mattnew

My Feedback: (2)

Growing up all we had to run were glow engines in teh 80's and 90's. we ran everything on 5% nitro and the engines ran great.. we tried 10 and 15% every so often but didn't really see any major improvements, if anything we struggled with idle speeds more with the higher content and replaced glo plugs more often. I'm running all gas now, but if I ever ran glo again I'd be right back running 5%. It worked fine for me... I'd imagine 0% would work well too

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

We modelers need to get away from our Tim-The-Tool-Man mentality. We run much more nitro than is necessary. Most engines run fine on 5%. Nitromethane is the price driver.

spd101

I just find it difficult to try and get rid of all my saito 4 strokes (.56-.91's and evolution 2 strokes and then buy all the new ones and replace fuel lines when I don't get to fly more than 1 time a month its not cost effective for me

ssautter

If what?

Blah...blah....blah....

Alower demand with ahigher supply would decrease the cost.

Sounds like you know even less, about economics, than the POTUS.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

Switched over to gas. I only have three glow planes left and rarely, if ever fly them anymore. I kept them basically for funfly events. I was hesitant at first and now I am so glad I switched over to gas. Gas is totally the best for RC. Even better in the 30cc range you can fly and fly and fly some more and it seems you hardly use any gas much.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

Im still all glow, also because of the smell of gas and lack of sound from electric, but glow fuel being the price it is sure gives me pause to what I will be going to!

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I spend about $100 per year on glow fuel. I spend far more on gasoline driving to the flying field and home.

Twin_Flyer

My Feedback: (4)

interesting reading all of the comments on this thread. I can myself slowly moving to gas as the cost of nitro goes higher as well. Electric doesn't do it for me at all in , part due to the sound, or lack thereof.

Did find one interesting thing on the web though, if you care to mix your own fuel, the stuff needed to do so is available from, of all places, Amazon.com!

http://www.amazon.com/Torco-RC-100%2...8148109&sr=1-1

haven't broken it down to see what it would cost to make a gallon in the end, yet!

Bill S.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

I have been known to burn 20 gallons of glow fuel in a season,my job now more like 5 but its spendy

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

yes. 10% nitro 30% oil.
It was part of a large order

raptureboy

Do whatour club does, buy direct from the manufactuer in drums. We order a drum of 15% every year and sell it at $12.00 gal and still make money. http://splube.com/otherapplications.htmlBut I have switched over all my 60 and bigger planes to DLE20 gas engines. I'm with ACEon this one yuk on cleaning snot off my planes and having my covering come loose.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

The nitro shown in the link is around $52, which means roughly $5 a galleon for the nitro, some for the oil (again that depends on what kind you use - I go with synthetic), and then a bunch for the methanol. The last bunch I bought and mixed up worked out to be about $9.87 a galleon. I only make 10% because that is good enough ( I use VOLUME rather than weight as many of the manufacturers do). I think I still have about 10 galleons.

What started me was a ST 3000 and the hobby shop wanted $18 for a galleon of no nitro fuel! I rebelled and started mixing. The first batch of no nitro cost me about $5.97 a galleon because I had to buy a number of 5 galleon containers and the 10% (wasn't going to be a one horse show) cost about $7.56. Now I just mix my own. Less and less as I stopped running 2 strokes and moved more to Saitos and gas. In fact, I don't remember the last time I started a 2 stroke glow engine. Jeez, I hope I don't forget how to tune one! George Aldrich would yell at me loudly.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Everyone gets to decide how best to spend their hobby dollars. The bottom line is: We are purchasing entertainment.

It's silly to complain that glow fuel is too expensive as the excuse for flying gas. Giant scale guys tend to ignore the $100 servos, $50 props, $500 engiine, 20ft trailer and pick up truck.

As for me, I fly .40 size planes and smaller. Fuel is not an issue, just bought 2 gal of 5% at a contest for $11 each. I scratch build my planes which rarely cost more than $25 in materials.

Gas for my Ford Focus to drive to the field is more expensive than glow fuel used once I get there.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

Depending on your style of flying and your plan you can recoup your cost in a reasonable amount of time. In less than 24 months I have already saved quite a bit more than I had anticipated and it certainly feels good on the pocket not to pay 15-20 a gallon for glow and pay under 4 per gallon for gas. I agree that using the price of glow as an excuse for gas it a tad silly yet there is still merit to the argument.

I usually burn close to a gallon of glow fuel in one day, with gas a gallon last about three to four times longer. Granted it will take time to save cost, but if one is good about it you can definitely save. Now with all the smaller gas engines on the market gas is even a better alternative than ever.

I have also found that once you really start changing out you do realize all the benefits to gas and from what I have found it is better overall. Just not having to carry as many field supplies and even a glow stick is a huge plus that many never even think about.

As far as servos, that is relative to the size plane you have. Gas has nothing to do with servos. If you fly .40 size gas you use the same servos you always use whether gas or glow. The larger size gas planes cost more and so do the larger size glow planes.

Props are the same - relative to size of plane and have nothing to do with gas or glow being better. Another cool thing about props that I found with my planes is that I don't use as many props. As a matter of fact, this is the second year without a prop replacement on my gassers.

It appears that engine manufacturers are seeing the light and now moving into a gas era of engines. Making them smaller and more effecient than ever. I fly 30cc and 50cc planes and I do have a couple 40 size glow planes. In my usage the gas is better in every aspect. I do believe that we will be seeing a larger reduction in glow than ever as we move into the future.

Someone mentioned the smell of gas. If I am not mistaken you can get relatively cheap additives that will scent the fuel. I haul my planes all over and never have an issue with the smell. Happy flying whatever you fly!

pmerritt

My Feedback: (118)

Let's see.  A 40 sized plane uses approx. 8 ounces for a 12 - 15  minute flight?  There's 128 ounces in a gallon which should give one 16 flights +/-?

16 flights for 15 minutes is approx. 240 minutes of entertainment (4 HOURS!! of incredible fun)  for around $20.00/$22.00 a jug?  That equates to $5.00 an hour people.

  You go see a first run flick and the theater and you're out $7.50 for 90 minutes and no popcorn!  Flying beats the hell out of watching a movie.
Try taking the little lady out to a decent meal and you've plopped down 2 gallons of glow fuel before you know it. (granted the benefits of that expediture probably are more rewarding that flying!!!  Or at least they should be lol)

A previous post here was dead on.  We spend upward of $15.00 / $30.00 for a servo.  $20.00 on a battery and squawk like hell over the price of fuel. 

This really isn't a poor man's hobby.  One can enjoy flying inexpensively but don't try this unless you have the money to toss in the air (pun intended) . 

Fuel isn't going down people.  What IS going down?  NOTHING!

My  main dislike with my new  Evo 2 stroke gas is having that horrible spark plug wire and cap sticking out the cowl area like a third leg.
The worst part is that I go to the field in an SUV and you can't hide that gas smell no matter how your transport.  It lingers for days and I'm lucky I don't take the family in my  Element.  I don't enjoy the lingering stench either but it's my hobby and I opt for a gas set up once in a while.

How's that go?  "Pay the Piper"????

 

rgburrill

I love the smell of nitro in the morning.

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

The choice of gas or glow has to do with the airframe, not cost except for the larger stuff. Not being able to seal you gas can during transportation - priceless.

Seriously, just razzing you a bit because the smell is there but I have found that you can mitigate it if you make a lined box to keep the fuel in and remove it at both ends of the trip. The problem is that when you get a spill, because of the oil, it stays on the can and wipes off on things. That is most of what lingers.

YMMV

skywagn180

This is a funny thread. I've been hearing whining about glow fuel prices since I was a kid. I just paid $15 per gallon for 15% nitro yesterday. 23 years ago, when I was 12 years old, I had to save up for a gallon of 5% at $12 per gallon! I think 15% was $14 back then. It is way CHEAPER now in todays money! I burn more glow fuel than just about anybody in this town at about 10 gallons per year and a total annual cost of about $150. That will barely buy enough lipos for 2 of my 23 airplanes for a year. My nitro engines ALL easily start by hand within five flips including my Saito 150. They have better power to weight and endurance than almost all electric setups. I have had 0 dead sticks in at least two seasons. Sure I prefer my big gassers and have some electric planes too. The fact is that glow engines are still a very good and very cheap power option. It's not for everyone though. If you take the time to learn the art of operating them correctly they are a very cheap, powerful and reliable way to power your model. Unfortunately about 90% of glow engine operators I run into never took the time to learn and they struggle. Run a full synthetic glow fuel with a high performance glow motor and there is very little smell or mess. I am shocked and saddened to see that glow power is dying.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Less demand leads to smaller quantities produced/shipped, cost to order small batches is higher.

There is less demand in the US for gasoline today than there was a few years ago. Gas companies closed down refineries, prices are staying higher. Notice the difference between gas and diesel is not as great as it used to be. To me that is an indication that the driving factor is not just the cost of crude oil.

abelard

You mean you can buy one of these for five bucks?

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Enya engines are sold in lots of places, but there isn't currently a North American distributor. Enya engines are still made in Japan:

ENYA @ DIRECT / ENYA METAL PRODUCTS CO., LTD.-
16-3 Chikumazawa-higashi, Miyoshi-machi, Iruma-gun,
Saitama, 354-0046 Japan

GerKonig

Go to Sears optical, get a small spray bottle fill it with nitro, and smell before breakfast twice per day until you get lung cancer...

Just kidding.

But some folks really have a bad memory or never, ever, went to an airport or an airshow. Believe it or not they claim a 4stroke sounds like a full size airplane... Have your ears checked! Maybe it's dementia.

I do not think nitro will ever disappear. After all, people still ride horses for fun. Yes, the numbers are dwindling, and the prices will go up, but we do this for fun. If you add toll, gas, club membership, AMA membership, plus the cost of our toys, really the cost of nitro is irrelevant. I got rid of all my nitro stuff about 8 years ago, but I saved the Sullivan starter in case I get the urge to go back. The urge did not happen. All big electrics and gas.

Another funny thing of this wonderful hobby that always gets me smiling is "free flight"... Nothing free in any hobby:-)

No better way to spend the money that in hobbies:-)

Gerry

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

MTK

Actually, half the gasoline volume is required for the typical flight compared toglow fuel. Stated another way, 5 gallons of gasoline/oil is equivalent to about 10 gallons glow fuel based on engine consumption basis (same amount of run time).

Assuming an average glow fuel price of 20 bucks (I know that's low, just trying to make a point), the 34bucks for 5 gal gasoline/oil is equivalentto $200 for glow

Someone said they didn't like the smell of stinky gas, and I definitely agree; I am one of the ones that hates the smell of car gas. I use Avgas 100LL; I buy it at the local airport. Just bring my 5 gallon jug and fill it at the pumpusing a credit card. I make a bogus "N" number up and I get access. I hear that some larger airports do not sell to drive up customers butI haven't found that to be true here in Jersey.

Avgas smells great, and stores for years and is much cheaper than Coleman or white gas. Last year when car gas sold for almost $4, Avgas sold for $6. Now, Avgas sells for around $5.40 at my local airport. Prices do vary greatly from airport to airport so I'd suggest that you check for best prices in your area, on-line

Some fellows are finding pure gas at Marinas. Pure gas doesn't have all the stinky stuff init as car gas does. It doesn't appear to exist in Jersey so that's out for me, but for you, it might be just the ticket in your area.

And I certainly hope this doesn't turn into yet another pissing match about which gas is best. I use Avgas and that's it; all I'm gonna say about it.................