ORIGINAL: Dynodan
What gets me is that the only two selling points I ever hear about electrics is you don't have to buy fuel or clean up the mess. But the price of admission is still too steep.
I'll add a few more "points"....
I've been flying RC since I was 6 years old (although not consistently).....I lost a lot of my hearing at a young age b/c I did not wear earplugs consistently....I did wear them...but not all the time. Sure...you could make the arguement that it's my fault....but it's a hard one to argue about...
Your planes will last longer if powered electric vs. glow....no oils to break down glue joints and weaken wood.... sure perfect seems and exhaust deflectors can help.
Your servos will last a lot longer since they are not exposed to the vibration of an internal combustion engine.
The CG on electrics to not change during flight...thus you will have a more consistent flying plane throughout the entire flight. Rarely do I see glow planes set up with the fuel tank on the CG...
Swinging bigger props is just more efficient....Every plane designed will only go so fast. Most glow engines swing little bitty props at pitch speeds far greater than the airplane will fly. Wasted energy.... Some folks to tinker with prop selection to minimize this....but most don't...
I disagree with you about the "price of admission" as a general standpoint. All in all...the price of the power systems are similar over time of not cheaper for electrics....even when factoring the current price of lithium batteries.
It really does not matter how you power your planes...as long as you enjoy what you do...