Bill L

I'm seeing a lot of posts from people who are aparently glow fuel flyers, asking questions about or commenting on electric powered flying [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Im wondering why? The "talk at the field" is not in favor of electric powered, saying "Glow is the way to go!" I know the market is swinging to electric, because of the enjoyment, and ease of the new pilot to fly it. BUT, why the interest in electric by the Glow flyers.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]
WELCOME ANYWAY![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Tippie

Part of the interest is the flying site options. Many of the flying sites are being shut down for a number of reasons. The fact that land is being developed for housing nearby and rising noise compaints. One of the flying fields on the Southeast side of Atlanta (Peachtree City) will shut down Monday, March 31. The reason is the owner of the property (Founder of Chick-Fil-A) has sold the ground to a developer. Now they are searching for another site. With "Wet" powered airplanes you need a lot of room. When you consider "EP" aircraft, you can fly in a small area no bigger than a baseball outfield. The reluctance to change from "wet" to "ep" on the part of some people is that they simply don't understand electrics (and don't want to learn). I don't understand it all either but I want to learn. I flew glow many years ago and after a time of inactivity I have returned to the hobby and just don't want to mess with the "mess" of fuel and tinker with the engine to get it to run good. With electric just turn on the switch. Admittedly I have a lot to learn about electric flying, the variables seem to be unlimited. You know, what airplane, then what motor, then what battery, then what ESC, then what charger and so on. But in a nutshell, less 'stuff' to drag to the field and easier cleanup. Back to your question though, I think it is the loss or potential of losing flying sites that has them check other options to fly.

blvdbuzzard

I fly glow planes and helicopters. Right now I have 8 glow planes ready to fly with two helicopters. I also have 4 electric planes ready to fly. The electric one I fly are easy to fly, slow, relaxing, and small. I am building a Elecrticub from GP. I will power it with 8 cell 2400mah nicds, Magnetic Mayhem reverse with a GD600 gear box. I like the idea of just charging the batterys and flying. No clean up, no fiddling with the needle valve. I like the power glow gives me but when I just want to fly slow while leaning back in a chase lounge sipping a soda, small electric is the way to go.

goofup

Previous posts mention very good reasons. But one not mentioned is that glow flyers are discovering that they don’t have to drive 30 miles to the club field to fly. Sure they fly them at the club field, but with electrics they can also go to the soccer field a block away from their house and fly whenever they get the urge. In other words, more flying time.

When I was trying to get a Soarstar to use as a camera ship and a general purpose “pickup truck” kind of plane, I had to wait 2 weeks for my LHS to get some more in. Seems he was selling out all the time to glow flyers because they were discovering how easy and how much fun they were to fly.

Once they get over the hurdle of re-learning how to fly on the wing instead of the prop, I think glow flyers can have a ball with electrics. Personally, I think the only thing glow has going for it is the power (but electrics are catching up!)

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

My first RC experience was a sailplane, no power. I started in the hobby with ignition free flight in 1936. I have flown everything, including control line, and I sail RC boats. I love to build and I find more u-build-it kits for glow than there are for electric. That being said, I have flown electrics, as well as fuel powered aircraft for the last 25 years and I enjoy them. There is no clean up of the greasy kid stuff that always exits glow engines, no flipping the prop or hooking up an electric starter. The only initial problem seems to be batteries and charging. I am still looking for the perfect AC/DC charger. I usually have three batteries per ship. One charging, one cooling and one in the air. I go to the field with three charged batteries to start the day and keep the above cycle under way for the rest of the day. I can fly until the wind comes up. If you are interested in electrics check into the Goldberg Electra EP sailplane and their Mirage trainer. Modern lightweight accessories make them even better than they were originally. There is not glow only world, nor is there any battery only world. Do both if you can.

goofup

Ballgunner, check out the Wattage PF-12 AC/DC Parkflyer peak charger. It will handle 4-12 cells and is a steal at only $50. Go here.

Dragoone

I am thinking about buying an electric, just for the fact that I can't fly year round in PA. Well is not that I can't, I dont enjoy flying in the winter weather. So buying an electric, lets me get into some indoor flying in the winter. When its nice enough to fly outside, it all GLOW baby..

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks goofup. I'll look at the Hobby People web site. They are pretty heavy into all Wattage products. I haven't looked lately at their chargers. TNX again. ballgunner

Bill L

Just as I suspected[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]. Silent Power is convenient, clean, and I like the idea that in most cases, you fly the plane, not just aim the propellor.
Re: Cold weather flying. You are good to go easily with electric, but there is still the chill factor. My "field" is a hand-launch field, and I can't imagine hand-launching, then snuggling under some kind of transmitter "glove" to do the controling, and gloves just do not give the "feel" than JR wants you to get[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]
I have nothing against the glo-flyers. I really enjoy watching the aerobatics, the BIG scale planes, and the turbine powered planes.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I guess I like model airplane flying, all aspects![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

goofup

Bill, I think you got the basics reasons right. Electrics and glow are just “different” and each has their advantages and disadvantages. One isn’t any better than the other. (This is like two model railroaders, one N gauge and one HO gauge, arguing about which is better.) To me, trying to compare the two on equal footing is silly and a waste of time as each is best at their respective applications. Once the shock of learning to fly on the wing instead of the prop is over, I think a lot of glow flyers are finding electrics are actually quite fun and laid-back.

I hear you about the cold! I wimp out and just can’t handle it. Between the cold and my allergies this winter, I’ve gotten very little flying time. I can’t wait for daylight savings time and warmth!

akalita

As I am new to RC flying I don't know if you seasoned glow pilots are measuring power strictly in terms of horsepower, torque, or thrust, but have you checked out the speed electric ducted fan jets are achieving? It's amazing some of these planes are flying well over 100mph! I saw a video of an F18 electric go vertical right from takeoff to several hundred feet! Then in "Quiet & Electric Flight International" magazine there's a guy building a 6 engine ducted fan AN-225 replica. Check out some of the video and specs on the ducted fan jet aircraft at EAM.Net.

Adam

Bill L

Goofup I too mess with model trains, "ho" and "n" gauge. I start one, have fun and get ready to do scenery, then switch to the other, start some scenery ideas, and put both away to fly RC electrics. I liked the post from blvdbuzzard. He appreciates both, and realizes both fulfill a purpose for your flying that day. Thanks.




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