mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Many of my turbine flying friends are trying large electrics, primarily BVM but also other EDF (100 mm and up).

I like them too mainly for the challenge and just something different but the ones I have seen/got to fly still do not have the punch I enjoy with turbines That is just me I know, but still.

So I wanted to get ideas from guys who flew turbines and made the plunge to big electrics......what was the major factor in your decision to try electric? FWIW I am looking at the new BVM composite unpainted ARFs


EDIT Added some more choices

jetpilot

My Feedback: (48)

theres no box for "I hate electrics"
scott

FenderBean

I have this same problem with my heli friends, everyone is going electric and I just got a new 90 nitro and dont have any plans on converting jets or helis. They keep saying I should convert but I like the noise and smoke.

PaulD

My Feedback: (39)

I have seen some really cool stuff in high power edf's in the last couple of years. He only thing that would get me to make the plunge right now would be if I needed it to fly at a local field. For me, the requirement to carry multiple chargers and a generator, plus the cost esp. when you consider flight time just outweigh any benefits. I have an AD Exocet that I thought would make a great EDF conversion but when I added up the costs it just didn't make sense to me.

I have switched a bunch of my smaller gassers to electric as the cost has come way down and I hope that the bigger stuff comes down in the same manner.

PaulD

JackD

My Feedback: (4)

Hey Matt,

My response is not within the options. I love high power electrics (like my electra) because they fly great!!! they are light, instant acceleration, very clean, high energy retention.

They fly different, not necessarily better, but definitely add different dimensions to the flight. For example, you can come screaming down from a reverse cuban 8, chop the power, do a couple power off rolls, throw in a snap, get back on the power with zero lag, and go climbing vertically again... I love doing a really high speed pass, chopping the power, do a show center 360 with the power off, and again, hit full power and climb back

Lately, I will go to the field with my electra and my mig (turbine). Next thing I know, I've flown the electra 8 times and the Mig is still in the truck. Granted, I've been flying turbines for a looooong time, and electrics for the past year or so, so the feeling of trying something new is there

From your list, I would choose the fact that they are super simple, reliable and very easy to operate. Especially if you have power in your field. It is not like people think, just a charger, a power supply and that's it. 20-25 minutes turn around between flights. Have 2 sets of batteries, and you fly virtually non stop.

Sooo.. can you tell I'm addicted to the electric stuff?

PS: The BVM F100 still kicks any EDF *****

Jetkopter

My Feedback: (1)

Matt,
I have both ,EDFs are just another fix for our jet addictions.I been flying BVM edfs for two years now and while they dont have the punch of a turbine,they fly just as good. You can put the BVM electra in the back of a fullsize SUV with the wings on and just go fly, very little support equipment ect. I think your going to see alot more of them because there more people are flying electric trainers and aerobatic planes, some of them may have never owned a glow engine so edf is just a logical next step. I think for the newbie there less intimidating than a turbine for a first jet. I wish the where around when I was flying going for my waiver, I still have nightmares about glow powered ducted fans!

DavidR

My Feedback: (1)

I'll ditto Gerardo's comments and 8 have been flying Turbines for a long time as well. I have been flying my Electra for five years now and have a ton of flights on it. Sure I still fly my turbines but, the EDF stuff is just simple, and fun. I'm rolling out a new BVM F86 electric in the next week. Did I mention they are fun!

DR

JackD

My Feedback: (4)

You will really like the F86. Very precise, and super easy to land. Put a gyro on the nose wheel, the narrow gear is not very forgiving. What scheme did you get? or are you doing your own paintjob?

dubd

Funny, I am building a 14s heli, but have no interest in large electric jets or warbirds, both of which require the sound of a combustion engine for me to care.

dubd

Speaking of BVM Huns... mine arrived this weekend!

JackD

My Feedback: (4)

Dantley, that picture makes me feel so bad for you. I wish you could get some decent planes hahaha

Seriously now, congrats on the F100. lets fly that baby soon. I'll email you later today to see when we can meet

Later
Jack

PS: I'll let you fly my electra next time, lets see if you change your mind around electric jets

dubd

Looking forward to getting the Hun airborne! Going on vaca soon, but back in early Sept.

I guess I'll take a lap on the Electra if you press the issue.

DrV

My Feedback: (2)

HI Matt,

You have seen my comp arf spark fly. It's my first electric jet. I have so much fun flying it. It is true that it lacks the "oomph" of my turbines (even though I can hit 165 on flat and level flight with unlimited vertical with 5 min on the timer) but I can't ignore the fun factor, and the reliability of the power plant. I still like my turbines but when I just want to come out and fly, it's not a "big production". I don't have an suv/truck/van and so to fit the turbine powered jets, fuel and support gear in a sedan is a great deal of work for me. I can see larger (128mm on 14s) electrics in my future but I will not write off my turbines just yet. I'm enjoying both at this time. Next time when you are out you can have a go with my spark and feel for yourself.

Here is part of my fleet.

Ali

My Feedback: (5)

I would have thought there were not many more hardcore anti dust buster flyers than myself.. That was till Kentucky jets last year when I was asked if I would like to fly the BVM Mig 15. Up till that point I had played around with EDf ( Inc some high end stuff) but always found it very much a compromise. Sure! The little 3 and 4 cell foamies were fun for a while, but I got bored quickly, and never really got "into" the foam jet thing. Bigger set ups from 6 cell up to 10 always left me lacking. Either in duration, performance, flight envelope due to the high wing loadings.. or all of the above. The Mig blew me away with how it flew, and I now have two big BVM edf's and am looking at expanding the fleet.
Don't get me wrong. I could never, ever, ever go exclusively electric [:'(] but I do really like them as as an alternative to turbine flying. The only area that my Mig falls short is duration. Even then 7 mins flight time is what we used to get with turbines anyway, and all I see is this improving with cell technology. Elec is so neat and convenient. Especially if you have multiple packs and have them pre charged at home, and can just rock up and fly, maybe charge in-between flights. The way I do it is have cells pre charged. Fly my Dust buster first, and then as I am rigging the fossil burners, my edf is charging. I can carry on this cycle between edf and turbine all day, and before I know it I have done twice as many flights in a day than I would normally do.
I know loads of turbine guys that ( Like I used to ) look down on the edf's, and I can understand that. Rest assured. Have a go of a well set up one and hopefully your opinion will change. The smoothness is lovely, and I really like the fact that you benefit from flying whist exercising good energy management ( Something I think lots of people could benefit from ) I know the noise is not jet like, but we stopped getting semi's on over jet noise a while ago didnt we? ( Sure seems that way at meetings now when a noisy ***** turbine goes howling past your ear anyway )
I don't ever want to come across as a bike riding, lentil eating vegetarian AKA Electric flightiest But I would recommend EDF to anyone ( With the correct set up )
regards Al

ChrisPetersen

My Feedback: (3)

That's what makes this such a great hobby! There is always some aspect of it people can go with. Turbines,Electric, Glow, Gas you name it. If you get bored there's always a different angle to explore.

rgburrill

So how many of you flew nitro ducted fans (NDF?)? What was your first reaction to turbines? I know I kept hearing about "unsafe at any speed"!

Andrew Bird

Damn Hippy.........

Henke Torphammar

I've been flying strictly electric for the past 15years or so, wandering in to turbines the past year or so. The funny thing is I find it the other way around from the options in the poll, turbines provide easier installs, less maintenence, more reliable and more flight time. Specially lately with the cheap china stuff entering the electric world.

I agree with Matt that the challenge is a great part of RC flying and I did do electrics to prove for my self and others that it was possible. Now while you guys are figuring out how to power larger airfames with EDF I already left that stadium and are fitting turbines to the smaller more convenient 3-4S EDF's mentioned above.

Diffrent thinking, still the same challenge makeing you go

DavidR

My Feedback: (1)

I have the Arctic Scheme, I have flown BV's orange one several times, and Tim Redelman's so have a fair bit of stick time on them. I am putting gyros on the rudder, and ailerons. I may go back eventually and repaint it at least in a few areas. I'm picky about hatch fits etc... and The stab to fuselage fit did not come out as well as I would have liked but all in all it looks good for an ARF. I have an EVF 3 for it so it shoudl be a rocket ship.

DR

SCALECRAFT

My Feedback: (13)

Hi All

Options, choices that's why. And money, lack of or abundance, which brings additional/lesser options. But still options

I have and enjoy both.

I have a couple of turbines and a bunch of edfs. My turbines ( Wren 54MKIII and GD FD3/67, latest version although still old gen )are manual start. Not much support equipment. Very basic and simple to operate, and simple tear down for repairs/maintenance.

On my edf's, at this point I would stick to 90mm max. I have a BVM F-16 I converted to dynemax and it's cool but falls a bit short ( a lot really ) of actual gas turbine flight. Charge times are a joke on 12s. But less stress and cheaper, (unless turbine bought right). Until the chinese put out a turbine or Kingtech type (a proven turbine at a good $)

The turbine to me is the ultimate in simulating jet flight by using an actual micro gas turbine that operates on the same principle as the full size. That to me is the draw. The engineering. They are more of a thrill. The two propulsion systems really cannot be compared in that regard. I could do without the smell of JetA though.

Just run both edf and turbine on a test stand and watch.


It's like flying a BF 109 with a brushless motor oppose to a micro DB 605 V-12. Which also exists, but $$$$.

A drawback, I also noticed model airfields are limiting turbines.

Steve

FalconWings

My Feedback: (57)

Because you are tired of burn bans??

FalconWings

My Feedback: (57)

Mine was a lot of these guys sucked at NDF and took the easy way out.
I was lucky to get into NDFs when everything had been sorted out by these guys, and bought some really good BVM DF models really cheap. I can see why many modelers gave up on ICDFs.

I never had a DF die on me in the air, but I've had many turbine flameouts. Unfortunately some ended up in the workshop table.

Gordon W

You took the words out of my mouth, Henke. I went totally electric in 1997 following over 30 years of glow-powered R/C models, and had loadsa fun, even more so when EDF began to come on stream. From 2001 onwards I'd be up every weekend at 6:30am charging half a dozen 20-cell nicad packs, before heading to the field along with three 90mm EDFs, two 70lb wt 110Ah leisure batteries and three chargers. Then Lipos arrived, and 6S-6200mAh Schuebeler lipos provided duration as well as performance. It went better, briefly, around 2008 when I decided to go 12S and 4kW in a Fox Composites Hawk. The plane flew great and didn't look out of place at jet events, apart from the 5-minute duration ...... but then .... I remember Ali's words when I showed him the puffed Thunderpowers after one landing (all 12 lipos in the pack blown up like balloons). He said something along the lines of "well if that happens to you, what chance has the rest of us non-electricians got?"

I quickly tired of continually replacing short-lived lipos which couldn't stand being used at half their rated power output. Having to take a Honda genny, mains psu and a bunch of chargers and lipos to the field lost its appeal too. See the pic.

Three years or so ago I'd saved up £1000 ($1600) to buy two - yes, only TWO - 12S top-of-the-range Thunderpowers (ie 4 x 6S 5000 packs). Just as I'd reached my target, an ad appeared for a secondhand NIB unused Wren 44 Gold for £200 more. Thinking back, I'm amazed that I took nearly a day agonising over whether I should buy the Wren or not. I was lucky to seal the deal before someone else bought the bargain.

The upshot is that I now own three kero-start Wren 44 Golds for which my battery management is limited to keeping tabs on half a dozen 2S lipos, and I wouldn't go back to hi-power EDF for all the ARTFs in China.

Finally, I have to say that only a non-turbine-flying leccy guy would believe that turbines are messier and harder to operate than electric. My jets don't need washing any more frequently than my leccy models, and operating my kero-start turbines is just about as easy as when I began R/C modelling back in the 1960's, when flying with a 1.5cc diesel needed only a bottle of home-made diesel fuel, a rag, and a pair of pliers in case the prop-nut came loose.

Gordon

Gordon W

Now THAT's the best answer to the question posed in the title of this thread.

I'm lucky that we don't have burn bans in my locality.

Bob_B

My Feedback: (11)

Gordon you made an excellent point about E-Flight. Fortunately I have 110 power at the field so It is a bit simpler to recharge.