1.25ton

I'm new to the airplane world and was quite surprised the other day at a lhs. This shop will remain nameless because they do 99% of their buisness online and mail order. The fact that I was buying fuel line, a glow plug and fuel seemed apalling to the clerk. I was lectured that the glow fuel planes are dinosaurs and that I need to buy into the 21st century clean electric plane. I've got about eight hours buddy time in a kadet w/ 46ax and I like the smell of burning fuel!! Is this common salesperson b/s or am I going to take my plane through emmissions??
My toys will be powered by combustion; My work is fueled by electricity.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

You're fine. The salesperson was yanking your chain. Some of us like electric, some like glow. I spend my work day worrying about electrical circuits. I don't want to do more electrical work as a hobby.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Some people insist on convincing others that their way is the ONLY way. Sounds like you encountered one at the LHS. Ignore him, glow and gas planes don't appear to be going away any time soon. Use what you like best, that's what this hobby is about.

gjeffers

im thinking about getting a electric so i can just walk out to my driveway and have a quick fly when i cant go to the strip. but nothing will replace my smoketrail, i love it

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Sales persons in hobby shops are always trying to sell you what they have in stock instead of what you asked for.

As for electric flight being the wave of the future ? Well, I think that might be true. But its happening about as fast as global warming.

Jim Thomerson

I have no intention of getting an electric. I have boxes of diesel and glow engines not yet put on airplanes. However, if a rank beginner were to ask me what to do, I would recommend electric. The only problem with electric is that it is developing so fast that whatever you get is obsolete. I think the number of electric airplanes sold last year was several times the number of glo airplanes sold. I have commented in jest that 20 years from now, the only IC engine you will find for sale will be the Control Line Fox Stunt 35.

Mode One

I still can't get with the much higher cost of electric. I like the idea; the quiet, clean, low vibration and lack of support equipment is appealing. But, I feel the cost is "stupid" high. Maybe in a few years it will be more competitive price wise, until, I'm staying with were I'm at.

Tell the clerk he's going to start loosing sales with his stupid opinions!

AQ500

I put in 10 years at a hobby shop that I still go to about weekly. Back when I quit electrics were just becoming popular. They now say that 95% of their plane business is electric now. I'll be a gasser until the day that there are fast charging and cheap Lipo's, which actually look to be right around the corner. I read an article in a science magazine a few months back about new lithium technology that will allow a battery to nearly fully charge in a matter of minutes. Maybe I'll go electric when those hit the market when and if all of the bugs are worked out.

Spitfire222

There's no reason really to feel the need to choose between gas/nitro and electric. Why not have both? Theres nothing wrong with either power source, so I really dont understand why people have to go with only one or the other. I have both electrics and nitro (no gassers yet), and they both have their pros and cons. I say get some of everything.

agexpert

My Feedback: (1)

I just got another electric plane. I am still having a hard time flying them, (mine are all flat-wing foamies). I love, as others have already indicated, the smell, sound and smoke-trail of my glow planes. I consider my electrics to be toys, even though each one has between $200 and $500 worth of electronics and batteries strapped to it, (including the 'extra' LiPo's to use while the others are charging).

I will always fly glow and I will not resist electrics. I found a great place to get electric stuff; LiPos for $25, ESC for $35, Brushless motor for $20 Planes for $15-$30.

http://www.chargerrc.com

They really do a good job and they took good care of me and my orders.

For me though, Glow and maybe eventually gas are the best. What can I say, I like engines, carbs, fuel and smoke...and tinkering.

Later,

Mark

Fredsterman

I'll switch from glow to electrics, when I see full scale planes running on batteries
The noise, the smoke, and the smell of burning fuel are what "makes it right" for me.
Kinda' they way I felt, when the EPA was pondering making charcoal illegal for backyard grills, (early '90s I think)[:@]
Anyhow, there's a flyer in our club that flies a Shrike? It's louder, and actually faster than most of the glow planes.
If he could just keep the thing on the field...

Beige

Nothing beats landing, a quick pump of fuel and your off

Compared to electric where unless you have a mass of batteries ready to go, or carry around chargers etc. you stuck with a few flights before you run out of go [:@]


Although, if all you want is a quick flight to fill 20mins then electric is perfect, as long as you plan a little ahead and have a pack of 2 on charge, i do this all the time with various electric planes. Another area where electric rules are assisted gliders, nothing like having a light weight electric system on a glider, you end up with only a couple of mins motor time but it's great when you can't get to the next thermal on the glide



Loads of people are stuck on one or the other, like classic "fanboyism", macos vs windows, bikes vs cars, big car vs small car... No different, if you look at all the points they are all pretty much equal

Mode One

I find it interesting that only a few of you feel the high cost is a deterent.

elenasgrumpy

My Feedback: (4)

I fly both as well. A little foamie is fun to play with when I don't feel like going to the field, but they will never replace my Saito!!

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

I think the startup cost of electric is a deterent, in a way, but if one looks at the cost of fuel over time, electric will most likely be cheaper over time. Many of us tend to not think about how much we spend on fuel because we do it a little at a time. Start buying your fuel in bulk (my last order was 12 gallons of 50%) and burning 2 to 3 gallons in a weekend (typical for me on a race weekend) and alternate power sources (electric or gas) start becoming interesting.

bruce88123

As far as the LHS is concerned, just tell them you came in to make a purchase and not to seek advice or a lecture. Remind them that they have competition that don't preach philosophy or global warming.
They are there to serve YOU, the CUSTOMER and may keep their opinions until asked for. [:@]

This wasn't Hobby-Lobby was it?

elenasgrumpy

My Feedback: (4)

I don't think Tn. Has a Hobby Lobby, just Crystal Burgers. Otherwise known as White Castles north of the Mason/Dixen line.[sm=lol.gif]

bruce88123

Actually it is the home of Hobby Lobby. Not the craft store, the hobby shop.

http://www.hobby-lobby.com

elenasgrumpy

My Feedback: (4)

Ya'all got your own Hobby Shop, what's next Statehood??[X(]

bruce88123

Cessation from the union! Oh wait, that didn't work last time either. [:@]

Mode One

There was an article in the magazine 3D Flyer last summer by Jim Graham (aka Billy Hell) about the comparison of glow fuel/electric. He felt there was a break even point. I think it was several hundred fights. This was a comparison of a .40 sized 3D plane, I believe. So the conversion is a fairly expensive propulsion package. I don't know if he took into account normal ware and tare (tear?) of both systems. It would be interesting to hear about which system is more durable. For raw power, apparently electric is the way to go.

Like I said, I'm interested in electric; but, don't think glow is out of the picture just yet, either.

k3 valley flyer

My Feedback: (18)

If you were in Hobby Lobby in Brentwood, Tn you were in one of the leading mail order houses for electric in the country. Just a few years ago they were selling mostly glow and have found a new niche in electric and seem to want to concentrate on electric primarily. Alot of us are flying both, indoor in the winter with the foamies, small electric for the park down the street, and gas and glow out at the field with the guys. Good electric planes with brushless motors and the quality electronics are still expensive but the performance is acceptable now. The smell of nitro in the morning is what we live for and the electrics allow us to get more stick time year around. There is a place for all of it.

Mode One

"I love the smell of Nitro in the morning, it smells like VICTORY"!!

perttime

Electric most likely is the way of the future but I do not see people stopping glow/gas either. Actually, lots of people seem to use both. Whatever works in a certain application.

I currently fly small electrics but I also have a couple of glow engines waiting for space, for building, storage and smells that the wife would not enjoy.

Mode One

My glow powered airplanes don't smell!