i think I fancy a gasser....

[dogbiscuit]

After the recent purchase of my 1st nitro my thoughts have now turned to gassers......

the initial buzz of nitro is not fading, far from it, but the trouble is if I make it to the field 3 times a week then its beginning to get a bit too expensive on fuel.... I keep sneaking out in the week as I really enjoy flying the 600N so much at the moment, but the fuel disapears at an alarming rate. You also just cant beat the fly all day option that nitro gives you over electric, and i like the "real" engine experience.

So, with these thoughts in mind, is a gasser the answer? I have just started the process of reading up, and am drawn to the idea of another 600 with something like the helibug/270 motor combination, but thats just my initial thoughts, as its early days in the research. There is a lengthy thread on this combo on helifreak, and it suggests that this motor (rather than the std 230) gives "nitro like" performance, without the potential dreaded bogging issues of some lower power setups . Its good reading, but 18 months old now, so things may have moved on a bit.

I would like to hear of your experiences of owning and running/maintaining a gasser.....the possitives and negatives, potential pitfalls, your setups, mods etc.... anything infact, that you want to tell me about them would be great.

Are there other kits, or just helibug, and is anything available in the uk, or is it still America for imports

maybe your thinking of selling yours...let me know.

thanks in advance. here is the helifreak thread

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=219735

edit.. I should add that i am a lower budget flyer, and will try to do this on the cheaper side.

[panosg]

Harv, I been told that 600 gassers are no go. 700 are much better option.
Speak to Simon (Baldie). He knows more about it.

[dogbiscuit]

Harv, I been told that 600 gassers are no go. 700 are much better option.
Speak to Simon (Baldie). He knows more about it.

700! did you see the bit about budget flyer!

[trillian]

The thing to watch out for is the new OSGT15 petrol engine that is coming out soon. It is small and light and looks ideal for a smaller gasser like the 600. All it will take is for someone to make an engine mount and sort out a bigger pinion and whatever other minor mods would be needed and then a Trex 600 would be the perfect gasser.

IMHO with the weight of the Zenoahs and that type of engine it needs to be in a 700 size airframe so you have decent disc loading.

I got interested in the gasser thing a couple years ago but ended up not flying them very much due to the weight and lack of power compared to nitro or electric. Then I had a mechanical failure on my Century Predator and it has been in need of repairs for some time but my goal with it is to get it back together and see if I can set it up to be capable of FAI type stuff and general sport flying which it should be able to do.

[dogbiscuit]

Any idea when this new engine will be ariving? sounds interesting
The chap on helifreak thats done it with the 600 did end up stretching it with the 700 boom to allow bigger blades/less disc loading and still have the advantage of the 600's lower main body weight.

new engine looks more like a nitro...mounts in the standard frames by the look of it?
http://www.infinity-hobby.com/main/a...rticles_id=326

[maddog7]

I think the biggest issue with this engine is the 500 green queens it's gonna cost to buy.
D

[pgkevet]

As has been said.. for gasser weights you're into a 700 size and solid airframe to cope with potential vibes..so it's cheap to fly but not cheap to buy. And that makes a decent crash expensive too. I've got a fully loaded spectra g (temp sensors, generator, scott grey blades, dual flight power system..flies beautifully and will do balletic manoeuvers..virtually any manoeuver..just not hard and fast and takes a bit more thinking ahead. The potential cost of a crash adds adrenaline to flying it so i find it a nervous rush and it's the one heli I really do check over thoroughly between flights..
I haven't flown it for a while 'cos it's currently got an issue I have failed to sort..ought to be easy but I've checked all the easy causes: every time I flip it the engine cuts and after the last session trying to sort it and some dozen plus forced autos it's sat on a shelf.
I sometimes think about selling it but one'd never get anywhere near what it cost to build and maintain

[KevDavies]

Id also say that 15 OS engine Trillian has pointed out wouldbe great for a 600. Its acutally 90 sized and meant to go in a 90. BUT its just not pokey enough to fly a 700/90 size about. Im sure if you get the engine mounts off the 700 it would be a fairly easy job to fit it in a 600. May just need a bigger pinion to get the headspeed you need. But that would be more or less a direct fit and forget item id imagine

[KevDavies]

In actual fact one of my ideas for the future is to fit it to a 50 size rappy of some description, Poss the x50 tbh

[Disc]

i think I fancy a gasser....

I had a predator gasser 26cc version

Was a stunner flew well, until I was a dumb ass

The only weak part on the predator is a plastic A arm to the swash, change it to metal to avoid issues...

Other than that not a bad machine flys for 30 mins on a tank

video of my predator gasser in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsSCt...VqvkDMdiEUCTrg


I took my BMFA 'A' With this machine as well

[askeys_heli_madness]

Would it not be cheaper to build say a 600 electric (or 550 to save on Lipo costs) to feed your midweek flying passion/craving. Surely you do not fly all day midweek as well?

Save the nitro for those all day flying times (wish I had the time to fly all day lol) and use the electric for those midweek limited flying times.

Just my tuppence worth.

[dogbiscuit]

Would it not be cheaper to build say a 600 electric (or 550 to save on Lipo costs) to feed your midweek flying passion/craving. Surely you do not fly all day midweek as well?

Save the nitro for those all day flying times (wish I had the time to fly all day lol) and use the electric for those midweek limited flying times.

Just my tuppence worth.

big packs, big chargers, big power supplies,, charging hastle, lipos failing, 30 second flights and all that electrical nonsense......me thinks no thanks! ...... big, noisy, smelly, dirty,fuel power....yes please!

[KevDavies]

^^ he has a point!! when lipos give 10 min flights they will be a real alternative to nitro. Untill then theyre just the expensive boutique cousin!

[Planehazza]

^^ he has a point!! when lipos give 10 min flights they will be a real alternative to nitro. Untill then theyre just the expensive boutique cousin!

That would be awesome. I only have a Fusion 50 on 12S, and I'm only doing sport flying but I have my timer set for 6:45 (inc spool up and land as soon as it hits zero) and I'm down to about 21-22%. 6:45 is very good IMO, but still nowhere near the 8-10 mins on nitro, which you can then just refill and do it again immediately. I will never go purely electric, but I'm really enjoying having both

[pgkevet]

Two other thoughts for you:
A gasser is going to cost you £1K in the air if secondhand..that's 50 bottles of rapicon 20% and you'ld expect at leadt 15-20% off for bulk..say 65x4L bottles of fuel..
the other (sl daft) idea is to shoehorn a .46 cheapo (just engines) into a rappy 30 (again dirt cheap secondhand) and fly on 10%. A bit of fettling should get it winging 575 blades on a light chassis. If you can't buy 575 blades then cut down a pair of cheap 600's (and before anyone says you can't...remember the old NHP's? that had plastic blade end inserts)