Mr Cox

Engines can be set-up to run with very little nitro (5%), or nitro at all, by raising the compression ratio.
Small engines only need about 2oz for a 10 minute flight, so the cost of fuel is really not much to worry about...

1QwkSport2.5r

Glow fuel is very expensive for all things RC - planes, cars, or boats. I run all three and at close to $40/gal retail, my big engines wouldn't get run much. Hell, nothing would get run much. I feel like a broken record, but mixing your own fuel can save you half your money, at least. A gallon of 30% car fuel costs me about $18 to make. I don't use 30% very often because I'm cheap. Regular aircraft fuel with 5% nitro is super cheap to make; about $6-8/gal.

MJD

My Feedback: (1)

If I could buy nitro for $21-$25 a gallon, I'd be stocking up. That is the same as the price of a gallon of glow fuel..

1QwkSport2.5r

I was gonna comment on that...... Decided not to.

aspeed

I get my 10% nitro fuel at the Toledo show for $13 a chintzy US gallon. Ritch's Brew, and there is another brand which escapes me right now. A .15 or .049 will go two years on this. Much more $ is spent driving to the field than on the plane fuel. For a choice of plane in a .15 size, there are some free plans available, and mostly any electric ARF that seems about right and uses a 2,000 mah battery is OK with a couple motor mount braces or mods.

1QwkSport2.5r

Does your travel costs get factored into the cost of your fuel? I could drive to SIG and pickup whatever mix I want them to do but the cost to drive down there outweighs the shipping costs by a large margin and still yet shipping it would cost nearly $30/gal with shipping and hazmat fees. One of my hobby shops used to drive to SIG and load a pickup truck full of cases of fuel. Once gas hit $3/gal they quit doing it as it was no longer cost effective. When they were doing the run to Montezuma, they were bringing back some all castor fuel for the 1/2a and bushing guys. Now they won't order it at all. They wanted me to pre-pay for a 4-gallon case of quart bottles for $130+tax. I politely said 'no thanks'.

jeffie8696

Just yesterday I was running my Kraft 61 on 5% SIG Champion and it runs perfect.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

Glow will NEVER die.
It may not be the hottest item, but it will always be around.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

There are millions of glow engines out there. As long as there are modelers eager to experience all that this hobby has to offer, there will be people powering planes with glow engines. The motorheads among us are more often in the hobby for the long haul and are eager to invest the effort required to extract the performance and reliability that glow engines possess.

I still enjoy flying control line and single channel RC both of which were declared dead long long ago. Things change in the hobby but rarely does anything become extinct.

There is a relationship between the effort required to accomplish something and the satisfaction received when accomplished.

1QwkSport2.5r

I really like this statement. I believe it to be quite true.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I went to a swap meet in March. I picked up a new OS 15 LA and a used 25LA for a total of $40. I already have more than enough glow engines for my lifetime, but I keep buying more.

jeffie8696

Me too but I keep buying them too. Today I swapped out 2 two strokes for 4 strokes just to rotate my engines, and the OS46SF needs a new ring. I think the OS40Surpass is going to be awesome on the Dazzler.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

Uh, don't count steam out. The Navy still gets by somehow using it:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimit...rcraft_carrier

Sport_Pilot

Not to mention all of the power plants using steam.

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

Ran 55% this weekends racing in Anderson california for warbird racing. Some guys ran 70% in their engines. Nitro is very expensive. mixing your own can be expensive also unless you know someone. Lots of rules to buy nitro.

1QwkSport2.5r

$55/gal and free shipping online. Not too bad for small quantities IMO.

Sport_Pilot

Rules? There are more rules for methanol and oil.

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

maybe because I am in stupid Cali. I can only order one gallon at a time and its 38 dollars a gallon plus 45 dollars shipping.

ekitik

My Feedback: (18)

I am stuborn on glow too, I stick to the 40, 46 and 61 for the most part. I like the smell too and I enjoy the fact that it takes a little skill and finesse to keep them in good running form. I dont fly really big stuff and I dont want to either. A nice forty is a joy and you don't need a semi to take it to the field.

1QwkSport2.5r

Where are you ordering it from?

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Aiden88 forgive me for digressing a bit from the subject but curios about your avatar.

At first though I was thinking Spartan Executive but after looking closely at that little photo I am gonna change that guess to: Harlow???

John

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

quick it was from VP

1QwkSport2.5r

Try Amazon. (Seriously).

PatrickCurry

My Feedback: (20)

Another good ol boy here who will never give up on glow engines as long as there's a fighting chance. I've got some electric planes that I really enjoy flying, but they'll never replace my glow engines. And as long as there are still good ol boys around here racing things, I guess I'll always be able to get methanol and I'll run without the nitro if I have to. I'm a putt putt flyer, so I can tune or compress or whatever I've got to do to get them to run. Last case of Morgan fuel I bought was $15/gal at our yearly swap meet, and I fly from .049 to .60 so a case lasts me forever. As for parts, like many of you, I've got enough engines to last me quite a few years. And I'm more of a "horder" than a "collector", I don't really go in for the one of this and one of that.... when I find an engine I like, I tend to stay with that and just get more of them when I find good deals. I've got a ton of OS FX, LA & FP engines that I get great service out of. If I'd quit ramming them in the ground, I've probably got enough stuff to last me forever.

jeffie8696

Today I finished up my 4Star20 with an OS26Surpass, it should be interesting.