Electric And Glow

epiper93

Active member
Hey, i'm newer on the forums, i have been in the hobby for a while now, i was wondering if this is just an odd assumption of mine or if others are noticing this too, back about 20 years ago, everyone flew glow, electrics were just starting to come out and they were looked at as garbage, but now they have the whole electric powered R/C planes down to a science, thats what i mostly fly. But, it seems as if alot of people converted over to electric, mainly because of the fact its a little easier, from a few stand points the planes are more durable and if something does happen to them they can usually be fixed very easily compared to the older glow planes. but seems like over the past year or two, glow is making a slow but sure come back. Has Anyone else noticed this? just wandering. thanks
 

FlyingMonkey

Bought Another Trailer
Staff member
Admin
I have noticed it too. I think what is happening is that there's a large number of people that might not have entered the hobby and a percentage of that number is moving to glow.
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
I have seen a lot of people converting to electric of some reasons.
- Cleaner in the car.
- Less noice - but that seems not so important on the field as it is when you are flying at home or in the park.
- Smaller planes are convenient and fast to get up flying and back in the car. Small IC-engines are not as nice in throttling and idle as bigger.
- Foamies are perhaps easyer to repair as they are not including heat on covering – but that is only better for electric if the planes are smaller. A 40-size foamie runs just as well with a glow engine.
- For the younger beginners it is a lot cheaper to get a 100-“money” electric RTF than a 250-“money” IC trainer and still need to get starting equipment.
- Electric is more powerful and reliable if you have a big IMAC or other competition plane class but the cost and danger in those power setups are still expensive and makes them rare.

On the other scale – many beginners are older (grey birded) men seeking a hobby when the kids are out of the house and the expenses are less. They often go for +2 meter models with 50 – 200 cc gas enginges as the cost is not that important and they have a car and a trailer.
There are still advantages with glow if you want to fly several hours every day with a medium sized plane. No need to bring lots of batteries, chargers and a powerplant to the field – just an extra receiver battery and a gallon of fuel.
 

colorex

Rotor Riot!
Mentor
I think that most people are not willing to throw in $300+ in what they view as a "toy" but now people can get a plane for a minimal amount, spreading the hobby (with electrics)
 

sandblaster

Senior Member
In the RC cars end, it seems everything is moving to electric. Much more powerful then gas, cheaper and less maintenance. Running in dirt, sand etc. not so much of a problem, and noise is always an issue where one can run an electric out the front door without having the neighbors being upset. Can't see gas park flyers being accepted because of the noise where no one even knows an electric is flying.

What gets me is the price of a glow/gas engine. One can buy several electric planes for the price of an engine. I would think the newer engine that run on gas would be a boost to the engine guys. One can stay in the air longer with a fuel engine, but the price of batteries from Hobby King really makes electric so affordable. If one is getting started and has not found Hobby King then the price of batteries from others can make gas look better price wise.

Room for both. I really like the quite and ease of electric. Remember the long ago glow .049 engines and how much time was spent getting them started etc.
 

epiper93

Active member
The whole mess thing was always an issue with me, glow fuel can leave a very nasty residue on your plane from the exhaust, it's almost like a dilluted grease. it makes your clothes smell, and you go through ALOT of windex and paper towels, if your going to do it right when cleaning a .40-.60 sized plane, your going to spend upwards of a half hour cleaning your plane off.
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
The holy messy thing was always an issue with me, glow fuel can leave a very nasty residue on your plane from the exhaust, it's almost like a dilluted grease. it makes your clothes smell, and you go through ALOT of windex and paper towels, if your going to do it right when cleaning a .40-.60 sized plane, your going to spend upwards of a half hour cleaning your plane off.
Almost forgot that lovely smell of recin oil and alco ;-)
Even better is the old "diesel" aroma of ether.
Sorry that you are missing a lot of that with the bad smelling petrol with only 2 % synt oil today.
 

epiper93

Active member
Almost forgot that lovely smell of recin oil and alco ;-)
Even better is the old "diesel" aroma of ether.
Sorry that you are missing a lot of that with the bad smelling petrol with only 2 % synt oil today.
yeah, but no matter what...wild-cat still leaves obnoxious exhaust film on wings and fuselage
 

Pilot Scott

FLY LOW
The largest factor in the rise of electrics was the advent of lithium batteries and brushless motors. The price of planes hasn't changed much in the world of wood but the addition of more stable and stronger extruded foams has. 15+ years ago, an E-Trainer with a 10T brushed motor, ESC and a 10cell NiMH would have set you back $500 bucks and the battery was good for 3 minutes of flight. The foam was nothing more than a molded beer cooler (EPS) and looked like snow on the ground with the lightest of crashes. Electric planes were a novelty. In the same respect, you could get a 40 Trainer with motor and radio for about $350 and your flight times were...................until you run though a gallon of fuel.

In steps EPP and EPO foam. E planes were much more durable but the electronics were still very expensive. Next up was lithium polymer batteries but they were very very expensive and then brushless motors came in to play and really, just in the last 5 years have you see such a huge jump in the electronic scene. This was mainly driven by the ridiculously low priced electronics coming out of China. Not sure there is a new uprising in new nitro, more than a few shelved units coming out of the basement that have been lurking in the shadows. From a business aspect, nitro and gas sales have not increased. One thing you will see in the future is the production of smaller gas engines and better pricing on gas. I would say that if there was a new wave, it would be gas, not nitro.
 

Pilot Scott

FLY LOW
Oh and for the "messy" nitro planes, get you a can of Nitro Force and stick a twisted paper towel in the exhaust and problem solved. My nitros look like the day I filmed or silked them.
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
A little of topic - why is the same thing called petrol in UK and gas in USA.
And what do you call gas - as methane in USA?

Another question is why it is so hard to find IC engines with self start as in cars and motorbikes. Jet enginges come with electric start motor.

Wish my budget could afford a small 4s gas engine (Saito)
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
Can anyone help me choose between electric and glow in this case.
The plane is probably 20 yars old and has been a Combat/Pylon trainer.

40" / 100 cm wing. Weigt without engine and fuel approx 600 grams -> about 1 kg ( >2 lbs) flying weight.

I have got an old Enya 29V but there is no compression so i assume that i need to get new gascets as a minimum but probably be stuck with a motor with bad idle.

I checked the HobbyKing Donkey but it wont come with a collet and threa is nothing to buy fitting a 6 mm shaft.
Next choise is a smaller Turnigy Aerodrive with included collet 5 mm.
Both motors will be good as i am no speed freak.

Picture link
 

ananas1301

Crazy flyer/crasher :D
I would look at what would be easier for yourself to do or what you really want.

If you can´t decide at all, look at what you have on stock in your "rc department" of your house and look what would be the easiest way to get it up in the air asap.

So as you have a engine lying around I´d say USE IT unless it will too expensive and not worth the time investing into an old motor that won´t even run properly.

Otherwise go for either one of the electric motors. Both will have plently of power, no question.
 

Pilot Scott

FLY LOW
A little of topic - why is the same thing called petrol in UK and gas in USA.
And what do you call gas - as methane in USA?

a small 4s gas engine (Saito)
Petrol in the UK is short for Petroleum and that is Gas in the US. The other planes (not Petrol/Gas) are Nitro or Nitro methane. We also have Diesel motors but they aren't as prevalent in scale aircrafts but more in free flight and then theirs Co2 and.....................
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
Well - i am running my glow engines on Methanol and oil (models).
But i run my car on Methane gas.
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
Nitro is a methanol-based fuel. If I could run my car on methane, I'd have a tube in my...............
:D And my car runs on shit (CNG) - locally produced - no need to support the oil sheiks.

And my old lapped Enya run on AMA approved 20% castor and 80 methanol - not a single % of nitro involved at all.
 

Cj1Corbystarlet

Junior Member
Ahh mixing methanol and caster oil brings back memories as a kid :)

Funny thing is that i have been running "Hobbyshop" mixed synthetic fuel and i swear it pumps out more oil residue than the old home made mix, Don't know i might just be more observant in my older years.

Anyhow cant beat the smell of a diesel free flight model :), or the smell of the nitro i used in my old Cox .049
 

bicyclemonkey

Flying Derp
Mentor
Oh and for the "messy" nitro planes, get you a can of Nitro Force and stick a twisted paper towel in the exhaust and problem solved. My nitros look like the day I filmed or silked them.
Sorry about reviving a dead thread but I actually found this on a google search while looking up glow stuff. I'm really wanting a 4c glow for the sound but don't want to slime my plane. My friend who has switched to gas tells me horror stories of glow getting under the film covering and soaking into the wood and ruining the plane. So, this leads to my question...What is "Nitro Force" and does using a twisted paper towel in the muffler actually help? How soon before it's stopped up with oil and you need to pull it out and replace it?