H5606

Was it ever?
I post this question here because this is where I feel most comfortable to ask and thought it would get the most traffic.
Does glow engine powered R/C still gain favor over other forms (i.e. gas, electric, or silent [none]) of power for radio controlled aircraft?
What are your thoughts - interested in all responses.

cyclops2

Total take over in many areas of country of all types of vehicles powered by the different types of chemical batteries. I still only use LIFEPO4 batteries in anything but faster air planes.

It is just the safest thing to use. I know. At 80 I have overcharged 5 sets. Just some white powder came out of the pressure release cap. No fires ever.. Most of My A123 cells are now in all battery powered tools & vacuum cleaners.
I can run them down to 5% SAFELY & they recharge to 95% or 100% after 25 years of use. Some sit for many years at full charge. Still fine.

I just gave away all my small & up to 120 sized Nitro engines.

BalsaGhost

Not anymore.
I straddle both worlds. I love flying electric, in both an Ugly Stik and Durafly Tundra. However, when head to the flying field and burn a bunch of glow fuel I have a blast. The sound, the instant throttle response, and the pure power still draw me to glow. I realize it's dying out, and thats ok and just the nature of technological progress. But I feel sorry for all the new folks who have not flown any sort of internal combustion engine.

ira d

Glow is almost gone IMO, I see very few glow powered planes at any of the flying sites I visit and I think the fact that many of the glow engines on the market today compared to what was available and being advertised twenty years ago tells the story.

TomCrump

I fly with two clubs.
One is almost exclusively electric, the other is almost 100% wet fuel.

oliveDrab

In 2005 I started flying with glow, had a few 60-sized glow planes, then converted my entire fleet to electric. I now have 10 planes which are all electric and 1 turbine jet which burns K1 kerosene. Even my 9 foot 2 inch Rascal 110 is electric.

At our field, electric seems to be taking over although there are some flyers who hang on to their glow planes. EDF's are popular at our field.

However, now that I think about it, gas-powered warbirds are very popular at our field. I am the only guy at our field with large electric-powered warbirds.

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

I am a dinosaur because I don't give a flip about electric powered airplanes cars etc. I have a local dealer who says he wont be open after the end of this year. I have 7 nitro engines counting my two High powered 21's that are in my cars. Yes I spent way to much money on them and they are now shelf queens on their stands ha. It is very sicking to see this hobby going to pot and yes I am a builder too thats another thing going south too. A airplane just dosn't sound right unless you got a screaming nitro engine up to power it.
Thanks
Michael Johnston

TomCrump

The "was it ever?" comment speaks to a lack of knowledge of the history of our hobby.

At one point, glow was the best viable option to power RC aircraft. Gas made huge inroads in the 80s. Electrics didn't become viable for a couple decades after that.

tntpooof

You will always have a strong Nitro following but as of Now it is falling .Local laws by me now prohibit its use .due to noise and polluting the environment.. along with 2 stroke..I also like to only use Lifepo4 cells..But real A123 cells..i just find trying to get the voltages Id like is hardest..

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

My guess is that if the club is made up primarily of older folks, nitro is preferred. If the majority is younger guys, electric is king. We old farts probably like to stick to nitro and the younger set with electric,, although we old fossils do fly a few electrics also. And we have talked the youngsters into a nitro powered bird occasionally. So it is a mix at this point, but at some point a nitro powered plane will be a novelty.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

And when electrics evolve to the point that they produce that sweet smell of a nitro engine with some castor in the fuel and the captivating sound of a big four stroke nitro engine and a 6S, 5000 MAh LiPo battery is $2.00 each,, I will gladly gravitate to all electric.

oliveDrab

A friend of mine gets violently ill if somebody starts up a glow engine and the fumes get near him. He says: "Oh ****" and leaves the field as fast as he can. Yeah - I personally like the smell, and like the sound of a 4-stroke, but whiny 2-strokes drive me nuts.

oliveDrab

You like a screaming sound? Try a Stinger 90 EDF with a 6S 5300 maH Lipo. It's a real "whoooooosh" sound like a real jet almost.

cyclops2

Props for grandpops.

H5606

When I was learning to fly, one of the things I was taught was to yell out "Deadstick" if the engine on the airplane quit. This announcement warns other flyers and people around the airfield that the airplane will not be able to stay aloft and will perhaps be making a landing soon - depending on altitude during the event of course. This warning allows other pilots to make adjustments to their flight patterns or to clear the runway to permit an unobstructed path for the airplane making the unpowered landing.

Now, the new generation of electric flyers are not being taught this courtesy - I never hear any of 'em yell "Deadstick" - why not?

I'll tell you why - its because they can't hear their motor when it quits if others are in the air at the same time. At least when you have a fuel-to-noise-and-smoke generator in your airplane, you know when the airplane power-plant quits because the noise stops. This is why the louder, glow-powered airplanes increase the comfort level when flying - you can hear them way better above others - especially if others are only flying electric powered aircraft - and you can fly them further out because the sound carries further... You won't ever be caught by surprise while flying glow during an engine-out situation as you would if you were flying electric, had the motor quit, and didn't hear it.

BalsaGhost

Electric motors quitting is almost "unheard" of though. (haha)

I love glow, but the reliability of the new ESC's and motors is rock solid. But it sure seems when the battery pack begins dying it goes quickly.

oliveDrab

My electric planes are so reliable there's never been an engine-out condition that required me to yell Deadstick. One time my batteries got low and the engine was surging ... but I could hear that so I landed.

Major Crunch

I started with electric, then moved to glow, and then quickly went to gas. I haven't flown electric since I went to liquid fuel.
I love the sound, smell, and the mechanics of combustible engines. The icing on the cake is the incredible flight times with gas engines.

mkjohnston

My Feedback: (2)

I will say this electrics are just as dangerous as glow engine powered airplanes. Thirty years ago I some how got my fingers into a prop on airplane that I was trying to adjust the high speed needle. That smarts but it makes me very leary of any prop driving airplane and some how a friend of mine who was a adjusting his electric powered airplane got his hand into the prop and walked away with some very nasty cuts. I like the smell and sound of a glow powered airplane it so different with electric everything is quiet to say the least.
Michael Johnston

carlgrover

At my flying field yesterday, glo was king! There were two glo powered planes there, one 2 stroke, and 1 4 stroke. I flew both of them. Never touched the needle on my Fox 50. Had to tinker a tad with my Saito 56 though. No biggie.

Flying of any kind is sort of dying around here.

carl

oliveDrab

Yeah - it's dying here too. We've diversified somewhat and manage to keep things interesting. We have indoor flying in the winter, float flying in the Spring, Summer, and Fall, and normal flying off a large runway. But it's usually the same folks showing up. The younger crowd doesn't seem to be interested in flying and certainly not interested in building.

cyclops2

Same in my area..

Drones RULE !!

BalsaGhost

Drones...pfft. They’re cool I guess, but at age 38 and being into rc for a while I just don’t have any drone enthusiasm.

Major Crunch

I'm with you on Drones. I have no desire at all to fly one.

init4fun

Yes , of course it was .

Now as to the present , oh Hell no , electric has completely knocked glow off of it's perch as the #1 source of power . Just look at the vast amount of new electric offerings VS the dwindling number of new glow products being announced for proof of which power system is presently dominant in our hobby .

My personal choice ? I have about a 50/50 mix of electric and glow (around 15 of each) and 2 gasoline powered airplanes , mostly WW2 era warbirds with a few civilian types to liven up the mix .

I have no drones and have no problem with anyone who flies a drone responsibly , namely by following either AMA doc #550 of FAA part 107 to the letter , so as to not bring disrepute upon our hobby .....