Complete beginner asks: Electric or glow powered?
 

Generally, the glow power can give longer flight time, because you can install a fairly large fuel tank. To get the same flight time from eletric power, you have to find a thermal and minimize motor running.

Most .40 class trainers have about 10 to 12 oz fuel tanks, giving appx 15 to 20 min flight time (depending on how you use the throttle... full power the whole flight, an average .40 uses just a bit under 1 oz/min.)

Some of the Electrics are getting pretty decent flight times now though... Its getting common for planes to go over10 min.

The Air Hogs plane can probably get some flight time improvement... Check on getting higher capacity batteries. Also, check on a slower charge rate. When charge rate is faster thean 4 X C ( and you're at 12 X C doing a 5 min charge) the heat generatd can effectively halve the battery capacity.

Complete beginner asks: Electric or glow powered?
 

The nice thing on glow is after your 15 minutes of flight time you can fuel up and go again.
later daveo

Complete beginner asks: Electric or glow powered?
 

There is a bit of caution requred when moving from the Air Hogs TOY to a .40 glow power trainer.
The plane will fly MUCH faster. It will be much more sensitive to control input. It is easier to get into trouble with it and it can do a tremendous amouont of damage to whatever (or whoever...) it hits.

Get the assistance of an experienced R/C glow power modeler. He/she can help adjust the aircraft to operate correctly, then "trim" it to fly straight. He/she can also show you how to safely start the engine. That .40 will spin the 10 inch dia. prop at over 10,000 rpm (appx 4 X the speed of a circular saw, and essentially the same ability to trim your fingers.)

With proper safety instruction... there's no problem. But one careless moment, and a lack of knowledge can end in the emergency room.

Electrics vs. Glow
 

There is no simple answer to your question. There are many, many electric planes that (with the correct battery pack) can get 15 - 20 minutes of powered flight (not gliding).

One of the guys at our field converted a .25 size Sig plane to electric and gets about the same performance as a .40 size trainer.

If you are interested in electrics try this site, it is much more electric oriented.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/forum...?s=&forumid=11

I fly both gas and electric, and its amazing how DISsimilar the two are in terms of common equipment and stuff.

GB

Electrics vs. Glow
 

Ive heard of electric planes staying up for well over an hour and a half, but who wants to fly for that long every time they fly? A good hours worth of battery will be enough to = 3 flights on most glow planes [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Complete beginner asks: Electric or glow powered?
 

eskymaster has a good point.

I fly mostly glow power, generally 10 - 20 minutes, depending on the plane. These are trainer types (go for 20 minutes on these)to sort of aerobatic types (10 minutes is quite enough). Here you are looking at flying at a club field. If you go this way you will want to join a club to get the advantage of an instructor to teach you how to fly - I'll gurantee if you try to do it on your own, you may get 30 seconds in the air before you plow a furrow in the ground. Plus you get access to all the years of building and flying experience of the members.

Recently I built a GP Tutor just to see how electric flying goes. Using one of those NiMH batteries I can get 15 - 18 minutes of powered flight. With a second battery pack and field charger I can pretty much fly all day. This is pretty much a park flyer - light weight (12 ounces) - it flys in light winds. Slow enough that you could probably learn on this without too much trouble. As with any of these, learning from an instructor would minimize the rough spots in getting to the solo level.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Hope you get in this great addiction (hobby) and really enjoy it.

Complete beginner asks: Electric or glow powered?
 

Glow plane usually last longer in flight. Electric can last longer then glow but once you fly once you are done. Glow powered planes can be refueled and flow about four times on one charge. For electrics to get really long flights you have to use the thermals and not use the engine alot.