Need some help with airplane storage. Currently, I am in the park-flyer stage...so we are mainly talking about foam, tape, and plastic...and then the electronics.

I am concerned with storing the planes in the garage due to high heat and high humidity (I am down south - Houston, Texas).

Does anyone have experience with this? Do I need to store them in air-conditioned space? (there goes the spare bedroom)

Thanks
Rob

Although you encounter more humidity on a daily basis than I do, I have never had (nor do I know of anyone who has had) any problems with storing planes in a garage or any other space that isn't climate controlled. Just so long as they dont' get rained on, or aren't exposed directly to the elements, you will be fine. I keep mine in my trailer, and have done so for over 3 years now. I've never had a problem related to storage.

You are keeping it in the garage and it is not fuel. If you are really concerned, remove the battery and store it in an ammo can (available from the local army surplus store). Don't store the battery in the house. It has nothing to do with temperature or humidity, but the potential for LiPo batteries to cause fires.

Something has to happen to the battery to cause a fire, and if it is not giving any symptoms (puffing or heating up) then it is ok. But, again, if you are concerned, store it separately and in something that is fire-proof such as a surplus ammo can... or a small concrete bunker..

CGr.

I live in Mesa, Arizona, and I am also concerned about the foam type airplanes that I have! It will get up to 100 + degrees in my garage during the summer, so I have the same concerns that you do. Everything I have heard is as long as the plains are not exposed to the direct sunlight and not in any type of moisture situation, most likely will not have any problems. I do store all my batteries in an ammo can and in a conditioned space. Other than that everyone I have talked with say we will be OK!

Hope this will ease your mind a little!

Rob
TWD

I keep some planes in a unattached garage behind the house. I cannot see any damage to ones stored there for 5 or 6 yrs. It gets well blow zero around here in the winter and close to 100 sometimes in the summer.

One thing I noticed (in general) is that plastics and rubber deteriorate in some of these garage conditions (hot and high humidity). That doesn't usually happen in my home (air conditioned space). I am also somewhat concerned that the foam will become brittle. I don't know if you could see the foam becoming brittle...so the real test is to flex a wing that has been sitting in those conditions for several years.

You'll crash or get rid of the plane before you see the conditions catch up with it. I just got some models out of my parent's attic that have been there since '01, and the plastic on them were fine. Nothing was warped or anything. Prolly gets 120 in the attic in the summer too.

Well I live in Australia, with high heats, and sometimes high humidity. I have a trainer (Boomerang) that I have keep in my shed/workshop which gets very hot in Summer (too hot to work in). It has been in there for 3 years, and I have noticed recently that the covering has started to come away from the balsa, and it looks awful. Also, the rubber bands have all perished (they are hard and if you stretch them, they break). No good if they are keeping the wings on. The foam wheels aren't affected at all. The battery seems OK, but it is an older type (not LiPo, NiMH I think).

Unfortunately I can't tell you about the foam on your foamies, as I am not into these, but I can give you anecdotal evidence that the foam wheels are fine.