AveragFlight times

Well, the gassers at my field don't usually run more than 10 minutes as they don't care to risk a dead-stick landing. But it is possible to make a "flying gas tank" that can fly for as long as you can stand it. You will need a bigger radio battery, or a charging system, if you stay in the air too long and any extra weight will have detrimental effects on handling.

Categorizing all electric planes as park flyers is hardly fair though. I had a large electric sailplane that I wouldn't dream of taking to the park and that I've kept aloft for half an hour or so on one charge (on a good day). It was made to dead-stick, which means I could use the entire charge minus radio reserve. Likewise there are gas planes that only carry enough gas for a couple laps.

Don't get me wrong, gas can be fun, but it sounds like you are drawing conclusions about electrics from electrics with small "gas tanks".

Yup. Gas 'n go. Or replace the battery pack 'n go for an electric. Either it is getting enough cooling for continuous duty or it isn't.

Usual flight times for electrics is around 10minutes, although that can easily be exceeded depending on the battery and the aircraft style. For example, I have an electric "old time" (Green Hobby Easy Flyer) and using

800mAh NiMh will get full power flights of 10+ minutes. If I go "glider mode" (minimal motor) I can easily get 20mins. With some altitudes and thermals (it loves thermals) I've done an easy 37minutes.

Now my 40 sized trainer (Seagull Boomerang 40) is 62 inch span and runs a

40LA. Tank size is reasonable. I can easily do 15minutes of near full throttle. With some more gentle throttle 20minutes is possible BUT I don't push it because dead sticks don't give you a second chance....

Just refuel it. By the time you land it and refuel it will have cooled down sufficiently (assuming is leaned out and got hot).

It depends on the size of the fuel tank and how heavy-handed the pilot is on the throttle. A .46 engine and appropriately sized fuel tank will usually run somewhere in the vicinity of 8 - 10 minutes at full throttle.

A gent who used to fly with our little group would ask me how I could stay in the air so much longer than he could, most times about twenty minutes to his ten or less. The answer is that he would fly at full throttle until it was time to land, and I fly at full throttle only when going up (or going wild! ). Unless you're racing there's really no good reason to fly an entire flight with the throttle dimed. Most of my flying is at half throttle or less, and the tank is still half-full when I land after ten or twelve minutes.

Yes, the engine can overheat, but it won't unless it is improperly adjusted (run too lean). I refill and go right back up quite frequently, especially when I haven't flown for a while.

Texas Pete

I almost never fly out the batteries on my electric -- I generally get two or three flights before I swap in my other battery. Since I'm charging one while I'm flying on the other I've yet to wait on a battery charging.

I fly about 15 minutes on my OS 46 SF. 6oz tank. Back when I started out, my trainer had an OS 40FP and a 10oz tank. I kept it in the air sometimes for 40 minutes or so. You could consider a 40 size for your trainer. It's nice to have lots of practice time in one flight. I remember going up and just doing touch and go circuts over and over and over. Really perfects your landing skills.

Batteries are pretty much your only limit. That or the ground.

That's pretty good. I only get about 10-12 minutes with a SuperTiger45 on an 8oz tank. But it does seem to do a little better as it gets more hours on it.

Dunno but my home buuilt parkflyer does 30-40 minutes.

I also second the concept of having a 40 sized engine (in my case an LA) and getting lots of practice time. When no-one is around to get in my way, I've had as many as 20 practice landings on one tank. That also included 5 minutes at the start of the flight to settle into things, plus another 5 minutes at the end of "thrashing around".

The 40LA is not as underpowered as many suggest, particularly when well run in and using 10% fuel. Sure, it's no 46AX but then it's not trying to be...

I have problems with attracting territorial boards. Luckily they haven't made contact yet. Silent glide while they approach and then turn on the motor, tends to put them off a little.

It all boils down to how much energy in the form of fuel or amp-hours your plane carries and how fast the engine/motor consumes it. A park flyer with a LiPo battery pack and the right motor can cruise around for over an hour. However, it can't do 3D aerobatics and still get that duration. Glow planes are usually set up to give about approximately 10 minutes of wide-open-throttle flight. As they say, "your mileage may vary."

Morris

Territorial boards? Picket fences with an attitude? I've pranged against some fence posts before, but the boards have never attacked me... :-) (sorry, couldn't resist):-)

Morris

Most of the places we fly is surronded by tall corn fields. We've done a little "corn de-tassling" lately. Even a 43% Ultimate biplane fell victem.

Don't you hate trying to find a plane in a cornfield!

Morris

Don't you hate trying to find a plane in a cornfield!

BTDT :) mk

I walk out a few rows and came back, the heat was too much for me,...and I usually handle the heat better than others.

They had a long pole with a flag on top and two-way radios. A person staying outside the corn could see where they were by the pole and direct them to the estimated spot via the radio. It still took a lot of time and about six people to carry the pieces back (thats a big plane), but I think it would really have been much worse without the pole and radios.