is nitro on its way out?
#176
My Feedback: (6)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKpXJqPaWcY Just bought this for $95 shipped, truly one of the best running engines I've ever had and 20 minute flight time. Glow is $17 a gallon in Orlando. Not the end of the world.
Several kits to build for glow. Probably start selling a few too. Kind of went crazy on trainers. Don't know what I was thinking at the time.
There is no doubt a lot of glow powered airplane "hobbyists" from the RTF and ARF crowd are giving up glow if not the hobby as a whole, but that just makes it more sweet to clean up their garage and never pay full market price on any of it. Building a balsa kit is always a relaxing project for me, far more satisfaction on the maiden flight. Each covering job becomes a better output than the last try. Beats watching TV or politics.
Several kits to build for glow. Probably start selling a few too. Kind of went crazy on trainers. Don't know what I was thinking at the time.
There is no doubt a lot of glow powered airplane "hobbyists" from the RTF and ARF crowd are giving up glow if not the hobby as a whole, but that just makes it more sweet to clean up their garage and never pay full market price on any of it. Building a balsa kit is always a relaxing project for me, far more satisfaction on the maiden flight. Each covering job becomes a better output than the last try. Beats watching TV or politics.
#177
" I'd love to use $2 a gallon fuel that I can buy anywhere in my model planes!"
Remember you have to add oil to that gas. The oil is the most expensive content in the fuel, gas or glow.
I only like electrics for indoor, electric powered gliders, and EDFs. But I don't have any of those planes anymore and seem to be doing ok without them. I quit LiPos a couple of years ago when one of my LiPo batteries spontaneously shorted out. Fortunately, I caught it in the field, not at home. If I knew what the actual cause of the failure of the battery and how to avoid it 100% of the time, I would still have electrics. But I could not guarantee a 100% that it won't happen again, so I quit electrics completely.
If the smell or gas exhaust bothers you, use Klotz Techniplate. It has a sweet "perfumy" exhaust smell.
As far as glow fuel availability, I buy glow fuel cheap at the Toledo Show and my LHS. We hobbyists can DEMAND reasonably priced glow fuel from the local hobby store. If the LHS doesn't agree to sell glow fuel cheap, drop them and go to another store. No excuses!!!
Remember you have to add oil to that gas. The oil is the most expensive content in the fuel, gas or glow.
I only like electrics for indoor, electric powered gliders, and EDFs. But I don't have any of those planes anymore and seem to be doing ok without them. I quit LiPos a couple of years ago when one of my LiPo batteries spontaneously shorted out. Fortunately, I caught it in the field, not at home. If I knew what the actual cause of the failure of the battery and how to avoid it 100% of the time, I would still have electrics. But I could not guarantee a 100% that it won't happen again, so I quit electrics completely.
If the smell or gas exhaust bothers you, use Klotz Techniplate. It has a sweet "perfumy" exhaust smell.
As far as glow fuel availability, I buy glow fuel cheap at the Toledo Show and my LHS. We hobbyists can DEMAND reasonably priced glow fuel from the local hobby store. If the LHS doesn't agree to sell glow fuel cheap, drop them and go to another store. No excuses!!!
#178
My Feedback: (3)
Gravesrc.com in Orlando is a good 80 mile trip one way, but some guys go there routinely and bring back a case as needed for me. LHS in Sebastian just don't get it. With the fuel cheap, they get sales for props, hardware, servos, batteries, CA, monokote, etc. Fuel priced right is what brings in customers! Hobbytown doesn't even carry fuel anymore downtown. All EP. I was there when fuel was on clearance, $10.99/gallon while it lasted.
I went to Ace Hardware to get Rust Away, and weed killer for the house. Found paint on sale (40% off), and walked out with a $309 receipt. It's just how it works. LHS should have something to keep customers coming in like most retail stores do.
Check out Graves RC kits listed, they ship too! http://www.gravesrc.com/radio-contro...-gas-kits.html So tempted on the Fly Baby Bipe! I better do a return at Ace and screw the paint chores! lol
I went to Ace Hardware to get Rust Away, and weed killer for the house. Found paint on sale (40% off), and walked out with a $309 receipt. It's just how it works. LHS should have something to keep customers coming in like most retail stores do.
Check out Graves RC kits listed, they ship too! http://www.gravesrc.com/radio-contro...-gas-kits.html So tempted on the Fly Baby Bipe! I better do a return at Ace and screw the paint chores! lol
Last edited by J330; 08-19-2016 at 05:58 PM.
#186
My Feedback: (2)
I fly gas helis, ducted fan and turbine jets. I just ordered a Cox .049 with throttle from http://coxengines.ca/
Why....because I just love that old school smell of nitro and love the planes that got me started in this addiction called R/C hehehe. Gonna build the same plane I built back in 1981 (I think) The Coin Foo hehe
Why....because I just love that old school smell of nitro and love the planes that got me started in this addiction called R/C hehehe. Gonna build the same plane I built back in 1981 (I think) The Coin Foo hehe
#190
My Feedback: (6)
So all the balsa planes I've built in the past 20 years that are electric powered are not planes??!!?? My Sig Kougar is not a plane. My Sig 4*40 is not a plane, my Ace 4-20 is not a plane, neither is my Sig Citabria and 1/5 scale Cub, nor is my BUSA Eindecker .40 nor my old Aerodrome Models Fly Baby, or my Seniorita...I guess they are all not real planes because they are electric powered.
Seems I've read things like that before: Only real planes have two wings and covered with fabric.
Real planes are warbirds, all other are just toys.( By the guys who wear flight suits at the flying field)
There seems to be a lot of near intolerance towards electric flight , especially by older members. I guess they just can't handle the new technology.
I hear the same old ,same old every time when it comes to electrics by people who only connect electrics to the cookie cutter foamy ARFS that are popular.
So what do I do with all my balsa planes. Oh, I still have an Astro Hog, Sky Shark Hawker Tempest, Ace Bingo, BUSA Sopwith Pup still in the box. Maybe I should just sell them and buy foamies since they won't be considered real planes if electric powered.
Seems I've read things like that before: Only real planes have two wings and covered with fabric.
Real planes are warbirds, all other are just toys.( By the guys who wear flight suits at the flying field)
There seems to be a lot of near intolerance towards electric flight , especially by older members. I guess they just can't handle the new technology.
I hear the same old ,same old every time when it comes to electrics by people who only connect electrics to the cookie cutter foamy ARFS that are popular.
So what do I do with all my balsa planes. Oh, I still have an Astro Hog, Sky Shark Hawker Tempest, Ace Bingo, BUSA Sopwith Pup still in the box. Maybe I should just sell them and buy foamies since they won't be considered real planes if electric powered.
#191
If you go to a thread titled "Is nitro on the way out" expect to find a lot of nitro flyers saying that they wouldn't fly anything else. If people who fly glow powered planes go to some other threads we can expect to see "I guess they just can't handle the new technology".
Sometimes when I'm flying the only glow plane at the field and the others are all flying electric I get some ribbing about why I don't fly electric. But that's rare. Personally I love my glow engines and think of them as part of the hobby as much as my planes, but I have friends flying nothing but electrics and we're still friends. Most guys have both (including me, because indoors electric is the only way to go).
Jim
Sometimes when I'm flying the only glow plane at the field and the others are all flying electric I get some ribbing about why I don't fly electric. But that's rare. Personally I love my glow engines and think of them as part of the hobby as much as my planes, but I have friends flying nothing but electrics and we're still friends. Most guys have both (including me, because indoors electric is the only way to go).
Jim
#193
My Feedback: (6)
I like electric for smaller airplanes everything else is glow. However,if I build a large multi-engine airplane I would consider going electric to make the setup easier. I wouldn't have to worry about getting the glow engines in sync and it would be easier to counter rotate props to reduce/eliminate the effects of torque.
#194
Right On! One of the things I learned after being in the model aircraft hobby was that you should always keep an open mind on the new technologies that come along. When I was young (1960's) studying the model aircraft books (probably written in the 1950's) in the library I read and learned techniques that were already antiquated. Electrics in their infancy were pretty "doggy". Now with better batteries and better motors, it's surprising what they can do. I have a Great Planes SuperSporster EP that flies just great electric powered. But I also have nitro powered planes that fly great as well. I don't mind the cleanup. So I like both.
#195
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Reedsburg,
WI
Posts: 700
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I just bought another glow engine. Weston 50 for the Screamin Deamon. It will be fast and make noise.
The plane I fly the most is an electric hotliner. Both will be flown a lot next season and I'll continue flying electric, glow and gas engines.
I can not decide which is 'better', they all have their purpose.
The plane I fly the most is an electric hotliner. Both will be flown a lot next season and I'll continue flying electric, glow and gas engines.
I can not decide which is 'better', they all have their purpose.
#197
Speaking of mastering technology, rubber power is the hardest to master that I have ever tried. I finally got some good flying rubber powered models as an adult after utterly failing as a kid, but when I went to a Flying Aces meet in Geneseo I realized I'd barely scratched the surface.
Jim
Jim
#198
My Feedback: (6)
I think every type of flying has it's own diehards along with a group that kind of floats from time to time. A year or two back if you asked me about C/L flying in OKC I would tell you it was dead but today it is becoming quite popular mostly with older RC guys who want to do something different. One of the LHS is even stocking new Brodak kits and engines. The clubs are starting to see membership increases by embracing C/L activities. So far all the C/L activity has been glow I haven't see an electric powered C/L plane yet. But that doesn't mean someone isn't building one right now.