Originally Posted by
speedracerntrixie
For me running electric for pattern was more of a choice of what I thought I could be most competitive with. Not that electric flies any better but it certainly is quieter and from what I have seen in my little square of the world that seems to help a tad. I love the fact that I don't have to clean the airplane and don't go home smelling like glow fuel after a practice session or contest. I do however own and fly other YS powered models and enjoy them very much. IMO it is not beyond anyone's abilities to gut a YS to run reliably, once one understands that 90% of the time the issue is a leak with the fuel system somewhere.
Noise from a YS is more of a perception than reality. At the Australian World Cup event a few months ago in Sydney, my Xareltoo was officially measured at 88db and my Valiant was 87db. Many of the electrics were around 89/90db, with one contra being right on the 94db limit. Of course this depends on the equipment used, both for electric and YS.
In the past cleaning was a bit messy, but with cdi, that has changed considerably. A couple of weeks ago, I flew my Pinnacle with a DZ160. After 2 flights, it had more oil to clean off than I get after 12+ flights with cdi. Just a quick wipe is all that is required.
Unnecessary fiddling with a YS also causes problems. If it ran OK the last time it flew, then there is no need to adjust anything, but many just can't resist. If it ain't broke, don't fix it is the motto here.
Whatever you fly, the main thing is to have fun.