RE: Is Gas Engines a Fad?
It's nitro power that's on the way out. For me, from now on, small planes are electric, bigger planes are gas. Within 5 years, batteries will be at least 5 times as powerfull.
That's not just my opinion. After not having been out to the club field very much the last few years due to work, I have been out to a few recent cookouts. The electrics, in everything up to .60 size ,and in jets now outnumber the nitro probably 2-1. These are not newbies to the club, but typical club members (retirees) who have spent their lives using nitro. Electric has surpassed the performance of nitro. Those that claim different do not know how to deal with the tehnology, much like those that gripe about tuning nitro motors do no understand the carb.
For me, in my shop I have a 118" span Super Privateer flying boat being converted to electric, next up is a scale glider getting a EDF power pod, and a T-38 being converted to electric powered dynamax. I have an 80" Yak ARF in a box that will fly with 50cc gas whenever I get around to that build... Unless it takes me so long (quite likely) to get to it that electric becomes preferable in that size range too.
It hasn't been a fad, but nitro is starting to fade.
PS: I have a nice fresh-rebuilt OS .91 DF with new ceramic bearings I can sell, K&B 1.0 DF available, as well as tuned pipes, and handfull of K&B 61's and Im sure a few other nitro motors. Lemme know if interested.