[NSRCA-discussion] Electric vs. Glow

Fri Feb 17 15:18:33 AKST 2006

As has been noted, I plan to make the jump to electric in 2006 - I'd offer
the following costs -

$1,300.00 - Abbra (www.EScomposites.com).
$455.00 - Pletty 30-10 (www.Icare-rc.com).
$210.00 - Castle Creations Phoenix 85HV (www.CastleCreations.com).
$1,200.00 - 2xTP10s4p 5300 (www.Draganfly.com - best prices I've seen).
$35.00 - Budd softmount (www.BuddEngineering.com)
$250.00 - 2xAstro 109 lipo chargers (available many places).
$100.00 - 1 12volt deep cycle marine battery for field charging.
$150.00 - Iota DLS55 power supply (55 amp) - available many places, use for
home PS and recharge of 12 volt field battery.

$3,690.00 Total.

The above is absolutely competive in F3A and all of it is reasonably easy to
get.  You could spend more/less on any of the above items, but as listed,
depending on the number of flights, the cost is certainly comparable to a
decked out DZ setup w/ softmount, header, CF pipe, etc, and the support
equipment and fuel to go with it.  If you want to fly back to back, you'll
need 2 more chargers ($250.00) and 2 more sets ($1,200.00) of lipos, but
what is listed should be good for at least 200-300 flights - at which point
all that might be needed is new lipos (which continue to drop in price and
improve in performance).  Compare that to servo repairs, airframe vibration
repairs, umpteen gallons of 30%DZ fuel, the engine in the plane, the engine
being repaired, and the engine in transit to/from the repair shop,
....etc....and make your choice.  And the price could be reduced using an
AXI (definite weight penalty) or one of the soon to be available Hacker
outrunners (also a weight penalty) which are in the $250.00 range.  For
Sportsman, Intermediate, and Advanced, the TP 4200s have plenty of capacity
and power, and would save another $160.00.

FWIW - I will be changing to electric because the perception is that the
electric is better, and I will have more options for practice fields.  Kind
of amusing on both counts - as my Webra setup is substantially stronger
(appearance-wise and by the numbers) and the noise levels of my glow and
electric setups are within 1db.

For the record, I've happily purchased products from all the companies I
noted, some of which are current sponsors (and I've done beta testing for) -
- Castle Creations for ESCs.
- Budd Engineering for mounts.
- Horizon help with TP lipos (as they carry TP and I am part of Team JR
through Horizon).

I did a lot of reading, and contacted a lot of people for information.  To
date, I'm quite happy with the Pletty/CC/TP setup in the Abbra and I've only
had a few minor issues which were easily remedied for little or no cost.  I
plan to bump up the power output when the weather is warmer (lipos don't
like the cold) and try some other motors (Cyclon and Hacker) in addition to
the Pletty.  And I can't wait to get the pair of Prestige planes in the air
as they will be 3-5 oz lighter, putting them under the 10 lb mark at takeoff
(compared to my Webra powered Vivats which are 9.75 lb dry and 10 lbs 8 oz
at takeoff).

A long time ago, it was posted on this list that electrics were not for
everyone and probably never would be - still sage advice today - eh Mr.
Shulman?

Regards,

Dave Lockhart
DaveL322 at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Laggis" <fishgod at pobox.mtaonline.net>
To: "'NSRCA Mailing List'" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Electric vs. Glow

> I have been flying indoor electrics for 6 years.  I have been flying
LiPolys
> long before they were truly commercially available.  We bought individual
> cells and made our own packs.  I have packs that have 100+ cycles easy.  I
> understand the benefits of electrics.  I personally can't make the initial
> jump into electrics
>
> 4 packs $2960
> 2 chargers $400
> Power Supplies $200
> New Air Frame $2500
> 2 Motors ?????
> 2 Speed Controllers ?????
>
> Total Approx $7000?
>
> I know that with the amount I can fly all in a summer the equipment would
> probably last me years.  It is just the initial dump of $7000 that I can't
> lay out
>
> Michael Laggis
> NSRCA 3618
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
> [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Joe
Lachowski
> Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 1:33 PM
> To: nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Electric vs. Glow
>
> I'll throw something else in the mix which you can't put a price on. Loss
of
> hearing due to exposure time to noise generated from internal combustion
> motors and the risk of cancer associated with the exposure to the fuel
which
> we come in contact with.
>
> Of course on the electric side, you have risk of fire.
>
> Let's throw in one more benefit in the electric direction, a big one,
> keeping flying sites. Not to start a war here, but I've heard of a number
of
> fields over the last 5 yrs being lost or restricted in one way or another
> because of loud IMAC style airplanes. Ask Dave Lockhart, because of some
> IMAC planes he has had to by necessity to resort to flying electric in
order
> to take advantage of using a field local to him in the weekday evening
> hours.
>
> Del, glow fuel manufacturers don't guarantee their fuel why should the
> battery mfg. Like the glow setup it is all up to the individual to
> operate/maintain his equipment within the parameters they are designed to
> operate. I've read enough on the web and magazines to now feel confident
> that in most cases if you properly use and maintain your electric
equipment
> you should be able to get several hundred flights out of a pack.
> Unfortunately, in our application we are on the bleeding edge and the jury
> is still out. There are some who have over a hundred flights on a flight
> pack already. Only time will tell and the technology still keeps
improving.
> On the downside, for some, if you don't fly several hundred flights a year
> on your pattern rig, it is not worth it to fly electric due to battery
shelf
> life.
>
> yada yada yada<g>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NSRCA-discussion mailing list
> NSRCA-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
> http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion
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