Re: LiPoly vs. Glow

Dec 13, 2003 13 Replies


Well maintained and properly tuned glow engines won't


>>"flame out".

Yes they will with carb ice, mainly 4 strokes due to the carb location. You know the day when you fly for about 2-3 minutes and the engine abruptly quits. You tweak the needle valve and it does it again. The next day, the same engine runs perfectly with no changes.


I watched a fellow flame out on three consecutive flights right when he applied power on the bottom of a loop. On the down side of the loop he was at reduced power and that is when carb ice will likely form. It takes the right conditions for it to happen and we as modelers don't diagnose it properly. By the time the plane is back on the ground the ice has melted.


Dan Thompson (AMA 32873, EAA 60974, WB4GUK, GROL) remove POST in address for email

: Why does everyone want to add repairs due to flameouts? I haven't had a : repair due to flameouts for many years. Well, since I quit buying crap : engines at least. Well maintained and properly tuned glow engines won't : "flame out".

For some reason people write stories of thei remergency landings due to a flameout onto this forum every now and then. Good for you that they do not happen to you. I suppose we can then conclude that electrics is the way to go for people who do not know how to maintain and properly tune a glow engine.

-Tapio-

The ideal conditions for carb ice is a temperature of 69 degrees F with 69% relative humidity.

My gosh! You seem to have been seriously bit with the bad luck bug! I can't even remember the last time I had a flame out!

I don't fully agree.

I flew electric before I flew glo. I obviously agree on the flame out problems, but there are just as many dangers and ways to screw up with electric as glo.

Bob

Yes...

Looks like (quick calculation) save 6 oz. and duration goes up to 25-45 min. depending on how hard I am on the throttle lever!

Cheers!

Dave

Sure,,

Aveox 1409 2Y & controller $246.00 off E-BAy Astroflight Gearbox, $60.00 14 Sanyo 2400 Cells (assembled, 2 , 7 cell packs) $110.00 ($7 per cell plus sermos connectors, wire etc.) Astroflight 111XL charger (Bought with a bad dent) $105.00

All costs are Canadian dollars...

Dave

Who did this?

Shameful! :)

I agree, GOOD engines well operated rarely "flame out"

Dave

Hmmm..

...... further explaination on the "above" and on further thought, I could agree with the emcook on this...

...I guess one COULD include a cost factor here......

Calculating it would be difficult, it would start to sound like an "insurance premium" ..

But the risk of "flamouts", if costed, would be definately higher with the higher risk of the glo engine vs electric..

BTW, I have had an electric die in the air.... burned a connection on a fuse holder between controller and motor.. Old fuse holder had lost clamping pressure on the spade connector of the fuse. ... Safe deadstick...

Also... re :emcook's post... I am still flying my original

1700 packs from 1997... I have replaced 3 of the cells (in 14) ..still measure about 1600 mah capacity..

Dave

Some of these people just have TOO much money!

One of the german sailplane maunfacturers has built a full sized electric powered sailplane. A figure that sticks was £90,000 for the battery pack, I don't believe that the batteries are interchangeable but are built in. given that a petrol engine for a sailplane costs about £1000, that is a fair old premium for electric flight.

It certainly is. BUT there is considerable interest in Lithium powered cars, even if in hybrid mode.

No other secondary cell has such good energy-to-weight, and a LOT of development is going on.

I can foresee the price coming way down once capex in large production facilities is amortized.

What Lithium has done for electrc planes, is show that a sufficiency of power/duration to weight can be achieved so that careful design and tuning is not necessary for a sport model. Even on relatvely cheap motors.

With price coming down, plug and play for average sport models is almost here at comparable costs for up to .20 sized planes. Beyond that price becomes progressively more prohibitive.

That's exactly what I say about YS owners. ;)

Bob

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