Was wondering. In order to keep costs down, I regularly move my RX's and ESC's (electric models) from one plane to another. Thus, alleviating the most expensive part of RC. I'd be in the thousands if I supplied this stuff for each plane.
This leads me to this question. Since engines are sorta/roughly same cost as a brushless motor (.40 size and up), how many
of you move an engine from one plane to another? I mean, you only have a couple of fuel lines and just the bolts to the motor mount. I can see having a few models and transferring an OS .61 from say a Edge 540 to a Dazzler to a Telemaster etc. This way, you would be saving 200 to 300 bux....

Dave...

Hmmm...let's see...swapping one glow motor between several planes just to fly them...Ummm....no.

That seems to defeat the purpose of having several different planes. The setup issues between each type of aircraft, even the ones mentioned, would be a headache to say the least. Throttle rigging isn't always a simple plug and play job like the electric setup. The same motor may not be the best choice for each plane, and then there's prop differences. Not that the idea of saving bucks isn't appealing. We all want to make our dollars go the distance. I guess it all comes down to logistics and effort...Are you willing to do the work to save the money?

I used to, I still move receivers a lot, but over time, I'll pick up extra servos here, or wire up a new battery pack, so that now I don't have to swap equipment so much. Just throw in a receiver and I'm good to go.

But swapping equipment is by no means uncommon.

I don't see guys doing it very often, actually. Especially not with engines.

The guys that do it don't generally do it at the field, but you might see them bring out one plane for a while, then swap to another one for a while, etc. (often, flying one until something happens to it, then going to the other while the first is being fixed, etc).

I've currently got 9 planes in flying configuration. It's about all I can keep organized at one time. I never take more than 3 to the field, but which 3 depends on the weather, so I keep them all fully equipped. Besides, I refuse to add nose or tail weight to my planes if humanly possible, so I'll have batteries and receivers crammed in where the whole installation must be removed to get at them, so they stay until the plane is taken out of service. Swap meets and auctions keep the cost resonable, and I'll save up for large volume purchases of servos and such at the Toledo show. You get some better deals on Sunday...

That was the way I was going to go to save cost.. But after I
got started and had the plane setup the way I wanted.. Well I
threw that idea out the window... I just try to pick up another
engine or what ever from club members or else where for
better deals...

I make the and the electronics just part of the cost of the plane. I don't want to take the time to move parts from one to another unless it is a permanent move. I have two ARF's and a kit in the wings awaiting construction. Once I have the parts I will start. Not that I will wait until I have everything. Like with the kit, I will start building before I have the servos, rx and such, but I do want to be prepared to put it all together and keep it that way.

I tossed the idea around but it is a hassle to swap everything on a short notice unless a crash is invovled but i still take just one plane for flying,i do have another one that needs everything except engine,i'm looking for servos for a permenant install along with battery pack and maybe reciever,that would be nice then i could take both planes to fly.

Flight packs are not that expensive...just stay home one weekend, don't go out. That should save you enough to buy a new flight pack right there. I will admit though...I did it too until I became tired of spending my time swapping stuff, instead of building new kits and flying them.

Jim

At the minute i have about 9 planes in flying order but only 4 engines and flight packs. I have all the gear installed in the planes i enjoy flying the most and would only move the gear if i had a fatal crash with one of my favourites.

You mean you want me to stay home and not fly ?,[X(] i fly in the mornings on saturday and sunday,home for lunch then hit the LHS for parts that i usually don't need but one day i might.Guess i'll bite the bullet and get me a flight pak,hmmm i'm thinking about ordering a midstar 40 so i'll need another flight pak AND engine.
*and when does it stop ?,never *

5_spot, I dont think it stops it only gets worse. I have been flying a year and a half and am finishing my third plane and already know what my next two will be. Before I finish one plane I already know what the next one will be and am debating on what the second one in line will be.

When I started flying RC in 1969, two kits, a K&B .40, the covering and all hardware to get the planes flyable cost about one month's gross pay for me... the four channel proportional radio cost about three months. At the time I did a lot of swapping of radio gear and engine. I'd fly one plane (Sweet Stick) for a month or so (presuming no major crash damage), switch the equipment over and fly the other (Kaos 40) for awhile. Several years later I got into Quickie 500 racing. By then I had acquired three complete airborne systems (the second two each cost about 1/2 of what my orignal radio did) and three new K&B 40s (Tower had them on sale $23.95, in 1979). And, they were needed because I almost always crashed at least once at a race....and, once, three planes during one race day.

Times have changed. Now I have more 'spending' money and it takes less percentage of that to achieve a flyable model with engine and airborne radio equipment. In fact, I paid less for my 'Funtana S', ARF, Magnum 52, and JR 4-channel radio then I paid for that original radio. So..... I no longer swap equipment. I have/keep two planes flyable and one at the ready, two are under construction, and two are semi-retired. All of these have their own servos, although I don't (yet) have engines or receivers for all of them (the two semi-retired).

Each RCer best chooses the method which suits their time, area of interest (build, fly, both), and budget. So do what provides the most enjoyment for you!

I imagine that once I take the engine and servos out of my RCM trainer to put into my Lucky Stik, I'll never fly it again. Maybe I'll just donate it to the club. The Rx of my Airtronics VG6000 will always stay in whatever my "best" scale plane at the moment is and I'll use the Rx of my non-computer VG600 for that fun-fly plane.

I've been at it for about nine years now, and have four 40+ size planes flyable right now; each with it's own flight pack and engine. But use the same frequency on all, so the same transmitter (Futaba 6XAS). I also have three kits close to ready for covering, plus two planes being repaired. (And quite a few kits waiting.)

I have two electric flight packs with battery packs and motors (plus many extra speed 400, 05's and gear boxes), so I can have at least a couple small electrics ready at a moments notice; I have two additional flight packs for other planes being repaired. I have three OS 40FP's, (two currently on loan to my brother ), a 46 LA, an OS 70 Surpass, a YS 91 AC, two Magnum 52 four strokes, a Thunder Tiger 54 four stroke, a Super Tiger 61, a 91 two stroke (don't remember the brand), two or three OS 25's, a couple Norvel .061's, and a Saito 1.80 Four Stroke.

Oh yeah, I have at least 6 or 8 servos without homes, and just had a Hanger 9 Cap 232 ARF (73" wingspan) given to me, which is why I bought the Saito 1.80.

Anyone have an OS 1.20 they want to part with at a reasonable price? I need one for either my Super Skybolt or the Cessna 182. The other will get my YS 91.

No, I don't swap engines or flight packs.
Dennis-