Guide: Nitro vs. Electric

[Rctintin]

Adam, there's a lot of great value 600's out there second hand, but a quality 700 is the way to go mate. Loads of power, great feel, amazing Auto hang time, long flight times etc etc. Align 700n is bullet proof, Synergy N7 is expensive but awesome. I'm about to do a build thread on the Gaui NX7 on here also. No need to go to a 120 size motor unless your happy with 5min flights and 5-6 per gallon of fuel
The motor of choice at the moment is the OS 105 HZ-R, or the YS91 SRX Tareq. The latter is what's going in my NX7, the former is what's in the N7.

[electricsceadu]

a very good write up

a few years ago when i worked out a costing per flight between nitro/electric on running costs
based on 200 cycles per lipo it came out within a few pence in favour of electric but you then needed to add the cost of charging the packs inwhich i never bothered to work out so it would have been roughly even
cheaper lipos have come about since and nitro fuel has gone up in price
but if you then add a generator into the mix to field charge with then the costs will be evenish again (this is fuel/servicing costs not purchase cost)

we can then look at a lipo failing well short on cycles or a glow plug failing, bearing failure in the engine or motor
and then this throws all the costings out

i think that the os gt15 gasser engine is the begining of the future for fuel powered heli's, look at the planks they are using more and more petrol powered engines in a glow engine shell


lack of nitro fuel will kill off nitro powered heli's/models
electric at present is the way forward

if i was starting out in the hobby now i'd go with electric
but as i'm not and i'm geared up for nitro i'll keep with nitro until i can't get fuel
and then convert to electric and petrol power on my helis

planks electric is the way i will go, even my unfinished messerschmitt will have its glow engine removed and an electric motor fitted

[trillian]

Good article Harry. The .pdf version is especially nice with the photos and everything.

There was a time when I was flying all nitro and the only electric I had was a Trex 450 and I used to be concerned about how much fuel the .90s burned compared to the .50s. Then I got a Trex 500 and liked it so much that I was always taking it with me along with whatever nitro I was flying. So then my flying time was split between electric and nitro and at that point I started thinking hey if I'm only flying nitro half the time then I may as well fly the .90! The point being that one approach to the big upfront cost of electric and the ongoing expense of nitro is splitting the flying time between a favourite nitro and a small electric. When I first got my 500 I had a very cheap charger and only two 6s packs and just added more packs over time and then got an Imax B6 quad charger. I didn't need to really 'invest' in the electric stuff until I moved up in size.

[SaneAdam]

Adam, there's a lot of great value 600's out there second hand, but a quality 700 is the way to go mate. Loads of power, great feel, amazing Auto hang time, long flight times etc etc. Align 700n is bullet proof, Synergy N7 is expensive but awesome. I'm about to do a build thread on the Gaui NX7 on here also. No need to go to a 120 size motor unless your happy with 5min flights and 5-6 per gallon of fuel
The motor of choice at the moment is the OS 105 HZ-R, or the YS91 SRX Tareq. The latter is what's going in my NX7, the former is what's in the N7.

Thanks Rob, a 700 is definitely what i would go for. An Align 700n is probably the top of the list. Mainly due to parts availability and reasonable crash costs.

I have just bought a 700L Dominator for the same reason. I was flying Thunder Tiger… but due to spares availability more than anything i have replaced all my fleet with one Trex 700. I like the idea of flying one helicopter to speed up progression of learning. But it would seem rude not to get a Nitro equivalent as an alternative/spare

I do really like the N7 and Nx7 also though. My friend Mike Kenyon has an Nx7 and Rich Middleton has an N7 so i have had a good look at both. The Nx7 is HUGE. Enormous presence in the air. I have not really looked into spares costs or availability for either though. I think the N7 would be the one between those 2 though. Hmmmm 700n or N7?!?!

[George J]

Harry, that must have taken a lot of time to write up!

Nitro has been and always will be my first choice when I go to my field to fly.
I have Electrics, in fact lots of them but I get far more from the feel and sound of a nitro Heli.

My electrics are clean, plug and play, more powerful, simple, and dare I say it.......boring. Only my high powered, high speed TDR really cuts it these days, to the point that in recent weeks I've sold my JR Forza 700, Gaui X7, Align 800 and my Diabolo.

So for me, nitro wins hands down.

100% agree Rob, my E700 is the last heli I pick up now, my nitro Trex 600 gets more air time!

Very interesting read Harry. My thoughts…. Im getting me a Nitro I have got to find out what the dark side has to offer

You'll not look back i'm sure Adam.

No need to go to a 120 size motor unless your happy with 5min flights and 5-6 per gallon of fuel

Just one thing Rob, it's not strictly correct about 120 flight time IMHO. I've got a 120srx in a TT 820 and i'm about to put another one in my G4 and also previously had 2 of the older SR's. I get 7 1/2 mins out of the 820 and thats with it pretty much flat out and with 780mm blades on a 800 size heli! A more sedate flying style would easily yield 8 or 9 mins or more so my experience with the 120's is that there is not much difference at all in regards to economy.

Look forward to seeing with interest your NX7 build thread Rob.

[Guest]

Better for costing to Base on cost per minute. Per flight is misleading as there is clearly a large time in flying difference.

Also performance/power,

Electric can suffer from fade towards the end of the pack.

Nitro power remains constant but weight reduces so it only gets better.

Cg remains constant in E, changes in N depending on the model. Models such as N7, NX7 little difference due to tank position.

Enjoy yourself with an E too much and overdischarge lipos will seriously effect cycles.

With a nitro it just stops!

Raptor E700 flown hard 4:45, My N Conversion same 8 mins with a 105hzr.

30% nitro fuel is been phased out in Eu, my advice buy a 105 or 120 and run 15-20% nitro. Way cheaper in the long run and closes the performance gap. It's a myth 120 is that thirsty in my experience.




Good write up.

MJ

[Planehazza]

Thanks for the comments all, appreciated. I'll attache the notes I used to write the guide. There were a few points I had that I didn't put in the guide as it was starting to get pretty long ha.

[Planehazza]

Very interesting read Harry. My thoughts…. Im getting me a Nitro I have got to find out what the dark side has to offer….

I need to decide what to buy first though...

Doh. The point wasn't to make people spend money, but I'm happy you're joining the dark side also haha.

[SaneAdam]

Doh. The point wasn't to make people spend money, but I'm happy you're joining the dark side also haha.

Oh come one….. you knew what you were doing lol

Seriously though, i have a spare Silverline and a set of Outrage servos. Plus i just got the money from my Protos sale. So i just need an airframe and and engine plus the other little bits… starters and so on. All in all it actually shouldn't technically cost me any money, more of a swap

[hedge]

Nice write up, really hard to do objectively and I agree why not send it to BMFA mag - price per flight min really narrows that gap

[Planehazza]

Oh come one….. you knew what you were doing lol

Seriously though, i have a spare Silverline and a set of Outrage servos. Plus i just got the money from my Protos sale. So i just need an airframe and and engine plus the other little bits… starters and so on. All in all it actually shouldn't technically cost me any money, more of a swap

Guilty. There is (may have sold) a nice looking OS105 and Powerboost pipe in the for sale area for £270. Worth a look!
EDIT: Here you go! http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/sale/1...att-black.html

Nice write up, really hard to do objectively and I agree why not send it to BMFA mag - price per flight min really narrows that gap

Thanks for the comment. I've sent an email to BMFA. Would be well chuffed if it made the mag. Really I wrote it for fun - I enjoy the hobby and haven't been flying so this was a good opportunity for me to be engaged in it another way. Hopefully it will be of some help to people along the way!

[Scotvar]

Very impressed Harry, that must have taken you ages! Especially impressed that you managed to slip Lee's coronation street habit in too!

Paul

[Planehazza]

Cheers Paul!

Yay, my first ever sticky thread!

[tomatwalden]

Yay, my first ever sticky thread!

That somehow sounds very, very wrong!

[Planehazza]

That somehow sounds very, very wrong!

I know, hence the dsaft smiley, ha