Hi, I'm new to the helicopter hobby. I think nitro fuel is too expensive for me. Can I just mix methanol and Castor oil without the nitro? Right now I'm just learning so I don't think I need the extra power. Is it alright?

I would mix a synthetic oil verse Castor oil.Castor oil will rob all if any power no to mention the mess on your heli after a flight. You can run no nitro , but you wont get any power to speak of.You can run as little as 5% and be in the ball park with power.

So I can mix 5% nitro and get decent power... do I buy pure nitro and mix it with methanol and synthetic oil or do I buy the already mixed ones in hobby stores? Can normal citizens even get their hands on pure nitro???

Unless you intend to mix quite a bit of fuel it is much easier and cost effective to buy commercial fuel. The cost to buy small quantities of oil and nitro end up costing you more than what you can buy premixed at the LHS. I have a drum of methanol in my garage from when I raced and can get enough nitro from a friend to mix up all of it but I'd have to put out a big chunk of change for the oil. It's easier to pay $12-15 a gallon twice a week or so than hassle with it!
basmntdweller

plus the mixture can be off from one mix to the next, and then you have to constantly tune it if your contents are different. I agree with basmntdweller .. it's better to buy fuel done. Another option is to get a gas powered one that uses gasoline with 2 cycle oil ..

Gas powered machine is not for me right now. I'm only a beginner and can't afford to learn with a $1000+ kit. But in the future, I will be seriously looking into those. I heard they are really loud, is that true?

What do you guys think of European engines? (like Webra) I heard they can run with lower nitro than Japanese ones (like OS). Do you get the same power? Or what?

The experience I had with a few Webras are they are a solid engine, a bit touchy on needle settings. I tached the same OS 32 with the same pipe on the Webra and got about 1K less rpm's. But this was on a older Webra 32 Speed, it ran very consisten on my FF Fazer but my friends OS seemed to have a slight edge using the exact same tuned pipe on his plane. Webras performance has reached a newer level of performance on the newer engines though. I would not hesitate to buy another.

I hate to be the one to say it, but if the expense of fuel is to much for you(14.00 a gallon) then you should reconsider getting into helicopters until you are more financially stable.

I mean if a case of fuel($52-$60) is to expensive then what are you going to do when you plow your chopper in, and have to spend a few hundred to get it back running again? Or how about blowing a few 6.00 plugs because you get the mixture wrong.

Look, I will be perfectally honest with you, helicopters are expensive, and if money is tight, you should wait until it is not so tight.

Haha...
Thanks...but I CAN afford the fuel. I just don't want to spend more than I have to. Even rich people try to cut cost you know?

I'm okay with high initial expenses, because you get what you pay for. But I don't like high long term expenses, because they add up fast.
I would rather get one of those really expensive gasoline powered machines because they save money in the long run. The only reason I'm not is because I'm a beginner and it's not wise to get a $1000+ kit right off the bat.

Quote:

I'm okay with high initial expenses, because you get what you pay for. But I don't like high long term expenses, because they add up fast.

well, you just made Culverson's point... heli's are expensive to start with, and if you are new, invariably you will have a crash .. even the most minor tail boom strike can run close to $100.00 just to fix it .. and it's EASY to do a few of those as you learn .. Heli's are expensive to start, and to maintain .. I understand you want to cut costs, but you if you are planning to spend a certain amount, double that, and put the rest away for fuel, plugs, and parts..

I understand all the expenses before I came into this hobby. I know crashes are expensive but I'll try my best to avoid one. And if I crash, oh well. I'm not saying I can't afford the necessary stuff. If it's necessary to the hobby, then I'll pay for it. But still I want to cut the unnecessary costs because I'm a college student and my parents only give me limited "funding" on this hobby. But seriously, 14 bucks per gallon isn't that bad. I thought they were more than 20 per gallon...

fuel costs, in the big picture, really aren't that bad .. and depending how much you fly, you may spend less than you think. Also, if you buy commercially manufactured fuel, which is consistent, and then have your engine tuned properly, it's easy to go quite a while on a single glow plug..

Not that it really matters, but it was MY point!!

If you buy at the LHS you will probably look at paying in the 20.00 range, but if you order direct and buy bulk then you can save a ton of money.

I order mine from Wildcat. they have a 5 case minimum for freight shipping. Try to go in on an order with others that fly. that is what i did, and it cut the cost way down. If you order by single case the UPS hazmat charges will make it wayyyy to expensive.

While I will ONLY fly Wildcat I'm am sure that any other fuel mfg will ship you via freight if the order is large enough. Best thing is to go in on an order with some friends. That way you can get a whole seasons fuel in one order and not have to worry about it all season long.

Thanks... but I was looking at the fuels at Tower Hobbies the other day. Their price is okay...except they charge a $20 fee for shipping...or something due to the federal government. I hope the place you are talking about doesn't do the same thing.

yeahhhh...buy bulk with friends...VERY GOOD idea! Thanks.

Now I know how to solve the fuel problem. I guess I was wondering in a hobby store the other day and randomly checked out this fuel...I didn't know what kind of fuel it was at the time but it had a $39.99 price tag on it. I thought all heli fuel are 40 bucks per gallon and that got me worrying...which is why I thought about mixing my fuel in the first place.

If you have a local hobby shop, buy it there. 15% is fine for learning on. You won't need the extra power that 30% gives for a while. I pay $13.95 a gallon for 15% at my LHS. Also, all synthetic, much less mess.
basmntdweller

my most humble apologies Ergo60 .. sorry .. TNT

I heard heli fuels are detrimental to your health. It's like paint, if you inhale too much of it, it'll cause cancer. Do you guys do anything about it? Or how about the smokes that comes out...when you are first practicing hovering, do those smoke surround you pretty fast? And they cause your eyes to tear, which might lead to a crash? Is that true?

Yeah, I just dont drink or sniff it.

I once ran a pre-mixed fuel from a very well known competitor from days gone by, he kept a 55 gallon drom of nitro to mix the fuels and is ultra expensive.
I can buy 15% for $11.75 per gallon in Bir,mingham AL LHS (closet I'm afraid) or $13.00 for 30% prices are very reasonable on fuel I try to buy a case at a time during winter and 2 cases at a time summer..You run a huge risk if you are inexperienced of getting the correct mixture Ergo is correct Wildcat is good fuel as is CP which leaves a smoke trail LoL.
TC-HF
PS:
Our club buys massive quanities a lot more reasonable at once after meetings we take up $$ to whomever is going to the LHS its usually me.....We have great relation at our LHS on parts availability fuels & etc..Thank Goodness we have them, and we support them as well....I put in an special order for Wildcat to Ergo...2 cases from them///...Paul thinks highly of it and I like it last time my LHS had some in..