Spiro;
Look at it another way ...
If you had started with electric in 1996 (6 years ago), and did 6 - 10 minute flights a day twice a week using 4 battery packs 'til now, you would have had 3,744 flights logged. If it's true that Nicd / NiMh packs can be recharged 1000 times each, you probably would still be using the same packs. Perhaps the same motor too, if it was a decent brushless with ball bearings, and you may not have ever had to do anything to the motor either. What a pitty that woulb be.
The 4 battery packs would cost $160.00 today and if you pay $15.00 a gallon for fuel, and you burned 10 to 14 gallons as you said ... we'll call it 12 ... you've spent $180.00 for fuel.
The only difference is that with electric, you have to "bite the bullet" and spend the $$ up front, with oil motors, you just pay forever. Speaking of oil, how much have you spent on paper towels?? 1 roll a week (12 flights) at a buck a roll ($ .08 a flight)is $278.00 since 1996 .... ... WOWWWWW
Also, Cliff is correct, you can pretty much start the day with 4 charged packs and keep rotating them through a charger or two 'till your thumbs have rigor mortise or or your eyeballs fall out of your noggin. :stupid:
My 2-1/2 cents for what it's worth.
Happy choptering,
Russ