Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

The last decade gave us some really good electric stuff, lipos, Z foam, cheap brushless motors, micro planes, helicopters, and radio gear, 2.4ghz radios, telemetry, re-releases of old Tamiya R/C cars. In this next decade, I personally hope to see more Plantranco style living room flyer planes (4 channel proportional naturally), better selection of Parkzone planes, improved battery technology (faster charging more powerful LiPos/A123) and a true gasoline ignition engine that can fit a .40 sized glow powered plane. So what are your hope/predictions for the hobby in the next 10 years? BTW, Happy New Year!

twister

My Feedback: (12)

Well i see it being banned and we will all be very unhappy!!!

ira d

Why do you think our hobby will be banned?

twister

My Feedback: (12)

It was a j/k! but it seems like we are losing fields to fly at and people always complaining about noise!

aerofly0610

Better battery tech for sure. Maybe "greener" engines. I could see a shortage of methanol or even balsa. Increase in prices (with everything else). Increase of HD cameras in RC vehicles. Less kits more ARFs, but if they get too expensive and the economy doesn't pick up i see two possibilities... either decline of the hobby all together or a resurgence of old school scratch building.

noterman

I think the large electrics will continue to drop in price. Eventually there will be far fewer glow powered planes with 90 size planes and above using gas and smaller planes using electric. There will always be some glow powered planes, but far fewer due to cost and availability.
There will also be improvements in transmitters with more telemetry and easy to use features.

safeTwire

My Feedback: (2)

I appreciate the advancement of technology in all areas of RC. My sons, who are out on their own and have never flown before, have had an absolute blast this season with micro/park fliers! A worthy bang for the buck!

However, I advocate a combination of accepting cutting edge technology which adds to the experience of modeling AND, retaining values which are tried and true.

Therefore, My hope for this decade is to see an increase of kits

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

Yup, glow is going to get squeezed. Less demand for glow fuel will kill off a few blenders, and we'll be paying far more than we are now both for engines and fuel. What happened to kits will happen to glow power.

Stickbuilder

Where do I see the Hobby going? Well the last decade pretty much took the, "Hobby" part out of the picture. Very few people build any longer, so now it's pretty much the sport part of the game that is growing. I see the Park Pilot Program being killed off, so that about does it for the toy part. I see Club fields being closed at an alarming rate, so I see the flying part moving more and more to private fields. I see something else coming along that will attract the attention of the masses, and modeling returning to those who are in it for the long haul.

Bill, AMA 4720

Stickbuilder

double post sorry

BUDMAN27

More time siting around playing video games and less time out at the field getting a farmers tan. just kidding I think

rcphotog

First of all, we still have one more year left of this century's first decade. ( Jan. 1st, 2001 thru Dec. 31st, midnight 2010 ). So one more year of the current 'BIG government' administration will probably kill off any hopes for positive grow in any areas of our hobbie.

Cap and trade will mean for us, -outlaw any and all burning of "fossil fuel" based fuels. If they can ban cow farts (methane gas), then look out!

aerofly0610

Seaquest DSV the government band cows because their gas was destroying the ozone layer! If that is the case they should ban land fills as they give out lots nasty toxins.

japan3d

Strictly electric by 2019

Stickbuilder

Let's hope not. Can you imagine all the extension cords?

Bill, Waco Brother #1

carlgrover

I think we are going to see a resurgence of kit manufacturers in the years to come. They will be the small Mom and Pop type of operations. Kits are getting rare and expensive. I think more of the ARF guys are wanting to learn to build. So, there will be a demand. At least thats what I hope, anyway. I hate ARFs, electrics, and monokote.

senrak

I'm with you Carl.
Everything cycles back to were it started. Guys will get tired of the ARF's and the little they have to offer.
One thing is for sure. Electric motors is here to stay.
As for me, I'll give up my glow engines when they pull them from my cold dead hands!

aerofly0610

Smell of castor oil or hot motor windings.... hmm hard to pick ... Glow exhaust is intoxicating like some expensive french perfume.

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

I see more electric everything.... less gas and glow.
I see more electric ducted fans... less Jet A

I see more miniaturization of all electronics.
I see radios that have up and down links to give the pilot more and more information on screen and in the sunglasses. (heads up info)

But then what the heck do I know? We only have two more years until the end of life anyway.

Masonhornet

Glow will be around for a long time.
Gas will become more popular.
Kit cutting services will grow in popularity due to the lack of full kits.
The whole business of this hobby being referred to as a "sport" will thankfully go away.

wobblyflight

Maybe the economy will drive more toward scratch building from plans. Wouldn't that be nice. Seems like during the big depression I'm told that you could get more enjoyment out of building and flying a 15¢ balsa/stick/tissue kit than just about anything else.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I expect that wages throughout the world will start to come into equilibrium. ARFs will become more expensive as labor cost goes up. Building kits will become economically attractive again.

foodstick

Hopefully we will have disposable income for hobbies.

That is I think the one dominant variable that the whole thing hangs on.

My biggest worry is if all the manufacturers of parts would go away..the dubro type companies that don't really build the planes..they just supply all the parts to improve,repair,and scratch project.

sscherin

My Feedback: (1)

As was said before a new generation of bidirectional radios with feedback on Rx battery levels, engine speed, servos that report back position and load..
alerting when servos are pushed past limits, engine stall. flight data logging to memory card. Maybe even GPS enabled TX's giving current or in a crash last known position..

Plug the TX in at home to your flight sim to watch a flight playback.

Fuel injection on gassers and some larger glow engines to combat the high reliability and growing performance of electric power..
Maybe even direct injection 2 stroke motors. Long shot but DI is already around for 100-150cc scooters.. See http://www.envirofit.org/?q=our-prod...troke-retrofit


I had about 3 other ideas but after a little thought I figured out they already happened!

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

By the end of the decade I don't think there will be much gas or glow. Electrics are so much easier and reliable. The people that compete will discover the reliability part and you will have to go electric to be competitive.
This will filter down to the rest of us.
This is happening now in the small airplanes. How many 049's or 19's have you seen lately?