What I find very hard to believe are any individuals that were once glow aficionados and now claim to be converts to the electric scene. I got my start with glow and it has always been a constant, mainstream, unceasing form of modeling, and continues to be for me - to this day. Hoarding of glow support equipment and accessories began long ago as the landscape morphed to what it is today.

Beginning in '08, the electric craze with reasonably new, high energy density, Lipo technology got my attention and was being pushed by one of the big three conglomerates. I gave it a try - even have a few - and have concluded that there is no apparent sense of satisfaction derived from the electric experience at the end of a flight. Its like there is an essential - je-ne-sais-quoi - missing from the electric experience that only comes from burning fuel. Like having sex without release or trying an O'doul's at a beer tasting party - it just doesn't satisfy the same way glow will. Along with electric power association seems to come all the stability augmentation and gyro sensor assisted flight systems which beckons one to ask: what's the point? Its nearing full autonomy now. That's no challenge and no fun in my book. Just like flying the stimulator at home - why even bother going to the flying field? Don't miss-understand me - yes, you can develop and improve your flying skills. However, its a means to an end - there is just no heart and soul with electrics. If battery energy density tech is even to improve five-fold, I'll still stick with glow as long as I can keep it going.

...Look at driving a car in today's world - all the high-tech gadgetry takes all the fun out of it for me anymore too. I used to enjoy driving a car; not anymore though. Push button starts, CVT, automatic wipers, lights that turn themselves off, touch screen radios with annoying, boot time lags, TPS, back-up cameras, self-parking systems, clocks that can't be set without resorting to the owner's manual that's on a disk, systems that are so sophisticated service requires replacement of modules rather than fixing what is broken. It used to be fun to get in a car, pull out the choke, step on the clutch, insert and twist the key while stepping on the gas, watch for coolant temp to rise before pushing in the choke, releasing the hand brake and using the clutch and gas pedals to "H" through the gears, and even use a manually operated hand-crank to roll down the window...

Back to model aviating:

What about noise and smoke? Isn't part of the fun supposed to be realism and the operation of a fuel-to-noise-and-smoke generator? Electrics are just too dainty, clean, and quiet to exude any form of fun factor. Another thing that bothers me when operating an electric model, particularly when taxiing, is that anytime the throttle stick is pulled all the way back, the motor quits. You can't just restart with a glow-driver and hand flips. Compression is nonexistent and the only thing you might be able to "feel" might be cogging torque from the magnets. No needle valve to twist either; at least some of the early brushed motors had a timing screw you could adjust - but not anymore. Nope. No fun. Sorry, not impressed.

I rather enjoy licking the chicken fat off my glow-powered models following a day of flying at the field but loathe putting the un-flown Lipos back on storage charge at home because of an underwhelming, apathetic state toward electric power -

Dang it, man. You said it in a way that I couldn't, and conveyed my thoughts precisely.

I like the analogies. There is just no "feel" to flying electric. As a parallel, kind of like imaginary sex vs real sex.

And to me, screwing with batteries, like remembering to charge all of them in time to go to the flying field, and having to storage charge them after getting home is much more of a PITA than wiping off exhaust residue and cranking a fuel pump handle.

Wiping off exhaust residue and cranking a fuel handle is kind of like sweet-talking her prior, and holding her afterward.

edited: There is no afterglow, in which to bask, while taxiing back from an electric flight.

Well I'm another one siding with you regarding glow power. I've enjoyed flying those tiny helicopters and slow flyers powered by batteries but agree that there is a certain magic to a smooth running glow engine. There are countless beautiful videos shot from modern day electric drones. But what is missing from all of these?

Sound!

Because who would want to listen to the whine of four screaming vacuum cleaners?

30 years ago I bravely installed my 8mm Sony camcorder behind the windshield of my 1/4 scale Cub powered by the delightful OS Pegasus engine.

Watching that video today with the sound on to me makes all of the difference. It's like being in a real airplane.

So I'm one more that hasn't yet given up on glow.

Technology? Just fly your computer simulator

Fender started making electric plank guitars before I was born. Martin had been making old technology acoustic guitars long before that.

.

Martin still makes and sells acoustics and many of us still buy and play them.

Foamy flyers are the guys who play recorded music.
Model builders learn to and play the actual instruments.

if you look on RCG you will see many glow engine sell daily. people still love them little monsters

Jim

oops, I forgot>

One thing i'm sure of is that glow will not be making a come back as it is a outdated technology but I think that between the few new engines still available and a lot of used engines available there will be plenty
of engines to go around for a long time.

"Come back" ??? Glow hasn't gone away."Technology" has simply dumbed down the hobby over all The hobby itself is diminishing.
The original , powered RC planes were gaspoline powered, The on board ignition batteries, coils wires and spark plugs were replaced by glow plugs and methanol 70 years ago. Now people are going back to spark fired gaspoline fueled engines....OLD technology aside from the CDI which is actually rather old as well. The engines themselves are changed very little, no rocket science there.

The new operators are dependent on having most everything made for them rather than posessing the knowledge and skill sets to design and build a large percentage of what they put into the air. What was once a lifetime hobby of learning and productive achievment is mow just a consumer activity that fails to garner the commitment it once held.

Naw, it isn't technology on the part of the toy operator anyhow.

I know a guy that has ben flying for years and years. he has over 200 glow engines and will buy more

Jim

Hey Jim, Any interest in a real decent K&B .65 Sportster ?

Gary, if you find a K&B 61 Twister with the Tuned Muffler for a good price I may buy that

Jim

How bout a Italian made Super Tigre X-61 Rear Exhaust, Front Intake ABC ?
Or a Webra 61 ABC Speed?
Also a nee in box OS 61 RF ABC?

you know that Webra must be a nice engine, but I don't have a rear exhaust plane for it

thank you for the offer !!!

Jim

Side exhaust then? Got that covered too!

Glow engines do have character

The K&B .65 Target Drone engine

Glo isn't going anywhere but to the flying field at my house. For those of you bemoaning the fact that there are no engines or kits out there to build, you aren't looking in the right places. Go to a swap meet. Glo engines are selling pretty cheap so stock up and save. I've seen literally piles of engines on tables at the Perry, GA swap meet for near nothing. Learn how to refurbish a used engine if you can't find the new one you want. Typically, all these need is cleaning up and a new set of bearings which are readily available. OS and Saito are still in business.

As far as kits go, forget Tower Hobbies. There a many cottage industries out there pumping out kits just like the old days. Sig is still in business too. And if you have built more than 2 kits, you can build from plans. Build just one kit from a set of plans and you'll not even want to go back to a kit. It's addictive.

Best thing about glo? Making a low speed pass down the runway and smelling that caster perfume. Gets me every time.


carl

Yep, plenty of real high quality engines at bargain prices. Treat them right and they last near forever.
Save enough money on the engines that the fuel is almost free lol.

I'm still flying large 80" wing span IMAC style planes with my Moki 2.10, which runs strong on 0 to 5% nitro fuel. Never understood those that say glow fuel is too expensive.

You mean you have a plane that's worth $1,500 between airframe, engine, servos, Rx, batteries, etc and you can't afford a 25 dollar jug of fuel once every couple of weeks, seriously??

Here's my Moki in a kit built Edge 540, performance was amazing.

Well said, very well.

Those puffy LiPos in the trash weren't free either

I don't get it and never will I guess.

Nearly any given time I look around at the forums getting the most views, this one is normally in the top three of those I pass by to get here, surpassed only by the jet and warbird forums. (well okay then, I looked today and noticed AMA and pylon numbers were way up above this one too).

So anyway, why does glow still appear to be overlooked and ignored by the market anymore - new products coming out avoid the term glow power; its either electric or gasoline but not glow fuel. Why? Is it regarded as evil now?

I understand you can get some good deals at swap meets and flea markets. I don't like acquiring used stuff, particularly when it has been butchered up like I've seen in some threads. Some of these used engines have extra holes in engine lugs that look like it was done with an axe. I don't want to deal with excess parts collection, buckets-o-engine-parts, bent needle valves, or broken off cylinder fins, cracked cases, and lopped off exhaust stubs. Pictures of used stuff can hide a lot. Why did engine manufacturers stop making engines? Was the market already saturated with all that anyone was likely to purchase at the turn of the century and the time to recover for demand to increase again was not profitable?

Now, there seems to be a taboo against glow power or perhaps anything that is not regarded as "green, quiet, and clean". I hate it. There are no ads for what few glow engines remain or for glow fuel anymore either - why is that?

Plain bushed engines would seem to be a natural to keep in production as an entry-level means to introduce new hobbyists to the glow aspect with the simplicity, lower parts count, and relatively lower associated costs. So, why did OS drop the LA series? (Actually, the FP series would have been preferred by many, I suspect)

I do believe the OS Max .15 LA is still in production or at least still being sold as new, so I'm talking about the loss of the .25, .40, .46., and .65LA's.

What's the list of new glow engines down to for those in the U.S. now? I know of Saito, OS, YS, and Dub's Jett. Everything else I can think of is used or NOS as I don't think Novarossi or Enya is in production anymore.

Absolutely no new Half-A engines being produced that I know of now.

Edit: Left out Mike Goes Flying and SH engines with some odd sizes between .15 and .37 that appear to have heli- heads on them.

There is no tabo against glow engines but no company wants to spend money promoting a product that is not in a large demand. Most modelers have moved away from glow
for the sake of convenience that is all it is. The products we use today will in 10-15 years will be replaced by newer technologies and most people will gravitate toward
the new technologies but a few will ask why we can no longer readily get the products that were available in 2020.

That is the way it has always been someone builds a better mousetrap and the majority wants one but a few does not but the
manufacturer will make the product that is in the most demand because that is where the profit is.

Just a general dumbing down and diminished skill sets.

Plug and play then throw it away.

I would like to know as well.

Return????...it is still here!!!

It is still there.
Why would people who have started with the convenience of electric go for glow? Lets say we can exclude "for old times sake" as a reason.