Quite surprised

[hedge]

I was already to change from N to E but the there have been so many reports of fires that I'm more confused than ever - family safety comes far higher than my hobby. But what surprised me was this. I always thought (and will be happy to be corrected) that an E 700 was cheaper to run than a N 700.

My my bench mark is 60 - 5 min flights a month or 2 sessions of 6 flights a week ( plus a few extra here and there which is what most people I've met do.

now last time I had an 700 e the best charger around was he old cellpro 10s. Also the idea was that you needed as many batteries as possible so you could fly with out charging. Well things have changed and it seems popular now to minimise batteries by having a generator. My aim. Was to keep to 3 flight packs (6 batteries) 1 to fly, 1 to cool and 1 to charge at a high C rate looking to charge in about 15 mins. To achieve this I need to buy

1 x 1000w generator (kipor) £395
1 x PL8 £289
1 x 1300w PSU £239
2x 6 x turnigy 50c 6s 5000mAh £300 delivered ( note at a rate of 120cycles per flight pack I would need 12 batteries for the whole year 720 flights)

Now buying the PL8 and PSU from FL during a 10% sale with a bank TX -3% = £462.30 +pp

So year 1 E = £1467.99
year 2 I would just need batteries so £600

Flying the above time on Nitro 700 with a FULL UK gallon on 91 HZ ENGINE I get just over 9 flights per gallon so 4 gallons per month gives me the equivalent of 60 - 5min flights. This cost £95 so for the year
£1140. I should add I get my fuel mixed on demand and get more than a UK GALLON so again I've levelled this for comparison.

Both the above need maintenance
N - engine bearings, piston rings, glow plugs = £160 ( 4 sets bearings and rings change every 12 gallons)
E - 2 x busted batteries, Genny fuel, Genny oil and a new motor every year £350

2 years of E = £2350
2 years of N = £2440

As my skills improve my E flight time would drop to about 4:30 and my N would get a big block 105 or 120 srx so fuel consumption would go up.

The main point here I was surprised, I thought E would be far cheaper than N for my flying style. Of course as you head into year 3 things change but I can't be sure I will be flying in 3 years so just kept it to 2 for now.

Flight times are averaged I get from 7:30 to 10 mins depending on style big air vs 3d.

[jasoncook]

You will still have the genny, power supply and a pl8 at the end of the two years. You cant add crashed batts into a cost equation . I have not worn an electric motor out ever, changed a few shafts and bearings as maintenance . I have killed a good few 90 size glo engines that spew out carcinogenic fumes . Bearings collapse pump diaphragms split causing a lean run etc. The debate will run and run. I just like the fact an electric is the same every time you fly it and will have more power than needed.

[p4ddy]

E - 2 x busted batteries, Genny fuel, Genny oil and a new motor every year £350

Busted batteries?? Nope. New motor for genny or heli??........... If the genny needs a new motor every year then it must be a pile of poop. Only 127 cycles too from a lipo? That means serious lipo neglect.

Those added extra's don't exist so leccy still wins

[p4ddy]

Oh, let me just add my leccy verses nitro pic

http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/attach...p;d=1342028598

[waveydavey]

I love the breakdown in prices but never let it bother me. I know cost is important but the debate goes on, why not just go with 1 each, extended flight times on the N for practicing and an E for ease of setup and convenience.

I love both, got an old 700n with 105 and get 8 mins flightime an got the e700 with 4:40. The e has had more use lately as I can pick it up and go, maintenance doesn't appear to be required as much as the N and time has been precious the last few months so I've found it easier to live with but the N will make it out the coming weekend hopefully.

[debrooker]

i don't think there's much in the running costs tbh - the biggest factor for me moving from nitro to electric is convenience.

I wouldn't say a genie is a necessity either, I have 8 x 12s packs and a leisure battery should i ever get the opportunity to fly more than 8 flights (which is a good afternoon flying for me)

[gazmk2]

You also don't need to buy the very best of everything to fly leccy! Instead of a £200 pl8 I have a hyperion that will bash out 12s 5000mah in 30 mins that cost me £75. Instead of £100 Optipower batteries I use £35 turnigy blues.

[treff]

You did not add the inevitable hard landings. On average 4 per year at lets say £50 to 150. My giddy bloody Aunt Fanny why oh why did I not stick to flying soarers.

[r4nd0m]

My aim. Was to keep to 3 flight packs (6 batteries) 1 to fly, 1 to cool and 1 to charge at a high C rate looking to charge in about 15 mins.

knowing this first hand - its not even required, I know a bunch of guys who own a single pack - fly and charge it at 3-5C and fly again - no cool off whatsoever ...

[ChrisB]

I have never given two hoots about what it costs to fly what i prefer,for me Electric wins hands down and if lipos were double the price and lasted half as long and brushless motors needed replacing every year then so be it.

I like electric,cost irrelevent.

[jimmyhorns]

While the initial setup costs are higher for electric, I think these rapidly level out though once past year 1 going into year 2.

As others have said, you dont need a PL8 or PL6, and you dont need a generator, and though these are nice to have, for most people they wont fly more than half a dozen flights in any given session.

If you are going to sit in a field and fly 30 flights in a day then I can see the point of nitro, but for a lot of people that just isnt going to be their routine.


One thing you have missed out in your equation is the cost of going to get your nitro, or having it delivered (and being in for it to be delivered), which is a recurring issue rather than a one time fee.

For me its £10 at the minimum in petrol to get to somewhere I can fly nitro, or around £1 to get to and from my club where I fly electric, so thats going to be another factor for a fair few who have to choose between electric only and mixed clubs.

For me, running a club, one of the biggest draws to being an electric only club is keeping the neighbours happy. While we cant fly nitro even if we wanted to, the impact on those around, and certainly the perceived impact is much less. No smoke (most of the time ) and no chainsaw in the sky noise to contend with. To the passing public it looks like a group of grown men flying toy helicopters - which is exactly what we want, as opposed to a load of louts messing around with flying chainsaws and ruining their Sunday morning - and this, to me, is priceless

[johnsandywhite]

Forget what it costs for the set ups of Nitro versus Electric. It's flying/flights that count.
I had THREE flights with Electric while my son was getting his Nitro ready to fly. I then sat down and was having a cup of coffee.
Son started to fly and it started to spit with rain. I put all my gear straight into the bakc of his van. Son landed and put his gear away in his van.
It continued to spit before it chucked it down with rain.
2 weeks later, the Nitro motor seized and my son converted to Electric and has not touched Nitro in over 2 years.

[chumley]

I was already to change from N to E but the there have been so many reports of fires that I'm more confused than ever - family safety comes far higher than my hobby. But what surprised me was this. I always thought (and will be happy to be corrected) that an E 700 was cheaper to run than a N 700.

My my bench mark is 60 - 5 min flights a month or 2 sessions of 6 flights a week ( plus a few extra here and there which is what most people I've met do.

now last time I had an 700 e the best charger around was he old cellpro 10s. Also the idea was that you needed as many batteries as possible so you could fly with out charging. Well things have changed and it seems popular now to minimise batteries by having a generator. My aim. Was to keep to 3 flight packs (6 batteries) 1 to fly, 1 to cool and 1 to charge at a high C rate looking to charge in about 15 mins. To achieve this I need to buy

1 x 1000w generator (kipor) £395
1 x PL8 £289
1 x 1300w PSU £239
2x 6 x turnigy 50c 6s 5000mAh £300 delivered ( note at a rate of 120cycles per flight pack I would need 12 batteries for the whole year 720 flights)

Now buying the PL8 and PSU from FL during a 10% sale with a bank TX -3% = £462.30 +pp

So year 1 E = £1467.99
year 2 I would just need batteries so £600

Flying the above time on Nitro 700 with a FULL UK gallon on 91 HZ ENGINE I get just over 9 flights per gallon so 4 gallons per month gives me the equivalent of 60 - 5min flights. This cost £95 so for the year
£1140. I should add I get my fuel mixed on demand and get more than a UK GALLON so again I've levelled this for comparison.

Both the above need maintenance
N - engine bearings, piston rings, glow plugs = £160 ( 4 sets bearings and rings change every 12 gallons)
E - 2 x busted batteries, Genny fuel, Genny oil and a new motor every year £350

2 years of E = £2350
2 years of N = £2440

As my skills improve my E flight time would drop to about 4:30 and my N would get a big block 105 or 120 srx so fuel consumption would go up.

The main point here I was surprised, I thought E would be far cheaper than N for my flying style. Of course as you head into year 3 things change but I can't be sure I will be flying in 3 years so just kept it to 2 for now.

Flight times are averaged I get from 7:30 to 10 mins depending on style big air vs 3d.

Regarding the safety point...I never keep Lipo batteries in the house, as I would never keep a container of fuel in my house either.

[trillian]

There was a time I was flying all nitro and when I got the Trex 500 I started splitting my flying day between the two. Previously I had been flying .50 and .90 nitro. So after integrating the 500 I decided to retire my .50 nitros because I was no longer concerned about the fuel costs really and this to me was the best of both worlds as I enjoyed the .90 more anyway. Soooooo, the point being that another approach is a low cost smallish electric. When I first got my 500 I was using a Fusion 200 watt PSU I got for 20 quid, an iMax quatro charger I think I paid £85.00 for and I slowly bought more LiPos over time (and now LiPos are even cheaper). Granted, it's not the same experience as a 700 electric but it's a way to ease into electric and cut the fuel costs at the same time.

[helidan_wales]

A friend and I have often had conversations concerning the costs of both buying and running electric & nitro. Every time we seem to arrive at the same conclusion and that is for the most part there is little to choose between the two, all things considered. I own both, for longer periods spent flying I have my nitro but for quick grab-and-go flights like in the evening I've got the electric. I think both powerplants have their place and I don't believe there is any particular aspect about one that really outshines the other. I tend to be a LOT more concerned about what a crash might cost me rather than if there is a difference in running costs between running the two.