Originally Posted by
HoundDog
Wrong again INIT Glow is alive and well. Granted Lipos
have made a difference as have ARF's and Foam
airplanes.
Lipos still don't have the power to weight ratio (ie flight time) of either Glow fuel or Gas or even Jet A or Kero that Turbines have. Likewise a 3 to 4 minute flight in an Electric ducted fan and an 30 to 45 minute charge are barley tolerable. A glow engine doesn't HAVE to be back on the ground in 6 minutes or ruin the expensive batteries... Also Motors and speed controls & Lipos are still expensive and sensitive. Then the support equipment is expensive. Chargers, Power supplies and Power source ie a Large expensive Deep Cycle Battery or a thousand dollar generators. Lipos are very sensitive and dangerous when mishandled.
The Next generation of Battery Technology will make Electric more viable and eventually less expensive. It will not Religate GLOW to the museum.
I'll happily agree with you on flight times but some of these top acro multicopters now have thrust to weight ratios around 14 to 1. That is based on the entire flying weight, not just the motors. e.g. 14 lb thrust in a 1 lb. model.
Maybe that thrust to weight ratio also exists in glow powered fixed wing aircraft too but personally I have not seen one. Would love to if anyone has a link?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6sz8bquB50