dashunde

I dont know about the rest of you, but I would really enjoy a forum where people could share their success stories and ask questions about putting our trusty old (and new) glow motors on some of these neat little eletric ARF's.

Fact is, many of us still have several small (.10 thru .30) glow motors that we are very fond of, but the ARF market is all but dried up for them.
The good news is that some of the electric ARF's lend themselves back to glow easily and fly very well; we just need a good place to talk about it.

Mr67Stang

Agreed. I would frequent such a forum. I currently have the Great Planes Piper Cub 25E kit and intend to go Glow with it... Lipos are still to expensive for me and those Lecky motors sound funny[:'(]

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Here is another vote for that forum!! [sm=thumbup.gif]

NorfolkSouthern

Count me in. I've seen many electrics in service, and was never impressed. They're awful on the simulator too, about as exiting as eating a Lean Cuisine. I'm willing to bet that my OS 10 LA would make one of the smaller ones a hundred times better!

NorfolkSouthern

SFMMcoasters

My Feedback: (1)

I really want to convert this to glow! http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=EFL2475

I_Fly_Coolers

My Feedback: (7)

We could name the new forum:

"Electric ARF's- slimed and ruined""

dashunde

How about "Electric ARF's - Flying faster all day long at half the price"

I'll agree that some are very very lightly built (see below) and would make lousy candidates for glow conversion.
And others will do great on glow - depends on the model and how its built to start with, which is exactly what the new forum would be for - finding these things out, what works and what does not.

Guys, dont get me wrong - I really like my electrics. (Airfoilz Yak, E-Foamies, 3DHS Kat, etc...)
But I also have a few glow motors that are just collecting dust while waiting for the right planes.
I like small glow motors on sport planes for just buzzing around (not for 3d - thats mostly electric territory).
The little glows, although less powerful, seem to have a better sound (to me) and a bit of soul to them.

This is a hobby - and I like tinkering - so the little engines are just fine by me.


Take a look at the pic below of the motorbox and you'll likely change your mind.
Sure it could be reinforced, but then its heavy.
I'm also guessing that the box sticks out too far forward for a decent glow set-up without major surgery.
The rest of the fuse is very lightly built too.
There's probably much better Extra 260 glow options out there.

octanehuffer

Agreed. It would be nice to have such a forum. I just converted a Quique Yak to run with a .32 SX. I can fly all day and only have to stop to fuel. The plane weighs 54oz RTF. The electric version is about 52oz RTF. Ran mine tonight and it hovers at 1/3 throttle with a very hard full throttle accelerate.

octanehuffer

Take a look at the pic below of the motorbox and you'll likely change your mind.
Sure it could be reinforced, but then its heavy.
I'm also guessing that the box sticks out too far forward for a decent glow set-up without major surgery.
The rest of the fuse is very lightly built too.
There's probably much better Extra 260 glow options out there.

[/quote]
I would slap a .25 FX on that thing so fast it would make your head spin.
Adam

busted blade

I believe any size nitro engine would beat that plane to death. I have that plane and it is built extremely light and fragile. I wont be buying another one. Flies good though.

I would stay away from the park480 size planes for glow conversions. They are usually built way to light to handle glow engines. Stick to the 10 to 30 size electrics and you might have better luck.

just my thought on it though...good luck!

Mr67Stang

I'm currently working on a thow together conversion of a Clancy Lazy Bee Electric ARF Just to see if I can do it. Ya, I know. Not exactly an exciting plane but I just cant stand to have a complete airframe just lying around. I have retrofited a plywood mount for the Cox .074 Queen Bee engine and in true Cox form it spews castor oil all over the plane... I love it. I will fly it untill the oil soaked wood gives way

octanehuffer

Any form of tinkering on models and finding the end result is the best part. Regardless of the equipment used. Have fun!
Adam

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Or better yet, "Electric ARF's - Freed From Bondage" [sm=thumbup.gif]

larrysogla

In 1979 I bought for $24 from Hobby Shack(Hobby People now) an ARF 55" wingspan .25 glow engine size ALL FOAM Cessna 182. The fuse, wings and tail were 100% foam INCLUDING the engine bay. The motor mount were two pieces of hardwood that you epoxied into the engine bay and then the .25 Thunder Tiger I had was mounted with wood screws into the hardwood mounts. That foam .25 glow powered Cessna flew very, very good, was very, very durable and the engine never, never came loose. Those .25's have mild engine vibrations compared to the big .40-.60's of that time. I still have that foam Cessna/.25 combo in my garage. I am very sorry that I did not buy an extra as a spare. It was also made here in the good 'ol USA. Now the balsa and stick ARF's take more damage and are harder to fix in a crash.
Larrysogla

tIANci

Electric-to-Glow Conversion??! THIS IS BLASPHEMY! You are all DOOMED to burn in that putrid nitro filled cesspool!!!

NorfolkSouthern

Oh I agree, tIANci. But at least we'll all be in good company .

NorfolkSouthern

ramboy

I still have one of those foam Cessnas in the box, never built.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Uh oh, here we go again.

Mr Cox

Back to the topic...

Everyone is doing it, so why not have a forum for it?

tIANci

Back on topic ... it would be interesting to have such a forum. However, after having owned many EP planes, I find that its not worth it. As many have noticed EP planes are built light, the vibration from anything more than a 30 sized 2C motor will potentially cause fatigue on the fuse (be it the motor box, firewall or the fuse itself). Most are also built with a motor box so you need to dock that off to fit the motor. Then you have CG issues, the planes are built to balance fine on a light motor up front.

So to overcome the fragility of the EP planes you beef it up, that's more work and more weight. Best solution is to just covert the glow guys into the EP Cult. Yeah ... let's have an EP-2-GP forum. Hehehehee ...

Mr Cox

For engines above 30 there is little need for conversions anyway as there are plenty of ARFs available there...

Conversion from electric to glow is mainly interesting below 30 sizes, as I see it, where there is plenty of electric ARFs available. CG is no big issue, the heavier motor/engine is balanced by the smaller RX battery which is also easily moved around to get the right CG.

dtm360

Actually I would be very interested in such a forum also. I converted a Hyperion Yak 40e to glow with an 55AX, it flew beautifully and was a lot lighter than a straight glow plane (AUW 2.3kg). Unfortunately a 2.4G lock out ended the life of that plane pretty rapidly. I would build another immediately, but the new R2 version has a much longer motor box so it has to be chopped and glued - with the number of other projects sitting around that means it has to be on hold for a little longer!

In terms of electrics being weaker, I'm not too sure. The way some of the electric planes get thrown about at the field makes me think they are pretty tough. Also you are starting to see manufacturers like Sebart with glow conversion kits for their electric planes. When I look at my 25% gas plane from Peakmodels I see the construction is also pretty lightweight, but so far no one has complained about it falling apart. I guess at the end of the day it is how well the airframe is designed that makes the difference.

tIANci

DTM ... your observation is most true, Sebart makes hybrids ... Fliton does the same but I have to say some do not hold up well in stock form if you run a 4C engine on it. I look at my Sebart Angel 50 and I really wonder of she will survive a 4C engine. I think 2C engines are not much of an issue. The weak part, if any, is usually the firewall and the engine mounting box.

Mr Cox ... I gave my little OK Models Ultimate to a pal ... he put a 25 sized MVVS engine with a mini pipe on her! She flew as nice as EP ...

AMB

There are some posts on the everything diesel site where some of the guys have done 03s and up diesel or glow no difference some good tips mainly beefing up the fire wall and of course fuelproofing the raw wood martin
my bigest so far the E flite beaver enya 25 diesel pix are on there any 25 to say 32 should work fine

planebuilder66

My Feedback: (8)

Go to the 1/2A fourm, we do them all the time, infact I have 2 planes converted to glow, I'm intrested in doing the new GP spad bipe to glow, maybe even diesel power.