Switch to Electric?

They are not.

Hmmm, 30k... not bad. Is there a website for the CS engines ?

You wouldn't want one. The company supplying them has not proven to me to be very reliable. I have one of the FF models with a pipe on it. It kicks ass but I'm afraid to run it because I don't know if parts are available.

But, if you must...

My T.D. .051 will turn a 6-3 at 18500 and produce 16 oz. of thrust which will haul a 15 oz. plane vertical from a hand launch. when I see an electric that will do that and run for 40 minutes (4 oz. tank) I will spend my life savings on one. until then I'll just sit back and listen to the hanger talk. George J.

That is some pretty impressive performance for small electrics, but the price still scares me off. For $350 I can buy a LOT of fuel for an engine that will produce 80oz of thrust.

Jerry: going back to your original post--you should not need to retune your engine frequently, but only when there are substantial changes (temp. and humidity) in the weather. Where I live, need to tune the engine about twice a year. Set it and forget it. Ask for help in the technique, and avoid trying to get the last rpm out of your engine.

What kind of engines are you used to, John?

Yes, you do need to retune "glow" engines frequently, if you want the engine to last longer than a season. Specifically two-stroke glow engines.

Are you one of those guys that drives the rest of us nuts at the field by flying a gasping, sagging overly lean glow two-stroke, or one of those guys whose engine is constantly chucking props off of their glow four-strokes and then in a fog as to the reason? If not, you have a fine ear and can anticipate how the engine is running. That is wonderful for you, but the vast majority of glow engine users are not so fortunate.

Frankly, and I never thought I would say this, there are some people that should stick with electric power, simply because they are tone deaf when it comes to tuning IC engines. They are happier and so are the rest of us who do not have to listen to the results of their tuning efforts.

Of course, you could be one of those guys that is flying a YS engine and who has his stuff together. That is always a possibility.

Ed Cregger

"John R. Agnew" wrote

The local site is less than 3 miles away and I drive a Volkswagen Passat TDI.

The BOTTOM line, Is I fly a 3d plane in my backyard (albeit 3 acres) The neighbors are ok with the almost nonexistent noise levels., I am able to do this after dinner most nights. The Total time required for this is 30 minutes, that is for 2 flights from the time I step outside until I return. With my current schedule and family obligations this is very doable.

To load the car, drive to the field, fly 30 minutes and pack and return = 2 hours, I do not have 2 hours to devote to flying, 5 days a week. Since I fly electric my actual stick time per month has gone through the roof, my skills have increased proportionally and at the same time I am able to spend time with my family.

Thus...I fly electric!.

Thanks, v. interseting.

Y'know, if I had the extra time I probly would. A big whuffly 4-stroke WWI biplane sort of appeals.

But then I have to invest in all the gear you need to handle the fuel and the plug and start it, and all my servos are too small and my recievers to small and..and..and..I haven't anywhere to store it...and...and...it would have to be assembled before flying and broken down afterwards...and..life is too short, sometimes. :-(

whereas I can peek out of the window at the trees, select from parkfly., vintage, sport aerobat or foamie jet in order of ascending windspeed, stick a pack on the charger, and when it beeps, go out and have ten minutes fun in between the rest of Life.

Ah, I see the rub...

For many of us, modeling is our lives, not something you stick in between other randomly occuring mundane events.

Ed Cregger

Ah. Well its something I enjoy immensely, but sadly just financing it means I have to spend a long time at a computer screen :-)

The other events are not randomly occurring tho.

I'm not religious about electrics: Just trying to put the real state of the art across. I thik there are a lot opf people like me who find that realflight G2 and small electrics will gain them serious pleasure without having to fiddle with messy IC engines and trek all the way to a flying site where its safe to fly (land? Crash?) them...

People hwo I have shown the stuff to get quite interested when they see me plug in, switch on and chuck...I'd never get them to a club tho.