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| General RC Aircraft Discussion Discuss anything RC related |
Topic Review (Newest First)
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| 12-18-2010 01:55 PM | ||
| plowboy |
Re: I can't be the only one... I hate the smell of gas-oil mix when it gets on your hands, and the stuff you have to carry out to the flying site so that you can get the motor started. BUT, withthat said, I enjoy 1/4 scale when they are airbourn,and the speed and sound of the small "10" size model with a "40"n it. Everyone that I know who flies with nitro or gas engines are in the same though zone.. Like Andrew said, "with that said'", I too have a few electrics, but they are in gliders, which to me makes sence. The part that I don't like about electric is the lack of knoledge and the amount that you have to experiment with propellars and motor size before you get it right, and then the extra batteries that are needed if you want more than one flite a day... I guess if you keep at it for a while and forgo building time to study electronics. Yo may get to enjoy it more and cost less,(electric flying that is) .I keep on getting the old thing about the cost of model fuel and gas, but like what was said before, the I.C. motors are usually only bought once, and they will outlast the first, second, and a lot of times 3rd plane that they haul into the wild blue younder. Time to ghet out of here before I repeat myself.... Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Newyear. and enjoy the building season..... Al |
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| 12-17-2010 12:57 PM | ||
| g.p. |
Re: I can't be the only one... Time is why I fly all electrics now. With 3 kids in the house, a wife to keep happy, and a full time job, I don't want to waste my precious time at the field. Flying days (like the wife would ever let me have a whole day!) are few and far between, and I don't want to waste a single minute tuning, breaking-in, or trying to start an engine. I fly all electrics, up to 30cc sized airplanes. I would like to try getting into gas again, but my first experience wasn't very good. I wasted all of last summer trying to get a gasser to run right. Ran fine for a few gallons on the test stand, but after it was in the plane it would not run right. Spent many days at the field where I was unable to get it to run. Something about the air pressure in the cowling would make it run crappy in flight. Unfortunately the reeds broke at some point too, complicating things further. I ended up chasing the timing and all kinds of things with the carb. Of course I can't test a gasser in my neighbourhood, so I wasted flying time at the field all summer. With my electrics I can test in my basement, and do all of the prep work (charging batteries, testing propss, etc) a few days before I plan on flying. When I get to the field I'm flying within 5 minutes, and I can fly the whole time. I don't even have to go to the field. I have flown every one of my planes, even the "big" ones, in the farmers field a block from my house. Now every spare 30 minutes that I have is a chance to get 2 or 3 flights in. I actually sort of like the sound of gassers and IC engines, but the majority of my neighbours sure don't! I miss flying for more than 6 minutes at a time though! Of course, it doesn't take that long to swap batteries and get back into the air. Lastly, I fly mostly 3D. It's not fun bringing a plane down low when you don't trust the power source. Until I can tune a gas engine to the point that I can trust it 100%, and get great throttle response, then I'll have to stick with electric. edit: It's nice plugging in a battery inside my nice warm vehicle, and taking it out in the snow ready to fly too. Playing with fuel and plugs in below zero weather doesn't interest me any more. |
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| 12-14-2010 05:51 AM | ||
| Myzee |
Re: I can't be the only one... P.S- Soul less wast he perfect word 
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| 12-12-2010 08:16 PM | ||
| Myzee |
Re: I can't be the only one... [QUOTE= But, I also firmly believe that in 20 years from now - we will still be having this discussion, with some guys like myself running engines and continuing to admire them for what they are. AJC[/QUOTE] And I will be there as well! I actually 'tried" the electric thing, but found it just was not for me. After being in this hobby for more years than I can remember, there's nothing that compares to the sound and smell of nitro, kero, and gasoline burning.  And not to forget about the fond memories of all of this.I don't think there has been a time when I went flying or I was working on my choppers or something, that my mind didn't slip back for a brief moment to a time in my past in this hobby. I specifically remember flying the BD5-J standing there thinking "Gee, I remember when I was freezing my hands off as a kid trying to get an .049 started on my free flight plane..... and now I'm flying this" It's reminiscing like that, that can bring a smile on your face when you stop and think about it. For some reason I can't see myself saying "Gee, I remember plugging the ESC into that motor and hooking up those batteries when I was a kid" LOL, It's just not the same. LOLPretty sure that even if that electric technology was there when I was a kid, I still would have preferred glow. Can I say 100%? Not really but I'm pretty sure I would have known what I liked back then considering how I am now. Everyone has their preference and there's nothing wrong with that. Why do I drink Heineken, when I can get twice as much "Lucky" or "Carling" for the same price? Simple, I prefer the taste of my Heiny's! Maybe if someone could make an electric helicopter sound and smell like my gassers, I will give it a try
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| 12-12-2010 03:44 PM | ||
| russ |
Re: I can't be the only one... Quote:
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| 12-12-2010 11:49 AM | ||
| AJCoholic |
Re: I can't be the only one... Quote:
Hitec receivers were usually about $80 to $100. Standard servos about $50/pc. Pricing has come down in the past few years since our dollar has gotten and stayed so strong VS the US dollar... but historically, prices for radio gear was pretty flat for many years... I have been at this for 30+ years now. Prices today are definitely at their best, but only in the past 3 or 4 have they really dropped but I think that is due to the $$. In terms of technology - it has been fun to both be old enough to see the introduction of computer radios, new battery technology, new electric motors, etc through the years... having started with such rudimentary equipment most modelers today would barely believe... But, I also firmly believe that in 20 years from now - we will still be having this discussion, with some guys like myself running engines and continuing to admire them for what they are. AJC |
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| 12-12-2010 10:58 AM | ||
| russ |
Re: I can't be the only one... I think the technology is moving faster than a lot of us can appreciate. Just think back 10 years, cell phones, internet, sat tv, computers and so on. RC isn't exclusive to technology. In fact I'd say I couldn't have afforded entering this hobby 10 years just because the cost of the Rx's was so expensive, now look where we are, $160 will buy a brand name 6 channel Tx. Another $80 will buy a matching brand name Rx. The 1st time I thought about getting into this, the Rx were astronomical in price. It was enough to scare me away on 1st blush. |
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| 12-12-2010 09:55 AM | ||
| AJCoholic |
Re: I can't be the only one... Quote:
And having just recently run some Cox 049's on castor based fuel, that smell DOES just have something about it that you cant get with anything else! I am very interested to see just how long the big players like O.S., Saito, etc who have been in the IC engine game for 50 to 60 years, keep at it. Currently, companies are still developing new designs and they are obviously selling enough to keep them going. Lets have this discussion in 5 and 10 years from now, and see where we are at... that will be very interesting indeed! AJC |
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| 12-12-2010 09:41 AM | ||
| russ |
Re: I can't be the only one... Nothing really AJ, except that RobscoRC was saying he preferred the feel of balsa. Balsa isn't a material that's exclusive to engines. Just as styrofoam isn't a material exclusive to electrics. I must admit, I think my ears are still ringing from my .049 days and electrics don't give you that oily hand or the smell of burnt glow fuel. Which brings back some great memories. Either way, both choices have their places but I really don't think fuel engines are going to be around as long as some of you guys think. Most of the newbs in this hobby today are starting with electrics. The newbs are also wondering about guys with fuel engines fiddling for 3/4 of an hour in the pits and never leaving the ground. You can have a 4s1p 2300 mAh battery re-charged and flying a 40 sized plane in that time! Ask me how I know that 
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| 12-12-2010 08:18 AM | ||
| AJCoholic |
Re: I can't be the only one... Quote:
I dont know you, or how long you have been a modeler, but the dream of electric powered models is far from new... it has been a dream of some for many decades. But only possible/practical since companies like LEisure Dynamics and Astroflight brought decent motors and gearboxes out in the 70's & 80's - and then it exploded with the advent of cheap, small brushless motors, controllers and of course lipo batteries in the past several years. I think the first I heard of any larger planes going electric was about 8 years ago, when Jason Shulman gave a seminar at the pattern symposium in Guelph. The fact that it is completely possible, and there are benefits wasnt the issue. I guess I was asking more of a personal question many either failed to get the point of, or dont care about - if that makes sense. I know electrics in some cases offer advantages - but for me personally those advantages dont add up to enough benefit to outweigh the love of IC engines. As for the "older guys" or nostalgia comment, as I stated early on in this thread, I know several older (70's age range) gentlemen who have been prolific modelers since their youth who completely jumped on the electric bandwagon, and gave up gas and glow engines they have loved and ran for decades. So it goes both ways. AJC |
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