jcarl

My Feedback: (3)

As the batteries get better is there going to be a move to EDF and away from turbines? Seems as though the major manufactures are concentrating their efforts on EDF at the moment.

Carl Chilton
Borger, Texas

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

I personally don't see it happening in general. While I am very impressed with various EDFs, I see them filling a slightly different need, rather than them competing head-on with turbines.

Several of the prominent EDF guys are obtaining their turbine waivers, which to me says that they also see these 2 technologies as complimentary.

Gordon

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

I couldn't agree more with Gordon.

EDF taking over? Not gonna happen. However, you will see turbine guys playing with EDF's on the side and EDF guys continuing to play with turbines. Lots of cross polination but mostly the turbojet powerplant fills the high end need for heavy iron, raw performance, scale flight/sound/smell, etc.

At this point a basic advantage in operational performance the turbine engine enjoys is the raw power density kerosene gives to the powerplant. Plus, one can fuel and go with a turbojet, putting in multiple flights within an hour. EDF still has motor duty cycle limitations based on heat soaking in the motors no matter how many battery packs one may have charged and ready to fly.

There is enough fun to go around in model jets. No one powerplant has all the benefits or to the contrary all the disadvantages.

KC36330

My opinion is you'll start to see allot more nicer small jets on EDF power, but the big boys will remain turbine.

kc

Harley Condra

My Feedback: (4)

The cross pollenation argument aside, there are other reasons as well.
There are quite a few club fields across the country that are not "turbine friendly" any more or never were. Also, some fields have to shut down turbine operations during the summer, during times of high fire danger .
EDF's fill the void at these sites. A good, fast EDF should be in everyones stable. I for one will have one soon.

Harley Condra
BVM REP
JetCat REP.

DocYates

My Feedback: (102)

One can certainly not argue that they are "cheaper", though they do have a certain appeal. The high costs of the batteries and the recharging time makes them difficult to compete with the turbines. The basic fact that there is no waiver required for their use, the fire safety concerns, and the lack of noise could make them more appealling to some. I see them especially useful in a multiengine capacity where they seem to be less susceptible to "flameout" situations. Hopefully the technology will continue to improve and the prices will make them look much more appealling to others. I don't see them making turbines obsolete, but they do offer a viable alternative.
Tommy

Vincent

My Feedback: (61)

One thing i see as a benefit from EDF is the growing number of larger size jets. Example Tams and BVM coming out with new EDF jets based on their turbine airframes. I believe a newbie can now use one of these larger full house EDF jets to get their feet wet with jets and move into the turbine arena easier just like we did piston powered DF.

V..

DocYates

My Feedback: (102)

The only disadvantage I see to that is the fact if they want to get into a turbine, they can spend the same amount of money and get a small turbine with basically better or similar performance and faster turnaround time on the ground (which would give them more flights per day). Looking at the cost of the batteries and assuming one would need two sets in order to get the same amount of flights per day that you would get out of a turbine, it might even be more expensive. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we are seeing this happen. It may open the door to those who do not want to do the waiver process (again not that this is a bad thing, but options are good). It also may revitalize some of the smaller jets where turbine technology is an overkill. The JHH A7 is a great example. Their plane is a great look airframe (no spindly looking retracts) and appears to operate really well on the EDF package.
The future looks bright for this technology.
Tommy

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

The old .46 size ducted fan airframes are pretty much completely EDF territory these days. It's a great everyday flyer size, fits in just about any car in one piece and can be flown easily on the drive home from work or during lunch hours if there is a decent airfield nearby when you have an EDF unit in there.

k_sonn

My Feedback: (32)

I don't think EDFs will take over but they will live in harmony with turbine powered jets. At the field where I fly, my 155 mph edf powered Maverick flies with the turbine powered jets. I think the turbine powered jets are cool and the turbine pilots think my edf is cool and we get along and have fun. The one thing I keep hearing though is talk about the cost of batteries. When you think about the cost of batteries you have to put it in prespective. Batteries are nothing more than fuel in a solid form that you pay for up front. If you take care of them (charge and balance them properly) you can expect to get 150 to 200 cycles. At $600 for a 10S pack that comes out to $3 to $4 per flight. What is the cost per flight for kero and oil?

By the way, in regards to the comment about edf being for small planes. That may be the case today but by the end of the year Aeronaut will be releasing their TF 8000 fan. It is 145mm and tests with the protoype is producing 27 pounds of thrust. Installed in a plane with good ducting one can probably expect 22 to 25 pounds of thrust. The word is in 2008 they will have a couple of scale airframes for the fan.

Kirk

KC36330

No doubt, don't get me wrong i see the electric portions of this hobby growing by leaps and bounds, my first thought when BVM released their information on the EVF was "Oh yeah, this is going to bring about more ducted fan capable kits now" I've always loved my ducted fans and turbines seam to have pushed most of the popular version kits to the side, hopefully this generation of EDF will bring them back, hard to beat a BVM Maverick & F-16

kc

Vincent

My Feedback: (61)

I have always been interested in EDF and flew an electric AW ME-262 very sucessfully a few years back. What kind of gets boring is not having the jet noise. If there was a way to have the EDF unit simulate jet sound there would be more interest from the turbine group imo.
V..

uncljoe

My Feedback: (8)

Vin
IMO electrics either sound like either Black & Decker drill or a low suckum Hoover Seeing BVM systems preform which they do well are still getting less than five min flights.[] Rumor has it there will be a sound system in the near future.and most likely a aroma machine to follow.
Semper Fi
Joe

KC36330

Joe,

I've heard they are also only running the ESC at WOT being 80% to boot.

kc

jcarl

My Feedback: (3)

Any chance that the manufacturers feel that the turbine user market has become saturated and the number of customers with the resources and desires to fly turbines is on the decline? Are there more turbine waivers issued than the previous year?

Carl Chilton
Borger, Texas

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

There was a big dip in waiver numbers when the renewal process was changed a few years ago, but its rebounded since then. The attendence numbers at the jet events I've been to such as Fl. Jets, Mid-Atlantic, and Liberty Bell, say that turbines are becoming more popular. As far as the engines themselves, the market may be shrinking a bit because the darn things are so reliable. The hottest market for engines seems to be when a new class comes out (like the 36 lb class recently) and everybody moves up. Then guys like me can get their older 27 lb engines on the used market for really good prices

Bob

Ron Stahl

My Feedback: (12)

I have moved to EDF since we cannot fly jets powered by turbines at the one field I fly at due to noise restrictions of 95 db @ 9 feet for all fuel powered planes. I still have my turbine planes but don't fly them as much now.

marm

My Feedback: (1)

Due to ease of transport and restrictions I still see EDF as a stepping stone or a another cool toy in the arsenal at the least. I think there will be a larger concentration in the future in the 90mm range, which should yield plenty of scale, smaller cheaper to build models.

Barry

KC36330

allot of people don't realize how lucky they are when it comes to their flying field. i learned to fly at the fields back here (described later in the post) and when i moved to California in the mid 90s i thought the world had fallen apart when the only flying field was a dirt lake bed.....nothing like being back home where we've got 3 fields all provided and maintained by the US Army, the smallest being 300'x1500' concrete and the largest 1000'x5000' concrete, all used by full scale helicopters and the only 'restrictions' are you have to listen to the old timers complain about anything faster then their cub.

my sympathies go out to you guys with all the restrictions, or fly from short fields and grass/dirt fields, etc.......

kc

mode101

EDFs are immune to drought enforced restrictions at least at my club, already a problem here currently. Nothing beats the real mccoy but it sure must suck not being able to enjoy it. Pound for $ some of the 90mm EDFs on the market are very impressive, Jepe and Aeronaut to name a few.

Aero65

My Feedback: (2)

Hi All

I fly with k_sonn (Kirk) and his EDF is a blast to fly. Performance wise it is quite impressive, the only thing that I would like is a bit more flying time, but im sure that it not too far in the future.

The other thing is now with IC DF so hard to find EDF is taking its place, and now many flyer's can get a Jet and get good experience flying and building EDFs before going to Turbine if they so choose. I think it's a win win for our segement of the sport.

For sound check this out, the chopper sample has turbine sound.

http://www.aerosoundrc.com/

Hmmmm Sonic Boom sound lol.

That turbofan 8000 sounds like it would make a pretty nice BIG ME-262!