When digital proportional RC systems became available in the late 70s I bought a few. The problem with living in Alaska was I had to wrap the glow fuel engine with aluminum foil to keep them warm enough to keep running at -40.I would start the engine, (mostly .25 rc engines )step out of the garage and hand launch it. I could fly for only about 10 minutes, the engine would keep running but the grease in the servos got so stiff the controls almost quit working.
I built a few electric powered planes. Since there were no speed controllers then I used a servo to turn the electric motor on or off. Actually I used this only on the sailplanes with Electric motors. The rest needed the power to keep aloft because the NiCad battery pack was quite heavy. IN the summer I could launch the sailplane, get up to altitude and switch off the motor, soar for a quit a while if conditions were good, then I still have power if I need it to get back to the launch area.
Today we have Lithium Polymer batteries and better more sophisticated charging systems and usable electric motors...and I hopefully the battery cost will come down. I like Marks systems, it seems simple bolt together out of available parts and it works. Keep going!!!
Early ElectricRC airplanes in Alaska
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rahulchoudhary73
Re: Early ElectricRC airplanes in Alaska
insulating an engine (is) wise; one would imagine a booming market for coffee mugs or hot kitchen things made from the space shuttle reentry tiles and blankets. that'd certainly make it easier for a ballpark estimate, than calling orbital ceramics for a tiny steam engine