everything electric
01-31-2006, 10:20 PM
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everything electric
i just recieved the new horizon hobby book and everything in it has to deal with electrics. i guess that glow power is a thing of the past, seems like everything is electric now. i guess i need to get out of the hobby and go into full scale jet powered aircraft, at least that wont be electric powered in the next five years. maybe the space shuttle will be electric powered next year. im not inpressed
01-31-2006, 11:01 PM
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RE: everything electric
Gee .. that seems to be a pretty narrow view that you have. Lets see if we can put the Horizon catalog in perspective. First of all it wasn't ALL electric as you would seem to indicate. In fact there was good information on the new Saito 125 that is replacing the Saito 120. There was info on a new gasser moter as well. I don't have the catalog in front of me but I do recall seeing the 40 and 60 size arf still listed.
Having said that, is it possible that you have over generalized?? Maybe you have a case of sour grapes because people are considering switching from glow to electric power. Perhaps you are unaware that many places in the country look upon the "noisy" model engines we use with great distain. Many of us are looking at alternative ways of powering our models without being run out of town on a rail due to the noise.
Now you are probably right .... electric may very well be a thing of the future. It is for certain that they have grown in popularity quite rapidly. I think that this is largely to do with the advanced technology in batteries and in the motors themselves.
However, this hobby has been built on glow engines. Many of us cut our teeth in the old days of controlline stunt and even single channel R/C. Have you any idea how many million glow engines must have beed sold over the past 50+ years?
Now, if you go to Horizon's website, you will find tons of glow engines and glow related products. Just because all their glow engines are not listed in their current catalog, doesn't necessarily mean they are abandoning glow engines. Additionally, Horizon isn't the only supplier of aero products. You might find refuge in looking at Tower Hobbies ... truely another giant in the industry.
I guess it always gripes me that someone would be willing to "get out of the hobby" (as you so aptly put it) just because things may not be going their way. Change isn't always a good thing nor it is always a bad thing. The only thing about change that is for certain, is that it is inevitable.
Taking refuge in jet powered aircraft may not be the answer either. It seems to me that the ducted fan (a technology of years gone by) ... is giving ground to the electric ducted fan. There seems to be a resurgance in the matket place for these planes.
As for me ... well I live in a pretty rural area where the noise factor isn't a problem. I still fly my 2 stroke and four stroke glow engines. Personally I don't plan on giving them up. Still I was at a swapmeet a few weeks ago and bought my first electric foamy. I can't wait to see it fly this spring!
Having said that, is it possible that you have over generalized?? Maybe you have a case of sour grapes because people are considering switching from glow to electric power. Perhaps you are unaware that many places in the country look upon the "noisy" model engines we use with great distain. Many of us are looking at alternative ways of powering our models without being run out of town on a rail due to the noise.
Now you are probably right .... electric may very well be a thing of the future. It is for certain that they have grown in popularity quite rapidly. I think that this is largely to do with the advanced technology in batteries and in the motors themselves.
However, this hobby has been built on glow engines. Many of us cut our teeth in the old days of controlline stunt and even single channel R/C. Have you any idea how many million glow engines must have beed sold over the past 50+ years?
Now, if you go to Horizon's website, you will find tons of glow engines and glow related products. Just because all their glow engines are not listed in their current catalog, doesn't necessarily mean they are abandoning glow engines. Additionally, Horizon isn't the only supplier of aero products. You might find refuge in looking at Tower Hobbies ... truely another giant in the industry.
I guess it always gripes me that someone would be willing to "get out of the hobby" (as you so aptly put it) just because things may not be going their way. Change isn't always a good thing nor it is always a bad thing. The only thing about change that is for certain, is that it is inevitable.
Taking refuge in jet powered aircraft may not be the answer either. It seems to me that the ducted fan (a technology of years gone by) ... is giving ground to the electric ducted fan. There seems to be a resurgance in the matket place for these planes.
As for me ... well I live in a pretty rural area where the noise factor isn't a problem. I still fly my 2 stroke and four stroke glow engines. Personally I don't plan on giving them up. Still I was at a swapmeet a few weeks ago and bought my first electric foamy. I can't wait to see it fly this spring!
02-01-2006, 12:15 AM
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RE: everything electric
Wow, if you can judge and entire industry on one suppliers single catalog you poses a gift I couldn't poses. The truth is the suppliers push the phads and right now the phad is the park fliers. To say it has or will replace gas is as said is a very narrow minded view. It will be many many years before I give electrics another shot. The cost is nearly twice that of gas, and yes I'm factoring in the 15 bucks a gallon for fuel.
To leave the hobby because of this is kind of weird but people have left for less. Heck I gave it up for a couple years to drive a semi
. I got that out of my system and am back at it.
Our flying site is pretty far from civilization on private land, I don't thing we have to worry about being shut down for noise, one major plus of electrics. even though electric are not that quiet either. Weather anyone notices or not just as much noise is generated by the prop as does the exuast of a gaser. At the field about 1 in 20 have electrics and most of them have gas/glow and don't plan on leaving it, again because of cost and the reliability issues, no they are not reliable, every modeler I've talked to into high powered electrics as for myself have blown up at least 3 lipo's.
Electric have brought in an influx of new modelers. I think it is great. More models means more volume which mean prices go down. The problem I've encountered in this new crowd is it's the wrong crowd. Let me explain. We have a new large group of electric fliers, not at our field, it is in town. None have joined a club, none have had instruction, none have joined the AMA nor have any intesion or desire to. All flying less than a 1/4 mile of an airport. All have the mentality it is OK to crash so their piloting skills are not imporving and don't have the willingness to improve, many are dangerously so. I know were talking about electrics but a Stryker with a 3 turn brush-less and 3 cell lipo have some power behind them and is dangerous in the wrong hands. This has a double negative effect. One it creates a very dangerouse situation for spectators and other flyers and two you lose alot of potentially great pilots that dump a great deal of money into it and break everything up and give up without ever really getting started.
OK i got it out. bottom line gas/glow isn't going any were despite any skewed observations. My current project is gas as well as my next four will be gas/glow the exception being a TD ship. Glider to everyone else[8D] cheers
To leave the hobby because of this is kind of weird but people have left for less. Heck I gave it up for a couple years to drive a semi
. I got that out of my system and am back at it. Our flying site is pretty far from civilization on private land, I don't thing we have to worry about being shut down for noise, one major plus of electrics. even though electric are not that quiet either. Weather anyone notices or not just as much noise is generated by the prop as does the exuast of a gaser. At the field about 1 in 20 have electrics and most of them have gas/glow and don't plan on leaving it, again because of cost and the reliability issues, no they are not reliable, every modeler I've talked to into high powered electrics as for myself have blown up at least 3 lipo's.
Electric have brought in an influx of new modelers. I think it is great. More models means more volume which mean prices go down. The problem I've encountered in this new crowd is it's the wrong crowd. Let me explain. We have a new large group of electric fliers, not at our field, it is in town. None have joined a club, none have had instruction, none have joined the AMA nor have any intesion or desire to. All flying less than a 1/4 mile of an airport. All have the mentality it is OK to crash so their piloting skills are not imporving and don't have the willingness to improve, many are dangerously so. I know were talking about electrics but a Stryker with a 3 turn brush-less and 3 cell lipo have some power behind them and is dangerous in the wrong hands. This has a double negative effect. One it creates a very dangerouse situation for spectators and other flyers and two you lose alot of potentially great pilots that dump a great deal of money into it and break everything up and give up without ever really getting started.
OK i got it out. bottom line gas/glow isn't going any were despite any skewed observations. My current project is gas as well as my next four will be gas/glow the exception being a TD ship. Glider to everyone else[8D] cheers
02-01-2006, 08:13 PM
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RE: everything electric
Based on your initial post ... I can't say I am surprised at your most current reply. However, it is your choice. I do hope you have a good life in whatever activity you choose .... BYE - BYE
02-01-2006, 10:55 PM
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RE: everything electric
I recently bought my first electric although I have yet to start on it, its an SR batteries X250 http://www.srbatteries.com/x250.htm. The main motivation for this project was to simply try something new and learn about e-power. There is no doubt that e-flight even on small 24oz planes are about twice as expensive as gas. I spent right at $200 for a power system for this plane brushless motor speed control and 2 lipo battery packs. Simillar sized plane could be powered with a .075 motor which would cost around $75 and gallon of fuel would fly it all season. If you get into planes larger than 3lbs or so e-flight gets super expensive you could easily spend $700 on a power system for a plane that could be powered with a .60 sized glow engine. http://www.hobby-lobby.com/glow2econ.htm. That alone will keep e-power from taking over for a good while becuase it is simply to expensive to power all but the very small models with.
