All,
Interestingly enough Model Airplane News (go figure....) has an in depth (for them) article on the RCS 150 in the December issue. Author seemed to think with regular maintenance (read after each visit to the flying field) you can have a "reliable" and powerful scale radial for only $2995 (plus incidentals like tools). According to other RCS radial flyers, maintenance entails oiling all valve train parts (rockers, pushrods, guides) and doing valve adjustments after a days flying. I recall one well known RCS radial flyer indicating it was about 3 hours maintence for a (day's / weekend's) flying with the RCS radial. (That sorta sounds like quite a bit of overhead to me.) AND a few other serious modelers I've discussed RCS radials with said, "If you want to experience flying a radial, get a recording of the radial motor running. Install a DA-100 in your model. Fly the model while listening to the radial recording, then kill the DA100 in flight and turn off the recording for the simulated radial effect......"
No foolin', this is what "they" said. That kinda' pulled the carpet out from under my ambitions.... for a while. Now the urge is back and the Hellcat seems to be just the model to try out the motor. I sure wish I knew the "truth" about flying these radials.
MT, why don't you let us all know how it works out. Promise, I won't make up any stories about you......
langerl