ORIGINAL: TimBle
I've been running the DLE20 in a 1.10 class TWM SPot on all of last year. I retired the airframe the beginning of this year to fit it into a H9 SHowtime 90. THe Spot on was simply poorly constructed and after a few mishaps showed age and an marked increase in weight.<div>
</div><div>The DLE 20 provides fantastic throttle responce and instant spool up on an APC 17x6. I've run various pipes as well and am achieving 8400rpm on the ground with a canister.</div><div>
</div><div>My next gasser Pattern plane project will be an Evolution with the Mintor 38 on pipe. The OS GT33 is the back up plan.</div><div>
</div><div>I don't think theres going to be many petrol pattern planes at the Worlds in 2013 (to be held at 1600m above sea level) but I believe it will become more widely accepted thereafter.</div>
I believe that at some point, folks will look at gasoline as an alternative at top level competition......I think there is quite a bit of room since glow is about 5X more expensive (annualized, per pattern schedule) and E-power about 6X (current set-ups and battery costs, and again per schedule basis). There is some more work to be done with exhaust systems and props to keep things quiet and generate even more thrust
The big assumption is that folks like OS will continue to improve their products for our needs and others will enter the same market to keep prices in check (YS, DA? one can only hope)....
Current electric set-ups are very tough competitors on the power side, for precisely the size model we fly. The biggest detriment to me is the fact that you fly one schedule and must land, and then have to do some "refueling" gyrations to support your batteries. People have learned to minimize that pain.
My e-power friends continue to argue that electric forces you to make better decisions in flight and avoid the need to "go around". There might be something to that....But I don't feel I fly more sloppy because I can with gas. I would with electric too. LOL!