Even AA fuel dragster will not run on just nitro, has to be a mix of alcohol and nitro.

Most of us over here do call it methanol engines because that is the main product those engines use. I do not know any model airplane flyer in Europe calling his engines nitro engines and I believe that is entirely an American issue, or is it invention ? And the so called gas-engines are simply benzine-engines here, but in good old England the same stuff is called petrol. Absurd idea to use the name nitro, even when your fuel does contain 50%. I do put 50% cream in my coffee's but they still are called coffee. Gas (gaz in French)
does NOT stand for the liquid stuff that you pour into your car in Europe. So my 120cc DLE engine in the Spitfire does NOT run on gas here. But that nitro denomination makes no sense at all. I did start off with Cox engines in the fifties and that fuel contained loads of nitro but we only did know the word methanol and that remains the correct original name.

Originally Posted by MikeCr

Yeah, I hadn't thought of that but gas engines in the UK are really petrol engines. And I also was aware, although I've never run one, that diesels don't actually use diesel fuel. If memory serves it's a kerosene, oil, ether mix? Do people actually try to run them on auto/truck diesel?

But then gas is kind of a generic term. Remember in the movie Top Gun one of the pilots talks about being "way low on gas". I also remember watching a a program on Discovery Wings where an AH-64 pilot, talking about all the stuff that can be hung on the hard points of his Apache, referred to extra fuel as a "bag of gas".

You can replace the kerosene (paraffin over here) in (model) diesel fuel with auto diesel but it's not as good. And without the ether nothing is going to happen.

Oh and "gas" is only a generic term in American English as in the American film Top Gun or on the American Discovery Channel. Many other dialects of English use different words. And then there are all those languages that aren't any brand of English .

Not that any of it really matters so long as we can understand one another....eventually .

Steve

don't know why it bugs me so much, but it does. Maybe because I've been flying model airplanes for so long. I get the impression that the ones that say nitro when they mean glow are noobs who haven't been in the hobby long. I have a hard time believing someone in their 50's like me would say nitro.

Hello Mike,
so you've been flying models for many years (round of applause) what is the big issue with what someone calls the fuel??
And if they are NOOBS as you say in a derogatory manner, why not just correct them (politely) and teach them from your wisdom?
After all, even a very experience person like yourself had to start learning from scractch one day.

BTW, I am in my 50's and I honestly don't care what someone calls the fuel.
When I teach a student I focus on them understanding the parts of the plane and what the plane does in respond to a particular control input so that they can enjoy the hobby.

I dislike people who think that because they've been in a particular sport or hobby for X years it makes them better than their fellows.

Brgds,
Danny

Originally Posted by Danny_l

Hello Mike,
so you've been flying models for many years (round of applause) what is the big issue with what someone calls the fuel??
And if they are NOOBS as you say in a derogatory manner, why not just correct them (politely) and teach them from your wisdom?
After all, even a very experience person like yourself had to start learning from scractch one day.

BTW, I am in my 50's and I honestly don't care what someone calls the fuel.
When I teach a student I focus on them understanding the parts of the plane and what the plane does in respond to a particular control input so that they can enjoy the hobby.

I dislike people who think that because they've been in a particular sport or hobby for X years it makes them better than their fellows.

Brgds,
Danny

I wasn't referring to those new to the hobby in a derogatory fashion. They're new and therefore don't know any better. I do however agree with the others who've said that it's most likely the marketing people that coined the term nitro because it sounds cooler and more badass.

The reason I have problem with it is because it's wrong. Look at the forum on here about converting to electric. Is it called Nitro to Electric? No, it called Glow to Electric. Glow is the correct term. Nitro is used to attract those that would otherwise be dis-interested, at least in the eyes of the marketing types.



Mike

Originally Posted by tower flyer

Even AA fuel dragster will not run on just nitro, has to be a mix of alcohol and nitro.

I thought they did run pure nitro but that they had to start them on gasoline because it's difficult if not impossible to get them to start on nitro. Could be wrong. And some would use a nitro/methanol mix because of the high cost of nitro.


Mike

I'm no fan of drag racing but I believe they used to run on pure nitro until, for some reason, the rules were changed so that a certain % had to be methanol.

I'm new here so I'll relax, read what's posted, ... and go with the glow.



Or get gas

Sorry for the double post

Originally Posted by downunder

I'm no fan of drag racing but I believe they used to run on pure nitro until, for some reason, the rules were changed so that a certain % had to be methanol.

And if that's true it certainly hasn't affected the HP. I was watching a drag race a while back and they said they can't even accurately measure the HP any more. They're over 10,000 HP and it seems to me that it wasn't long ago that they were only around 6K.



Mike

Originally Posted by scootrb4

I'm new here so I'll relax, read what's posted, ... and go with the glow.



Or get gas

Speaking of gas, I swear the dog did it!

Hey, Mike, I am in your corner. There are some dragsters and funny cars that run on a 100% Nitro but I do not know of any model airplane engines that do.

I think the term came from the model car group. No real reason for it and it too will pass on in time when they, the users, get tired of it. It is a fad thing. Nothing more.

So hang in there.

It came from the R/C car guys...

Worked at a hobby shop for a spell and gave up explaining it to the new guys coming in wanting a "nitro powered" touring car or monster truck. If you've ever heard a radio ad for NHRA Top fuel drag races, you "nitro fueled" to death.

Just sounds cool and sells product.....

What a hilarious thread. And here I have thought all these years all engines were refered to as ICE's ( internal combustion engine). And I thought gas was short for gasoline which is a term for petroleum, which is a common term among anyone that has anything to do with engine's, including the oil refineries. But then what do I know. I do know I don't give a hoot what anyone anywhere calls any of it. As long as I have enough common sence to know what they are talking about we can have a conversation.

Another example of an ill used term is airplane. It's not an airplane it's aeroplane or aircraft. But like I said who really cares?