GerKonig

You might have to admit that aircraft carriers would make a trip from LA to Colorado a bit difficult....

Gerry

GerKonig

That is the other source. Old timers checking out leaving huge quantities of powerplants behind that will hit the market in estate sales, or just will make their way to the market in one way or another. No need to make names, but we all know a bunch of hoarders. People that accumulate kits and engines they will never get to use in their life. And since you cannot take them w/you... I see no risk of a shortage any time soon... I got rid of all my nitro stuff many, many years ago. All I have left is big electrics and gas... (I kept my nitro starter in case I get the urge for a slimer, but as years go by, the urge has not appeared).

Gerry

Sport_Pilot

You would not be able to pump the gas into your car without steam engines. All electricity except some peaking generators are provided by steam engines.

1QwkSport2.5r

I thought they used steam turbines to make electricity and not engines...? Both in coal-fired and nuclear facilities.

Sport_Pilot

Steam turbines are engines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_e...urbine_engines

GerKonig

Yes, coal, natural gas, and nuclear power use steam turbines if I am not mistaken... and that represents 85% of the total (see energy sources below)

In 2013, energy sources and percent share of total electricity generation were

• Coal 39%
• Natural Gas 27%
• Nuclear 19%
• Hydropower 7%
• Other Renewable 6%
  • Biomass 1.48%
  • Geothermal 0.41%
  • Solar 0.23%
  • Wind 4.13%
• Petroleum 1%
• Other Gases < 1%

Gerry

Sport_Pilot

Hydro power slipped my mind. IMO we need more of it.

GerKonig

I worked on the building of 2 hydroelectric power plants in Argentina. They are a great source of power, but unfortunately people are not too receptive to permanently flooding areas (to create a lake). One up in the mountain in Mendoza (Los Reyunos) and the other one called Arroyito in Neuquén (flatter area). Easy to maintain, they also regulate the water of the river that feeds the dam.

Not likely to see any going up soon...

Gerry

sirronald

In the morning?

GerKonig

One of these days you guys will have to try coffee:-)

Gerry

Sport_Pilot

I have! Nitro smells better than coffee!

Axle Al

My Feedback: (25)

Very well said. Real motorheads notice the more pleasing bark of a nitro engine and I am sure there will allways be nitro enthusiasts around forever. The giant glow engine is a fantastic beast that to many people have not experienced. The backflip start and incredible idle are unique. Who cares about the fuel, you want cheap liquor or top shelf. Coach or first class. I pick my own pleasures, I don't follow weed eaters. I pass them. Put a moki 2.10 on a tuned pipe and you will agree. The good thing about gas is it has made a large surplus of glow motors for me, check out e-bay. tons of NIB of all brands

jeffie8696

Ran my OS26Surpass today on the SIG 4Star20. Used some SIG 25% Champion, because I could.

jester_s1

I don't lament the decline of glow power at all. Glow was what RC pilots used because it was the best thing they had. In many cases, it was the only practical thing they had. 30 years ago we didn't have brushless motors and lipo batteries, so electric couldn't compete on the low end. So modelers dealt with expensive fuel and little carburetor passages that got clogged with the tiniest pieces of dirt and engines that got gummy when they sat for a few months because that was the only thing that gave acceptable performance. On the big end, the only other option was to convert a chainsaw engine which require machine shop skills and tools that many didn't have. Even then, the result was an overweight and underpowered engine that was hard to start. Glow engines became ubiquitous not because they were wonderful, but because they were the only practical option for so long. Had we had DLE gassers and Rimfire motors 30 years ago, there would probably be zero glow engines in service today.

jeffie8696

As I remember it I had fun with a can of fuel and a 1.5volt battery going round and round with my P40 about 1970 or so. To me engines are just as big a part of the hobby as the planes. I have planes that I have flown with 5 different engines just so I can try out different engines.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

I still don't think electrics can compete. Not for dominance in the long run. It's still going to be a glow and gas world for outdoor flying. I think most of the "electric is cheaper" claims have disappeared too.

GerKonig

You can ignore the real facts, glow is shrunk as fast as electrics did grow. We do not have that many more people getting into the hobby. The share of electrics and gas increased hugely at the cost of nitro shrinking.

Gerry

jester_s1

Electric is here to stay for two reasons: They outperform glow engines, and they are more convenient and reliable. Look at pattern flying- you'll occasionally see the venerable old OS 1.60 at a big match, but the vast majority in that sport have gone electric because of the better power to weight ratios and instant torque. EF-1 racing is growing with planes that easily outperform Q25 and Club 40 models. Even IMAC pilots are getting into the electric game because they can have a slight edge in power to weight ratios with the top of the line electric components. Most still use gas because it's so much cheaper, but the guys who don't care about the cost are quickly discovering the advantages. And, of course, for the newer pilots, buying a good charger is cheaper and simpler than buying a starter, battery, and glow driver. As said previously, the only place where glow really is still the best option is in the .40-.90 size planes because of the cost of electric and the poor performance of gas.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

With all due respect Jester You are wrong on most of your points above, absolutely wrong. The only problem professed glow flyers have are the evangelical electric enthusiast who will never be satisfied until the glow folks are stomped out. Its indeed is human nature perhaps even sandbox politics to want everyone to do and play exactly as they do! Well guess what, that is not gonna happen and never has in virtually any activity.

Please allow me to express one shinning example and parallel and that is controlline modeling. And I was directly involved so this is not someone just writing revisionist history. My controlline activities commenced in 1954 and my RC activities started in 1959 and although I did excitedly pursue RC from that point forward I never, yes never totally abandoned controlline to this day and quite proud of that fact.

OK now controlline did obviously start a decline obviously in the early sixties and did decline slowly all the way up to around 1998 or 1999 and all this time was supported by what today we call cottage industry suppliers. Now what happened in 98 or 99 was a major supplier not a cottage industry one that was very brave indeed did put a controlline ARF out on the mass market called the Nobeler.. That was the turning point. That company was TopFlite/Tower. And that conrolline ARF has been selling steadily and continuously to this day with a few additional models added to that lineup.. From that low point at the end of the nineties and what I have experienced, is steady growth of controliine. No those evangelical RC enthusiast of the early sixties failed to completely kill off controlline as many wanted and today activity is at least ten times higher than that low point. Yes that is my personal estimate.

The exact same thing is happening with glow power and it is the evangelicals who are demanding everyone do and play as I do and its happening all over agine.

So while glow has declined a small amount indeed but the numbers I see at my field and the places I visit does still supports glow activity and it is still in the majority.

Am I am a Glowhead? well not exactly although the vast majority of my acrtiviy is yes still Glow I do partake of a bit of vintage gasser, and some modern gassers, along with some gliders (aero towed with glow powered tugs of course) perhaps lets see now two ships with Diesels just for seasoning. Oh and last but not least even some electrics, come to think of it I flew my fitst electric in 1959. It was a four foot span free flight.

So is glow power dead and gone? Oh hell no.

John

jester_s1

I have no need whatsoever to get other guys to do what I do. I own electric, glow and gas planes. I like them all, and have chosen the power systems that are the most practical and cost effective for each. As for the evangelists who think all aeromodelers should follow what they do, I see that a whole lot more of that in the balsa and glow crowd than I do anywhere else. Park flyer foamies practically have an official hate group formed against them among the over 50 crowd whose main complaint is that they aren't traditional, aren't hard enough to fly, don't take long enough to build, etc. Whereas I find the electric guys just get out and have a great time flying with whomever they can. Why the traditionalists aren't all flying scratch built fabric and dope planes with spark engines and AM radios on lead acid batteries is beyond me, because their mentality says they should. Our hobby used to be and should still be about embracing the latest technology to push the performance of our models to new heights. Sadly, as the median age of the hobby has risen, it has turned into an anti-progress mindset and more about nostalgia. I'm in the middle at 38 years old. I appreciate the old ways of doing things and still use them, but I'm not about to stick with the older technology when something demonstrably better comes out.

jeffie8696

I aint prejudice I fly anything, I just think its a shame to see perfectly good stuff fade away .

Sport_Pilot

It still is the best. Has a lot more power than gas, and you don't have to wait till it charges. The only issue is fuel and that can change. If manufactures make glow that uses no nitro and 5% or less oil then the fuel could cost less than gas and still have more power than gas.

Sport_Pilot

It didn't seem that way to me, mostly the newbies went to electric. And about half the glow people and very little of the gas people. And many of the glow people who switched to electric still did some glow. Now it seems the electric is shrinking. More and more of the newbies are simply flying quads in the park and do not come to the AMA field.

Sport_Pilot

None of the electrics I have tried outperform glow except perhaps the very small ones. The only area electric was better was vibration and I couldn't care a flip about that. For every one I have tried except the micro electrics I have had a glow that performed better. And you don't have to wait for them to charge.

Sport_Pilot

Great post John, but I believe CL was boosted earlier and perhaps more by Brodak in the early to mid 90's. Then when Hobbico came out with their CL ARF's Brodak came out with better ones.