decay

Is the AMA trying to butter up to E flyers with July issue?? Ive heard nothing formally about
the new E ticket , except for what Ive read on this site. When will it be in print ?
Ill use the mag for painting mask, so its not a total waste.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Let's get a betting pool going. Closest to the actual date without going over wins. Everyone chips in $5 who puts in a date. Choose as many dates as you like for $5 too!

I say by Nov 1st it will be listed on new applications.

SSRCCPREZ

Man..you know when I got this month's issue my first thought was ARGGGHHH!!! another issue dealing with electric and CL, and my next thought was I'll bet there is gonna be complaints about this one in RCU.......

Do you notice that according to those who post and the postings here in the forum that the AMA can do absolutely no right whatsoever.
I think it is so bad that if the AMA offered full coverage for a penny, peopl would complain about the .39 cent stamp it would cost to mail it in.
Are they kissing up or acknowledging that this is a major part of the hobby and growing. Wat did you expect the AMA to ignore those pesky sparky fliers and concentrate on the glow-guys only? C'mon man cut the AMA some slack for a second.
The poor AMA even got blasted in these forums for having a thiner than last year membership card, and that the FREE sticker was a diffeent size and style.

Electrics are HUGE and GROWING of course there was a timely issue dedicated to it and what the AMA is trying to accomplish by INCLUDING them.

macr0t0r

My Feedback: (2)

It's whatever is new. I remember when I'd get the magazine and exclaim, "Augh! Another fanjet! Come on, give me a break!" But, being able to model jets without swinging a propeller was big stuff then, so I put up with it. Even earlier: "Joy....another helicopter."

Electrics are new and growing fast. Don't worry, soon we'll be just another egg in the dozen while some other wave sweeps across this hobby of ours. (shrug) Just wait until all the twin-rotor V-22 Osprey clones hit.

Stickbuilder

The only thing that everyone is ignoring, is that the majority of the park flyers will not ever fool with these models long enough to want to move up to anything better. The majority of the ones that are being sold are the super cheapies at wally world, and will last as long as it takes for some new fad to come along. These guys are not joiners, and I think that the wild growth in the sales will be very short lived. If I'm wrong, I will admit it. If I'm right will anyone else admit it? Who cares. They are not exactly beating down the doors of the clubs to join whatever the price.

Bill, AMA 4720

macr0t0r

My Feedback: (2)

While it is a low percentage of all Park Flyers, there are still A LOT of Park Flyers that really get into flying. AMA free flight members don't try to reel in every kid who launches a rubber-powered model, but there are plenty of them to keep a few clubs going around here.

Besides, one of the goals is to see how many of these "lite" pilots we can turn into enthusiasts to keep this hobby going!

"You think that's fun? Let me show you what elevator control and little more power will do for ya! Impressive, no? Oh yah, they sell this at the hobby shop right down that street...."

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

Finally an AMA magazine worth reading. WHOOOHOOOOO.

Gone are the 80 year old hideous plane articles(for a while there it was like they were specifically choosing the ugliest plane they could for the build articles)...the mag is finally starting to get with the times.
Advertisements showing new hot stuff like E-flite, Composite-Arf, Fliton, and others.
Nice competition articles.

Its getting better each month.

Made my day to see a foamy on the front cover!!!!!

I got a couple of e-articles Im thinking about sending up there.


Move up to anything better? Like what? Many of the parkflyers I know have already moved up to bigger larger electrics, myself included..... Wait a minute, what exactly do you mean by "better"? And it better not be what I think your gonna say.

I have to disagree there. Horizon's electric sales have been steadily increasing. Many of the top flyers in the world are now flying electrics. Even the pattern guys are switching from glow to electric. Even the giant scale guys are switching the big 40% planes over to electric. I dont think this is a fad. I think this is the future. I think what we are seeing now is just the faint beginning to where this is going to go. I honestly think we are witnessing the birth of all new model aviation society.

Jim Messer

My Feedback: (2)

And I agree. Back in 1995 I designed a 1/3 scale Piper J4-E Cub Coupe, G-62 enigne, 12 ft. span, and drew the plans for same. Last year I saw a photo of one just like mine here on RCU, so I investigated as to owned it. I was certainly surprised to find out it was my design, electric powered. I think that as batteries get cheaper, this is the trend we will see, and as much as I am into giant scale gassers, big scale electric will probably be in my future also. I have been flying an electric Ion Warmliner for the past two years - a high performance electric sailplane, and the simplicity of the electric airplane compared to gas, makes them very desireable. I also designed an electric trainer, a modification of DeBolts old Champ, and I guarantee a new student can learn to fly much faster with it than with a comparable glo-powered plane. Electrics are here to stay, so one had better get used to it, and make the most of it, by welcoming electric flyers into your clubs, and at your airfields.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

I loved the new MA as it had some new info in it. However the viewpoint wasn't that great. The people who wrote most of the electric stuff really appear retired to me.(they probably are) I did enjoy Doc's article this month though.(a welcome surprise) I will agree that there is way to much electric stuff in it. It begs for some new faces in the AMA.(young faces) It also begs for some new perspective especially when it comes to 3D flight.

50%


Oh BTW, for those of you who don't think that electric flight is becoming popular, you are obviously in a closet somewhere in Nigeria.

Flyfalcons

Gotta call BS there. Only the guys who are sponsored can afford to stuff their 40% machines with electric setups. The 40%ers that are powered are more of a novelty, to show off that it can be done, than anything else. I've been flying GS aerobats for a while and every 40%er I've seen across this country is gas powered. I know you're excited about electrics, and I am getting into them now beyond the park flyer/foamy stage but the cost for similar performance on larger models is exteremly high right now. It'll come down eventually but it's not there yet.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

umm, not quite. I have seen a few threads about this in many of the internet 3D flying forums that I frequent. Sure, the people that we hear about doing the big electrics are sponsored.(Chip, Beavis, Animal, etc.)However, the E power option is just beginning to become viable for the giants. Soon you will be seeing more of them as more people are building new planes and installing the latest power options in them. Take a look at QQ's Turbine powered yak. It's the only one that I've seen. In another year, I'll bet that there will be a few more because he has done it. In five years, I think it will be fairly well known as another power option.

50%

Flyfalcons

Viable for giants, sure if you're into spending thousands on batteries alone! These (electric and turbine) are only going to become more widely used when the prices become comparable to gas - until then forget it. How many thousands of dollars does QQ's turbine engine cost? Rough guess - more than an entire gas powered airplane of equivalent size. How much for motor(s), ESC(s), and batteries for a full day of flying a 40% electric? Rough guess - enough to put a couple kids through college.

JImH2

HeHeHe I must be gettin ready for the ol'e farts club. I started reading this thread and was saying to myself YEAH BRO YOU TELLEM.
Then suddenly i stopped and realized uh just last time at the field I was watching a buddy fly his electric and thinkin huh thats kinda cool . Have to remind myself more and more all the time newer can be fun too . I'm still a dedicated fuelie tho, electrics are just too quiet to suit me right now.

Bob101

There was an electric powered 40%+ plane at Joe Nall last year... this year (I just got home from it) I don't remember seeing any planes that qualified under IMAA (80" or larger) being electric that were there. There may have been 1 or two but I don't recall seeing them in the pits or flying. Hell I saw more turbine powered sailplanes this year at Joe Nall than giant scale electrics.

Pattern has seen an increas in electrics....if you go to the nats you will see a large percentage their flying electrics - however at most events your lucky to see one person fly electrics out of 20 at an event - if that much.

Those who fly 33% and larger planes day in and day out and travel across the country can probably count the number of giant scale electric planes they've ever seen on one hand.

While electrics that big are out there don't fool yourself into thinking they are "popular" are even semi common just because you have seen them here on RCU.

Outside of electrics Giant scale gasoline powered airplanes have to be the fastest growing segement "within" the hobby - yet I rarely see articles in MA about it at all.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

not quite.

$1000 in batteries.
$500 in ESCs.
$500-1000 in motors/gearbox.

For a maximum total of $2500 or about the same price as a DA 150 on pipes.(well ok, that would be $2000)

SSRCCPREZ

ANd as in most threads in less than a full page an argument has sprouted way off topic, and brings the thread to a screaching hault...Hurrrummpphhh!!!1 reminds me of club meetings everyone arguing about the one thing that ISN'T the point. Well time for my customary cigarrette and coffee break while the girls bicker with each other.

Stickbuilder

Hang on a sec. I'll join you.

Bill, AMA 4720

macr0t0r

My Feedback: (2)

Ehhhh....being an e-flyer myself, I'm at odds on this one. Look guys, we know that electrics are becoming more popular, but it's honestly okay to admit that electrics just aren't quite ready yet for some airplane classes. The electric market has been concentrating on Park Flyers, so there's actually been little improvement in the Large-Scale section for the last two years. We'll get there in time, but the equipment isn't completely reliable yet (still blowing the occasional ESC). You'll get the occasional pioneer who wants to make a statement, but he usually has to put in quite a bit of his own engineering and testing.

We OWN the small-plane fun-flyer market, though!

Got my magazine, and I'm looking forward to pouring through it! Frankly, I think it's a neat idea to have each AMA mag concentrate on an aspect and get some REAL coverage. They did this once with turbine power too. Perhaps in the next month or two will get some top coverage of gas Giant Scale, no?

Flyfalcons

$1000 in batteries to fly a 40%? Riiiiight. I'm looking at that "electric" site (okay I can say it, checking out RCGroups) and the owner, who set up a Funtana 90 (well, well, below the weight of a 40%) is using two 5S3P packs to fly it. Out of curiousity, I went to TP's website to see how much those go for. $350 each. So you're looking at $700 just to make the prop turn. Wait, scratch that, that $700 won't make the prop turn, it'll make the motor turn. How much are those going for? Don't forget to add ESC. So now you've spent, we'll call it a total of $900 on a power package for what is advertised as a .90 size machine. I consider it a 1.20, but we get the idea. Now we're ready to go fly it all day! I won't get into charger costs because just like with gassers, our field equipment is really a one-time purchase (if done right) and is part of the game. No harm, no foul on the charger/battery bunker/wattmeter etc. The motor system you spent $900 on is ready to go.

For one flight.

I'm not saying it would be a bad flight either, I'm sure it'll be 10+ minutes of good aerobatics, cruising around, 3Ding down low, etc. You land and park the plane, then you get to sit around for over an hour waiting for the batteries to cool and putting them through a 1C charge. Hope you brought something else to fly or a CD player. What's the solution? More batteries of course! So for every time you would like to fly in an hour and a half span, that'll be another $700. All this to fly a Funtana. Do we really want to get into flying a 120", 35lb+ unlimited aerobat? You have a $1600 system to fly a Funtana 90. Guess what $1350 bought for my 2.6M Extra. It's made in Tucson. I can fly four times in a row (stopping to add gas only) for a little under $3 worth of pump gas between charges on my ($20) ignition battery.

I'm not bagging on electrics!!! They really are the future but they aren't the solution for everything that's flying at this time. Eventually their prices will come down and there will no longer be a reason to not use them. Macr0t0r said it very well, it's okay to like electrics while admitting that the technology is still being perfected. I'm heading out to the field today and I'm bringing my new warmliner glider with me. I just tested it out yesterday - it will hit terminal velocity going straight up and is a real kick to fly. However, when I bring my Extra with me, I have a few gallons of gas in the trailer just begging to be burned.

Oh, as far as the AMA mag? I thought this month's was actually pretty good. The construction articles always have the ugliest planes (RCModeler used to have the best articles) but this month I actually read just about the entire mag.

Flyfalcons

Saw the pictures of that beast! Wish I could have been there to see it fly, instead of sitting in a hotel in Cincinnati.

Flyfalcons

Thanks for that helpful post. Your contributions to this thread prior to this post were also insightful.

scottrc

I didn't notice that the July issue was any different from any other issue. They all have a subject that dominates, whether it is jets, free flight, or electrics.

Very few, if anything about sport nitro anymore.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

editors can't satisfly everyone.....

Stickbuilder

Why Model Aviation even consider dedicating a significant portion of the magazine to a part of the sport that primarialy does not belong to the parent organization (AMA) is beyond me. I suppose that you will say, "To make the magazine and perhaps the AMA more appealing to the park flyer".

Personally, I think it was a waste of manpower, and paper. The paper that the magazine is printed on is not absorbent enough to use to clean up spills, and it is too slick to use as a substitute for toilet tissue.

Bill, AMA 4720

macr0t0r

My Feedback: (2)

@Stick: your posts have been pretty spiteful all day. Go out and fly, will ya?

Believe it or not, many of the e-flyers at the m park are AMA members. We'll enjoy this issue.