Switch to Electric?

Sounds like you are talking to people that know nothing about electrics. There are many planes out there that will handle the same winds gas planes do. The Zagi is one that I always take out when the wind picks up a bit, but is not really what you are looking for.

Check out this site for all of your electric questions.....

http://www.ez> I've been flying a 40 trainer with a 46 engine and Hiteck 4 channel radio

But the more you fly the cheaper it get's :-) Then it becomes cheaper than IC.......Fact John

-- remove"nospam" to reply

You can definitely find (or build) models that handle wind with aplomb. I've flown my Crazy Max in winds up to 25 mph (it stands still, and you have to land with full throttle--but it's a blast). Most Speed 400 models will easily handle winds of 20 mph or greater. Just stay away from slow-flyer types and you should be able to handle your ambient winds with no great difficulty.

Depends on the model. For Speed-400 types, you'll probably want a smaller, lighter receiver and some micro servos. Check out Balsa Products

To get that to fly, you're looking at a fairly expensive setup--probably a cobalt motor or brushless with gear drive and lots of cells. A better bet would be to look at an electric ARF that matches the size and performance you're looking for (instead of trying to convert a glow model). Check out Hobby Lobby, Hobby People, or even Tower for some examples.

Depends on the motor you're using. I can fly my homebrew FlyRod for almost 20 minutes on an 800mAh pack. The same pack only lasts about 10 minutes in my Speed 280 Twin.

I have a bunch, but my favorites so far are the Astro 110D and 112D. As has been said, this is one place you DEFINITELY shouldn't scrimp. A crappy charger produces poorly charged batteries, which in turn produces poor airplane performance. Put your money here.

How much money do you have? ;)

Seriously, you can spend oodles of dollars. I prefer cheap, so I'll offer the following:

Simple direct-drive Speed 400 model Motor: $9 Three 8-cell 600AE packs: $48 Pixie 20 Speed Control (from Castle Creations): $35 Astro charger: $125

Approx. total: $217

With that setup, you can fly full-house aerobatics all day long.

Add a gear drive ($15) and your range of model sizes goes up nicely.

If you need a small receiver and micro servos, add another $100--though you can certainly find excellent receiver/servo combination deals for much less.

Moe

There is a grain of truth to this, but it is becoming less and less of a factor. A whole herd of inexpensive (under $50) brushless motors are about to hit the market. When they do, the price differential will begin swinging the other way--big electric models will actually cost less than big glow planes.

And, of course, the on-going maintenance and operation costs of electric are essentially zero. No fuel, no clean-up stuff, no castor-soaked wood. The models last forever (barring an untimely encounter with the planet.

Make yourself a foam-cutting setup and you can have as many models as you can store. Foam may not get along with glow fuel very well, but it certainly likes electric power!

So, sure, glow still enjoys a power-to-weight and power-to-money advantage, but that is soon to disappear.

Moe

snip ........ and the frequent need to tune the engine which I do not do well.............

I have run a full gallon of fuel thru my Magnum .61FS during the last couple of months, and have touched the needle valve ONCE during that time.

Most people who fiddle with the needle valve do so needlessly!!!!!

David

Electrics can certainly fly in the same conditions as glow/gas planes. Call up ModelElectronicsCorp.com and give them the specs of your plane, he can give you a recommended motor configuration. He helped me out with a Mega Motor brushless set up and it flew better than the glow version. The only thing I don't like is that on landing the electric, it doesn't have enough power to taxi back home through the grass. So I get a little exercise if I don't do a good landing.

HA!

I just returned from a fly in, where I "DUSTED OFF" 3/4 of the models there with my electric Cloud Dancer..

Unlimited vertical.. and I have flown it in the same winds as any .40 - .60 powered model with no problem...

And this plane can outclimb my .90 powered Extra and easily do continuous loops at 1/2 power. (almost said 1/2 throttle! - SHAME on me! ) :)

Dave

So, what did you have in it? I can easily say that NO electric commercially available has demonstrated the same performance as my YS .91 powered Ballistick.

It is still a long ways away when comparing performance.

Paul,

You need to get out more. There are commercially available ARFs now that can do things your Ballistick won't. Unlimited vertical. 20-minute duration. Complete 3-D manueverability. And you can hold the fuselage vertical, push the throttle up, and watch the model rise straight up out of your hand.

I remember only too well when electric models where little more than (under)powered gliders. Today's models--Gary Wright's E3D, the Mountain Models Tantrum, the NSP Mambo, even the WattAge E3D--can handily fly any maneuver the pilot is capable of.

Of course, in both glow and electric, we've reached a point where the airplanes are FAR better than most of the pilots who own them. But that's another story.

Moe

Commercially available electric power systems in these videos: (warning huge files) check it out.

all electric....nuff said!

Maybe when comparing price-to-performance, but not in sheer performance. A brushless/LiPoly setup can be easily configured to outperform any glow engine out there. Give me a plane and an unlimited budget, and I can power it with electrics such that it will outperform and outlast its glow-powered doppleganger in the air. The plane can even be an ARF; I won't do a bit of lightening on the airframe.

If you are experienced enough to recognize how the engine is running without adjusting the needle valve, then what you have done is okay.

On the other hand, modelers should check their needle valve setting at the beginning of the first flight of the day, if they care about engine longevity.

I tried to teach my student pilots to care for their engines and I had them do this enough that it became automatic for them to ensure that their engine was tuned properly.

Granted, four-strokes do not need tuning as often as two-strokes, but better safe than sorry.

The only way you can get good at doing something is to do it.

Ed Cregger

Check out this plane

John VB

I specifically bought my Wingo to fly here at home, though I will perform the initial flights at the flying field, just to make sure all is okay. Especially when loaded with the video setup.

Flying at home is the niche I see electric fitting into for me. At least for now. Who knows what may come? I still love my IC engines and see no reason to give up one for the other.

Ed Cregger

The report this morning on the NSRCA discussion list is that Jason Shulman has got a 3 HP setup (20" prop?) at the FAI pattern tournament.

Electrics may not be ready for pylon racing, but they're coming on strong in other areas of the hobby.

I'm not switching yet, but I'm intrigued.

Marty

Some dude--sorry I misremember his name--has been flying electric

Dunno how his planes stack up to the YS 91, but he seems happy with them.

Marty

You need to get out more, too, Martin. There are a lot of Speed-400 pylon racers that are pushing WELL past the 100mph mark. (I think the VIP Racer will do something like 140 in stock configuration with a can motor.)

For those who really feel the need for speed, check out some of the hotliner and LMR electrics. There are a couple of models that will push

Personally, when the model hits about 80 mph, I start getting too far behind it. I had an el-cheapo early-generation electric pylon model for a while. It would do close to 100 mph with a can 400 motor up front. Scared hell out of me because it would get sooooooo small soooooo fast.

Good, clean fun!

Moe

Agreed! :o)

OK. Will they outrun nitro-methane yet? I think that was the test that was proposed. :-P

Here's the latest from Poland--Tony Stillman, prez of NSRCA:

"We all made it here fine. Models and fuel arrived without problems. Chip is flying the bipe well, Sean is also flying well. Jason's electric is AWESOME! Can get a 15 minuite flight with 140DZ type power! Nose checks at about 93db, but is almost copletely silent in the air! He is flying very well, but the models is not quite as well trimmed yet as his Angel's Shadows..."

Let's see, a 140DZ is a YS 4-stroke. That's a pretty good level of performance, I guess.

Marty