflessly to promote the hobby

Partly why aeromodelling has died down in Calcutta is because
the local aeromodellers are a snobbish lot who look down at you if you
aren't holding a futaba radio and starting an OS engine with a hobbico
starter.

Also the mindset of the NCC instructors have to change

Well, I have their price list with me. The prices are so exorbitant that I used the piece of paper to scribble down equations and calculations. There is no aeromodelling activity in RCTC currently as far as I know. Palash had told me that it is banned(may be temporarily) there.

I also came to know that the relatively new aeromodellers out there including Palash, a DJ(his name is probably Rohaan) and a few others are planning to make an official aeromodelling group for which Palash offered me membership option (only after I told him where depron was available in Kolkata, :p ). Don't know what happened to it after that. Bottomline is they don't seem interested anymore and with the situation that the shop is in currently, I wouldn't be surprised if the shutters go down for good.

Luckily my college has a soccer field and the aeromodelling room is next to it. But flying with fellow enthusiasts is a different ball game altogether.

i am getting a 40" cessna 152/172 Full balsa model, for Rs 1000
it is a 3ch model, and made in india ....is it worth it?

thanks A lot...
aniket210696

steal deal, say hello to rishi from my side, he gave my son a rubber band glider when i had this meet, tell him he still has it

http://www.rcindia.org/rc-events/rc-meet-at-a-disused-wwii-runway-near-dudkundi-village-kharagpur-kolkata/

sure! 

... i guess i'll have to up my setup a bit then....

Aniket,
Pls post pics of the plane any any + other details you have, what is the powerpack you are planning?
For 1000/- it  surely is a steal deal  . I am sure many others in the forum would also be intrested to get one too !!
thanks

@flyingbrick... this is my setup....
http://www.rcindia.org/electric-power/help-wanted-on-electric-rc-setup!!!/

this should work well with it....

and heres the pic he sent me...  

Mills .75 . I possess it since 1998 and its really one of the nice diesel engines I have ever used. I bought it for my cessna free flight model. I would recommend to buy one if it is still available. I have Sharma's 2.5cc as well. That's too the nice engine. These engines are very easy to start if you have correct mixture of kerosene, ether and castor oil, else it may test your patience. Would highly recommend to buy one.

I think I have already put in my share of sad experience with IHC here in Hyderabad / Secunderabad (they had a branch there) when I first joined this hobby or a little later, perhaps. This was about 45 - 50 yrs back. The demise of the hobby in this parts of the country is not only by the disinterest of the IHC and its prohibitive pricing, which repelled a new-comer's efforts to join it, but also by the snobbish attitude of the NCC Aeromodelling instructors of that by-gone era  :banghead:plus the unawareness of the general public and specially the youth and non-availability of things needed in general . After my interest was kindled by a couple of RC mags I bought on the footpath, I scouted the local market and came across the IHC in Patney area of Secunderabad. In my first visit I saw some CLs, some rubber-powered models, some larger RC kits. A person or two were working on some models. When I expressed some interest n asked about the initiation and prices, their response was, at best, discouraging. They didn't want to show me anything unless I promised some purchases. And they WERE costly.I came outwith some gliders and rubber-powered kits for my kids.
Coming to the NCC guys : They used to fly some CLs n RCs in the parade grounds nearby. The Instructor refused flatly to further my enthusiasm. Said that it was only for NCC cadets; no outsiders, even privately . It took me some years to get the fundamentals of the hobby.  No info was available about the clear dope, the fuel, the engines or the kits. My interest petered out gradually for quite some time and even after that, it never reached the peak it should have reached with the initial enthusiasm. Too bad...

 

This is my thread about Aurora engine's and Mr Kumar
http://www.rcindia.org/fuel-and-engines/aurora-model-engines-(india)/msg281759/#msg281759