I recently had the incredible opportunity to visit J Perkins in Kent—a name that’s been synonymous with RC modelling for half a century. If you’ve been in the hobby for any length of time, you’ll know J Perkins, but like me, you might not have known what goes on behind the scenes at this iconic distributor. Paul Burd kindly invited me down for a tour, and what I discovered was truly impressive.
50 Years of RC Heritage
J Perkins is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, which is a remarkable achievement in any industry. The company was originally founded by Jim Perkins, who apparently started with toys and soft toys before transitioning into RC distribution. Jim built the foundation, and the business became a true family affair when his sons Dick and Mike joined, alongside Jim’s wife Audrey, who managed the books in those early days.
One particularly interesting chapter in J Perkins’ history involved John Wallington, one of the country’s top helicopter and F3C pilots. John was a pioneer in the helicopter world and helped Mike Perkins with product selection and catalogue development—a combination that really pushed the business forward.
New Ownership, Same Commitment
Today, J Perkins is owned by Sebo Dappa, who acquired the company after the Firlands Group period. Whilst Sebo isn’t a modeller himself, he’s surrounded himself with experienced people who know the hobby inside and out. This blend of business acumen and modelling expertise has helped J Perkins continue to thrive and expand its product range.
An Impressive Product Portfolio
What struck me most during my visit was the sheer breadth of products that J Perkins distributes. Here are some of the key brands they represent:
- Traxxas – J Perkins is the UK distributor for Traxxas, with an astonishing 19,000 different line items just for this brand alone
- Futaba – Recently acquired, the UK distribution for Futaba has been going exceptionally well, and it’s a brand everyone at J Perkins is proud to represent
- Thunder Tiger Twister – The helicopter range that’s been huge for years and continues to evolve
- Hitec – What started as a budget servo range has developed into high-quality electronics used even in commercial TV and film productions
- Radient – Their budget range of servos, perfect for those just starting in the hobby
- Seagull Models – Scale aircraft kits complete with recommended electronics packages
Meeting the Team
Paul gave me access to the upstairs offices—somewhere not many visitors get to see. The setup reminded me of mission control, with screens everywhere and a dedicated team working across multiple departments.
The Operations Hub
Upstairs, I met several key team members who keep everything running smoothly:
- Carrie handles sales enquiries—if you phone J Perkins, she’s likely the first person you’ll speak to
- Graham Ashby, whom many will know as the editor of RCM&E, manages all the marketing, website content, and product photography—all done in-house
- Steve oversees product development and operations
- The accounts team (good luck if you haven’t paid your invoices!)
The Service Department
In the service area, I met Jeff Wallace and David Aiton. Jeff is a long-time modeller and part of the furniture at J Perkins. When you phone with a technical question, you’re speaking to someone with decades of experience in the hobby. Jeff was working on creating detailed electronics packages for Seagull kits—meticulously listing every servo and component needed so customers can order complete packages without the guesswork.
David, a newer addition to the team, was conducting quality control on Traxxas products, comparing the tiny new Mini model with the massive XRT. They regularly pull products from containers to ensure nothing’s changed without notification and that everything meets the expected standards.
The Warehouse: Where the Magic Happens
The warehouse absolutely blew me away. Led by Mandy and her experienced team, this fully automated facility houses thousands upon thousands of items, all computer-controlled and precisely organised. Here’s what impressed me most: if a model shop places an order by 3:00 PM, it will typically leave the warehouse that same day.
The picking system is entirely digital—no pen and paper here. Each bay has computerised information including pictures of items, making accuracy paramount. This efficiency is why your local model shop can turn around orders so quickly.
Why This Matters to You
As consumers, we often don’t think about the infrastructure behind our hobby purchases. We click a button on a website or pop into our local model shop and expect products to be available. What I witnessed at J Perkins is the machinery that makes that possible—a dedicated team working across sales, technical support, quality control, marketing, and logistics to ensure UK and Irish modellers have access to quality products with excellent support.
Resources and Support
J Perkins maintains several online resources that are worth bookmarking:
- The main J Perkins website for browsing their full product catalogue
- Facebook pages for Hitec UK, Futaba UK, and J Perkins, regularly updated with news and information
- The Futaba UK page is particularly useful, featuring product information, manuals, software updates, and how-to guides
Final Thoughts
My visit to J Perkins was genuinely eye-opening. I’ve been in the hobby since I was 12 years old (with a break during my college years before returning five years ago), and I’ve always known the J Perkins name. But understanding the history, meeting the passionate team, and seeing the operation behind the scenes gave me a newfound appreciation for what they do.
It’s reassuring to know that when we support our local hobby shops, there’s this level of expertise and infrastructure backing them up. J Perkins isn’t just shifting boxes—they’re quality-checking products, creating support resources, answering technical questions, and ensuring rapid turnaround times.
If you’re using Traxxas, Futaba, Hitec, or any of the other brands J Perkins distributes, drop a comment below and let me know what your favourite product is. And if you have questions about what I saw during my visit, feel free to ask—I’ll either answer directly or pass your queries along to the team.
Here’s to the next 50 years of J Perkins supporting our wonderful hobby!
