The real question is, what are they bringing to the table, that folks should abandon their Hackers, Axi's and Plettenbergs and run to O.S.?

Yes, you go first.

Tim

http://www.rc.futaba.co.jp/motor/index.html

These OS motors look very much like the Futaba motors! Also the coding with OMA for OS and FMA... for Futaba...

Volkert

http://www.osengines.com/motors/index.html

I might have to try one of these!

it took them long enough to test the water,they'll have to be very competitve both in price and quality as there are already many places to get good brushless motors.the trend these days is smaller gassers of which I a dle30 and soon a dle20 and electric of which In have ma ny/

I think OS has missed the train. You can get relatively good quality electric motors, esc's and batteries from Chinese suppliers today.
That is all I use in my electrics and I have had only one bad experience with an electric motor. Maybe I have been lucky in the battery department because I have had great luck with a range of batteries from these suppliers.

Matt,

We'll get a first look at 2011 in the northeast this weekend at Lakehurst....I think you'll see a substantial bump in the number of electrics this year.

Regards,

And it's really not motor development driving the mass switch. It's battery cost.

Well, FWIW. I ordered the .70 size one. I want to try it in my Reactor and see how it compares to the Scorpion I already have in there. These more basic outrunner motors don't have a lot to them that is high tech. If it's well constructed and isn't too expensive it will likely sell as well as any of the other brand name electric motors out there.

And you're right Tony. The battery cost has really come down. I was just looking today and even the Thunder Power batteries have come way down from where they were not so long ago.

I remember the 10S x 8000 mah 10C batts I paid $800.00 for 5 years ago!!!

I think we need to acknowledge the fact that we're used to the glowengine being the center of attention. With electrics, the electric motor is just the one moving part of a bigger system. The "engine" now consists of battery, motor and ESC, and the ESC is really where the magic happens.

OS and Futaba are the same thing since years ago, and they've always been very high quality manufacturers. I suppose the O.S brand makes sense for their owners to use for marketing the motors, while Futaba, known for electronics quality, brand the ESCs with their logo. And my guess is they are very serious with their ESC line. I'm certainly getting the 100 amp Futaba ESC as soon as it hits the market. When you consider the ESC market for cars and helis, you can bet they are very serious about staying on top in this business.

Besides, best to market beats first to market. Being late with a product line has mostly advantages if you can afford the wait like big companies can.

As the things are going on, I thnk that OS is moving electric for surviving... In some years none will fly Glow (except for some "nostalgic") while the most will fly electric. Gas will be for big planes... may be the "cheaper option"?

Electric... and gas. Last year's introduction of the OS 55cc gasser was a significant tipping point. If they could just make it rear induction/rear exhaust instead of designing it like a giant glow engine it would have IMHO been far better.

With the availability of excellent-quality 15, 20 and 30cc gassers coming to market, the dominance of glow may be over soon. Recently I helped set up and maiden a friend's model with a DLE 20 and it is a superb little engine.

As for e-power, I must now number myself among "the assimilated". The obstacles for me were battery costs and, even more so, field charging of batteries where no electrical outlets are available, which describes every field where I fly. Now that those problems have been solved it seems to be a good choice.

It will be interesting to see how OS differentiates its motors (and ESC's, and batteries??) in the marketplace.

Economics rule.

The cost of glow fuel, IMO, has been the single biggest deterent- not just for pattern , but all forms of model aviation including u/c , free flight and helicopter - to say nothing about R/C cars & boats.

The "toy" market is all electric. No more inexpensive Wen-Mac and Cox glow toys for Xmas and birthdays.( I loved them 50 years ago and still do today- just try to buy them on eBay- bid wars ! )

The noise, clean up mess & other factors are secondary issues.

I think it is kind of sad how the fuel and engine manufacturers that have supported our hobby and specifically pattern for so long, are so easily thrown under the bus (if not intentionally, certainly indirectly) by many folks. Good business move for OS to establish itself in the electric market.

Jim W.

Well, we have also supported the business.
At the top of any sport, there is very little loyalty... people want the best and will go to anyone that supplies.
YS have a far greater problem than OS IMO.
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David, Well said! I could not agree with you more......Everette

Any business is in business to make money...When that ceases to be possible, the business fails.

As per Jim's note, the main thing I have been concerned about is the available options to all of us diehards, dwindling. Electric is great...no questions about that. BUT there are many world-wide that don't care about it and want glow or gasoline (not talking strictly pattern here). I can only hope that YS, OS continue to build the IC products that got us here and that many (in non-pattern land) still want.

I just don't see their involvement in Pattern long term, without paradigm shift changes to their business models. That means all the innovation that has pulled more and more HP from a small number of cubes, will probably cease. We'll have to wait and see how serious OS really is in their apparent dabble in electric. And definitely have to wait to see IF it becomes a paradigm shift....

The Futaba motor looks VERY similar to the Hacker A-50 sitting on my bench, purple anodizing aside.

As I mentioned earlier, I just can't accept that all the named glow brands have all gone of and developed their own motors.<div>I'm sure there'll be a central supplier(s) somewhere... and a logo stamping machine. Least at the start.</div>

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I think "buggy whips" come to mind . . . . I can't imagine the majority of sport flyers continuing to fuss with glow engines for many more years.  Kinda like 72 Mhz radios, nobody wanted to switch to 2.4 until they saw how life was without pulling a frequency pin . . .
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Not a business guy, but I'd imagine that getting into the battery market first would be a better move - that is the "expendable" part of the power train that needs regular replacement and can produce future sales through improvements (Nano, anyone?).  The motor and ESC are pretty much one-time purchases.
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Then again, maybe YS can figure out how to put a supercharger on an outrunner. . .
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You're right, Keith. The life expectancy of an electric motor far exceeds that of a glow engine. Airframes, servos and everything else lasts longer too because there is no vibration wear or fuel residue. But us modelers still want the latest and greatest so there will be a continual market for suppliers to sell to.

I guess that all depends. If you have a crash with a glow engine, it will most probably survive it. I don't know what happens with an electric. I think the average modeler will have some incidents along the way. Chances are he will then buy a new motor.

You are right about the rest of the airplane (airframe, servo's). There will be a difference there.

Volkert