Brian Cooper

CRRC petrol engines are very good but seem to have fallen by the wayside for popularity. I have (and regularly use) several of them. They are reliable and powerful. . Basically, they appear to be identical to Zenoah. DLE is the current marque which seems to be in favour and their engines have stood the test of time. Spare parts are readily available if and when they need replacing. The DLE 35RA can be a bit moody if installed in a tight cowl. . It has a rear exhaust, and the carb lives directly above it, so the heat rises and causes a few issues. The solution is to install a heatproof "shelf" or barrier between the exhaust and the carb, and also channel some (plenty of) cold, external air onto the carb.

To answer the original question in the thread title, NO, they are not 100% safe. They are a fire risk. Treat them with respect, and don't charge them unattended. Most recharging goes without a hitch but it only has to go awry once to create a (flaming) catastrophe.

I fly with IC (glow and petrol) and with electric. With electric, I draw the line at 4s. . Anything after that just gets stupidly expensive. Pros: Convenient and less mess. Cons: Short flight times, expensive and far more dangerous. IC power is more preferable for the slightly larger models. It gives much longer flight times and is considerably cheaper to run. Plus, IC power just sounds right. But hey ho, we are all different, so use whatever suits you best.

Gyros: I have tried the best and have not liked them. . . I gave them away. It is like having a "Nanny" onboard, constantly wagging her finger and saying, "Nanny knows best." Well, Nanny does NOT ruddy well know best. Gyros interfere and they delay your control inputs. They are an infuriating gadget and utterly useless for spirited 3-D flying. There are no Nannies in any of my models.

Bottom line: Those who are proficient at flying aerobatics make it look easy. Those who are learning to fly aerobatics are convinced the experts are cheating. Proficiency is gained by practicing. There are no shortcuts. There is no substitute for practice. . . . and yet more practice.

Essex: The early years...

It's not cheating. It's about timing and precision. Learn to walk before aspiring to run.

Well that’s it I’m divorcing my wife. She spread glue all over my rifles. She denies it but I’m sticking to my guns.

Most of my relatives are police marksmen, apart from my granddad who was a bank robber. . He died recently, surrounded by his family.