1QwkSport2.5r

You have to realize that the gallon of fuel is $10-20 per gallon from the mfg, add in $12/4gal case shipping + 25$ hazmat fee per 4gal case. If the hobby shop would drive to SIG instead of shipping it they'd be able to sell for less. The shop that sells SIG doesn't sell gallons of it, quarts only so I can see why it ends up being more expensive. A quart is $7.75 plus 7.25% sales tax. That's $8.31/qt.



Moreover, all of the area shops are this high here in MN. That's why I mix my own now. The shop owners shrug their shoulders when asked about their pricing. It sucks.

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

Sport most of the time you are wrong and again youre wrong.


Make me a UM Beast in balsa.

Iflyglow

My Feedback: (79)

Back to the ST topic! Yes it is my opinion that Hobbico is just selling off inventory, and when that's gone ST is history. It might sound sad, but it looks to be the case. I just hope I can find a spare rod and gasket for a g90, and a g2300 rod. Tower has had them on back order for a long time. I am searching ebay every day for these parts. I might endup grabbing a couple new engines for parts. Nothing worse than having planes setup for engines that are extinct.

Sport_Pilot

Or if you buy approximately a pallet load of fuel, you can pay much lower trucking fees. But you may have to pick up at the truck depot.

Sport_Pilot

Then what kind of plane cannot be made from balsa and other light woods. Howard Hughes built a cargo seaplane of balsa and spruce! A UM Beast would not be difficult. I know the Pitts 12 from whichthe Beast came from is modeled inbalsa. Balsa, spruce, birch, and plywood are easily shaped and make a very strong structure.

Again you are wrong.

earlwb

I would agree with Sport Pilot, many planes were made using wood. From little free flight models up to the monster size Hughes Spruce Goose seaplane. Besides the Spruce Goose, the British Mosquito twin engine bomber was another example of a wood airplane too. The Mosquito had a fuselage made with pressed together balsa wood sheets between cedar plywood.


But yes I suspect they are going to stop selling the Supertigre engines as well as their own Tower branded engines too.

Sport_Pilot

Bax of Towertold methat ST will start production of new engines this summer. May make the Tower engines as well. I held back thinking Bax whoud say something, but maybe he is trying to get a firm date.

DeferredDefect

If I'm honest, and although I love my glow engines, I'm willing to bet OS, Super Tigre, etc will be either gone or 90% electric in ten years. Very few new modellers are starting with fuel burning models, and very few will transition after becoming used to the ease and efficiency of electric. The only reason the major manufacturers are sill producing glow is to cater to the market that has been using glow throughout their modelling career, not towards a new modeller. 

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

I was trying to start a debate but not many jumped in plus I like picking on sportpilot. Yes in the right hands any plane can be made out of balsa. it would take some very good modeling skills to make the Beast model thats just like the UM one with solid sheeted fuselage and all and to keep it at the same weight.

Anyway back to Supertiger.

I will let you guys in on a secret. well two secrets

Of most of the sport engines out there the Super tiger carbs are the best metering ones out there plus they can be opened up more for modded engines. the next secret is take the super tiger 45 engine and throw on a gold or black Jett muffler with a 10x6 - 9x8 prop and look at the power it makes. more than anyother 46 (bone stock) with same muffler. Infact most of the others will not work on that muffler. The same ST 45 on this Supertiger muffler http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFW05&P=7 is also a great performance set up. There is one problem with the ST g 500 muffler is that it doesnt last long. The inner tube/header is just pressed in and comes out over time. Also the outer chamber is pressed on and then crimped. oh and just so most know ST was the first to come out with the1/4 wave muffer/tuned muffler then others copied it and some then put a patient on it hence no more ultra thrust mufflers.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Don't be too quick to blow off glow engines, as long as us white haired, or in my case, no haired guys are around there will be glow engines and glow fuel. And Diesels too.

1QwkSport2.5r

And mid-30 something guys like me that think nitromethane should be a cologne fragrance.. Although I'm picky with which engines I buy, the ones I do buy are known for legendary longevity and make good power. SuperTigre being one brand.

The ST S90 will outturn an OS 91 on a 12x6 APC with the OS using a Jett muffler and S90 on a stock ST swing muffler. If OS and ST were the only two glow brands left, I'd take the ST any day of the week. Their (Italian) carbs are quite good. If anyone has any ST carbs they don't want, I'll happily pay postage to have them sent to me..

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

I have several ST carbs and hang on to them.

iskandar taib

My Feedback: (5)

True, but it would still have been cheaper out of the back of the Fox van. Wonder if the Fox van still goes to the Nats, John Lowry has, I think, retired from Fox. Don't know if Betty's still with us, either. When Duke was alive he'd sell stuff out of the back of a Rolls - only met him once. Combat (and other) engines could be had for half price - except for the Mark VII - those never went to retail stores anyway. Glow plugs too - I'd stock up on those. Std. Longs were a buck apiece, Miracles went for a buck fifty.

Iskandar

Sport_Pilot

Other than the small 1/2 A stuff I do not know of any inexpensive electric setups, and even that is somewhat more expensive. Even the balsa kits cost more.

I have talked to people who started off with small electric, but moved to glow for larger planes. Some have and some have not embraced glow because of the steeper learning curve. One told me the fuel is a lot cheaper than the many batteries he had to charge, and that they had to be replaced more often than he was told was required.

Sport_Pilot

I did not claim that it would be stronger or lighter, that would depend on the requirements. I recall that there was balsa wood used in the Spruce Goose, though I cannot find it now. Porbably for vibration or engineered I beam webs. Wasn't there a shortage of balsa during WW II?

hsukaria

In the past 3 weeks, I sold off 3 of my planes due to running out of space. Two of those planes had glow engines, the third one I sold without an engine. The two buyers involved are both newcomers to the hobby and they both started in electric and have transitioned to glow. Another guy at the club started with large electric, then gas, and then decided to fly glow for convenience. I think there is room for growth for glow, but I think the manufacturers see more profit opportunity in trying to convince existing hobbyists to sell off their old glow engines and buy gas or electric. Otherwise, our glow engines will last a long time and we wouldn't feel the need to buy new powerplants.

When BAX said ST will be manufacturing new engines soon, did he mean new designs, or new batches of the old existing designs?

BTW, I have a China-made ST G51 and it has been a stellar performer the past 6 years. I have run it mostly with a MACs one-piece muffler for lightness.

hsukaria

As far as balsa wood used for all planes, I think this plane is better in foam: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

I just put one together and plan on flying it soon. It has complex shapes and curves that would make it very difficult to build from balsa (wingtips curved up, built-in wing reflex, etc...)

DeferredDefect

At least when fuel's concerned, It's still cheaper for me to convert my 40 sized models to electric for the long run. Batteries that used to cost close to 100 dollars are now about 20. I can get a 5s, 8000 mAh pack for just under 90 dollars. A jug of 15% glow around here is pushing 40 dollars, so it just doesn't make sense unless I fly only a few times a month. I'm probably not going to make a switch for a while, but I expect glow to go the way of the typewriter quite soon.

hsukaria

Sport, where can I buy nitromethane cheap? I can get the oil easy, but I can't find a local source of cheap methanol either. They sell them, but I think they are not selling them to the public cheap around where I live.

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

Isky,

Both Betty Fox and John Lowry have passed away.

Sport_Pilot

Why you would do that when you can mix for less than 10 bucks is a mystery to me. And Idon't understand why $20 bucks a battery is cheap when you have to replace every few months. And if you don't have a bunch of batteries you have to stand around and wait for your plane to charge. And if you have a bunch of planes you have a bunch of chargers and or leads at the field. Not to mention burning up your model with your batteries. I have burned two models with batteries, one with a reciever battery.


It is a lot simpler to simply fill and go.

So Iwill never be inclined to go electric.

Sport_Pilot

Goggle VPand Torco fuels. Then call the distributers in you area. Ask if you can buy from them or ask which racetracks they sell to. Many racetracks with methanol fueled events will sell methanol pumped into your can for about $3.00 per gallon.I don't think you will be ableto buy nitro that way. You may have to buy a 5 gallon can of nitro but you might be able to buy a single gallon, but it will cost more.

Sport_Pilot

You can usually build a lighter plane from balsa than foam. Complex shapes are easierwith balsa, just carve and sand. But it won't take a beating like EDOfoam. For most of my flying Idid not crash enough to worry about that.

Sport_Pilot

Old designs.IMO when ST was sold off it was doomed to never have a new ST design. Might as well have the Chinese name if they did.

hsukaria

That's what I expected. But, they are good enough that they don't need updating to begin with. I think the generic Chinese designs have been trying to catch up to its quality all this time.

The one change they (and other manufacturers) could do is to try to make it work with gas like the new NV Engines can with gas, a glowplug, and no ignition, IMHO.