Is IC Dead in the Water?

[Neil67]

Just visited my local model shop looking for a tachometer. Told "none in stock, can't remember when I last sold one" Apparently shop doesn't really stock engines anymore electric has all but replaced IC. Seems IC, certainly for smaller models, not looking good.

[ben goodfellow 1]

not yet , but i think its very close, leccy is cheaper cleaner more powerfu(ptw)l no noise . but only up to a point then i feel petrol takes over for me its the 30 -50 cc area where petrol is better.like many ive no glow engines now sold them all as fuel was getting so expensive,, my view any way

[Paul Marsh]

Nope. IC Rules... Fly both but imagine using batteries on a 50cc engine size. Will cost the amount of a small car!

Also engines sound nicer as well.

[Masher]

I think this says more about your local model shop than it does about the future of IC and/or electric!

[GrahamC]

No its not dead in the water.... My fairly good LMS may not have many engines.... but they don't carry that many motors either. Just purchased a nice new ASP 91 2 stroke from Hobbyking and it appears that they are flying off the shelves like hot cakes.

IMHO the 50-90 sized engine will be around for a while. Smaller engines will be replaced by electric and larger by Petrol.

[ken anderson.]

hello neil--hard to say really-you could argue until the cows come home but there will always be hats in both camps......looking around at our club site-the electric models are normally outnumbering the ic........as are the ARTF compared to the kit/scratch builds...

ken Anderson ne..1.........hats in both camps dept.

[Bernie]

it may seem as if electric power is taking over ,and yes I think it might be .but ic will not be replaced altogether I think the older modeller prefers ic ,Unfortunately A lot of clubs are going over to electric because of noise complaints ,I use both but I would never stop using ic . Bernie

[Stephen Grigg]

No ,love my IC engines no comparison

[Concorde Speedbird]

Answer: no.

It will take one silly comment for this thread to explode into a battlefield, so I think no more needs to be said.

CS

Edited By Concorde Speedbird on 22/10/2013 17:54:13

[ben goodfellow 1]

im out of it with glow , but how mny flights would you get out of a gallon of glow fuel on a 20 -25 cc glow engine , i ask as i have 30-35 cc area leccy and lipos are only 25-35 pound each , so its not really that bad buying them . glow fuel is only get more expensive while lipos are getting cheaper and better all the time............. the only down sides to leccy are the good weather catching you off guard and there all flat ,, and the smell of castor oil....

Edited By ben goodfellow 1 on 22/10/2013 17:58:13

[Andrew767]

Hi Neil

No not dead in the water as there will always be some for whom tinkering with engines is a big part of the hobby but like you i've been in several model shops and i.c. certainly seems to be on the wane. As Ken says electric outnumbering i.c at our field too now. Aeromodelling never stands still.

Andrew

[Bob Cotsford]

It's not dead in my club as most of us fly a mix of IC and electric. In fact I've just treated myself to an ASP 1.80 four stroke. If it costs £2.00 a flight that's fine by me, a day flying is still cheaper than most hobbies.

[Mr.B.]

I started flying with electric 3 years ago and this year have invested in my first two IC aircraft. So no, I think IC is not dead. There is a place for both and I enjoy both.

[David Davis]

Electric models may be the future but they have no soul!

[John Privett]

Posted by GrahamC on 22/10/2013 17:45:51:

IMHO the 50-90 sized engine will be around for a while. Smaller engines will be replaced by electric and larger by Petrol.

That's exactly the way I see it too, though I might perhaps move the electric / glow border to around the .40 mark. But I do see glows being squeezed by electric at the smaller end and petrol at the bigger end.

I fly both electric and glow, and will continue to fly both for the forseeable future, though I'll admit it's been several months since I last took a glow-powered model to the field.

[Peter Miller]

Read the latest editorial in RCM&E.

IC is making a comeback.

Not that it ever left our club,

[Greybeard]

I must be the odd one out as I am one of those changing over from i.c. nitro 4 strokes between 8 and 30cc to electric and I certainly intend going much larger.

[Erfolg]

Neil, you are a naughty boy. Letting the dogs of war of the leash.

Yet the response has been relatively muted. It seems that both sides have previously fought each other to a standstill.

Even electric fliers use tachos, to check how near the anticipated revs are being achieved, with the particular propeller fitted. On that basis the LMS used a poor excuse for not holding stock.

As to the question, where noise is an issue, you can see that electric models will be more prevalent.

At present and possibly for ever, batteries do not achieve have the same energy density as liquid fuels, being significantly less. That is a major advantage, given that the relative cost of running either type is not dissimilar.

Who cares anyway?

[Ben B]

I suspect there is an age bias but not just from a point of view of "this is what I grew up with". The advantage of glow fuel / petrol is that you can go to the field with a big old tank of fuel and fly all day. Try doing that with lipos and unless you can park next to the pits and don't mind leaving your car running or can lug around a big old car battery you're limited in the number of flights you can have.

If I was retired and had all day to fly, clean my models etc etc I'd be 100% glow (well, perhaps 90%). Seeing as I snatch a quick flight here and then whenever I can when I'm not working my butt off at work, looking after our nipper etc it's electric all the way. But it makes me sad! I've got two unused lovely IC engines sat awaiting some juice!

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Hi Folks,

Older hands on here will know this is a dangerous topic! Threads like this have ended up being closed before now. So can I ask:

No negative comments.

By all means tells us what you like - but no comments criticising the "other side" (whichever that is for you) please. Otherwise this will simply decay into an unholy row - we've been here before, let's not go there again. There is plenty of room for both propullsion systems and while its great that some are enthusiasts for one or t'other let's have mutual respect and tolerance.

Remember however sure you are that you are right about this - its still only your opinion and the other guy is just as entitled to his completely opposite and equally strongly held - opinion!

BEB

[Steve Goodwin]

Here, here BEB,

I love my electric Mustang, but I will always be an engine man, just love the sound of a Four Stroke.

Personally the electric models will encourage new people to our hobby because the package can be relatively cheap when you start. The only issue I have is the maths you have to do with that side of our hobby if you choose to stay leccy

For me IC every time.

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

IC for me....I acknowledge how good electric is & it certainly has a large place in our hobby but it will never replace a real engine for me.....

Each to their own I guess but certainly IC is alive & well in my club....

[john melia 1]

absolutely not , at least not in my camp anyway , i love em , don't have any leccy stuff other than the depron su37 i made , and i have two 3s 2200's for that , i just like the sound of ic and the smell , and the tinkering around.

[Tim Mackey]

Gliders - there is the future

[Shaunie]

I have both and they both have their place.

I like electric for a quick bit of flying practice, whack in a battery go fly, no sudden loss of power, if you fly too long you can usually get back to the field (only happened once when I mistakenly took of with an uncharged battery).

I like I/C as it was the love of small engines that got me into flying not the other way round, sounds nicer (IMHO), full power right through the engine run (no running down towards the end). The satisfaction of getting the engine tune "just right". The sudden call of "deadstick" and the satisfaction of making the centre of the runway first time because there isn't a second .

Shaunie.