Futaba Corporation recently confirmed that another manufacturer released counterfeit Futaba merchandise into the Taiwan-area market around May of 2009, without Futaba's knowledge or consent. The counterfeit items included GY401 helicopter gyros and S9254 and S9257 servos.
As you know, an R/C helicopter's orientation and hovering stability depend on proper gyro function. Installing equipment that performs below your model's requirements greatly reduces your ability to control its attitude. A malfunctioning gyro or servo will not only make handling extremely difficult but could easily lead to a costly crash.
Futaba cannot accept responsibility for any problems resulting from the use of counterfeits - including damage to model helicopters or related accidents. You must examine your purchases carefully to make sure you are buying only genuine Futaba products.
The imitations and their packaging are visibly different than the true Futaba items. Refer to the photographs below to learn how you can easily tell between them.
Compare the GY401 packages. Note the fonts are different. The tail on the "G" is wider, and the "1" has a larger flag.
Compare the GY401 packages. Note the fonts are different. The tail on the "G" is narrower on the fake box.
The terminals on the genuine Futaba gyros are gold-plated to lower contact resistance.
Those on the counterfeit versions are silver.
The terminals on the genuine Futaba gyros are gold-plated to lower contact resistance.
Those on the counterfeit versions are silver.
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