What is Fords electric car called?

theamerica

Ford research on electric cars

Answer
Ford's first electric vehicle was an all electric version of the Transit Connect adapted to electric drive by Azure Dynamics: http://green.autoblog.com/2012/03/28/azure-halts-ford-transit-connect-electric-production-ford-still/

Later Ford adapted the focus to electric drive in house. http://www.ford.com/green/fuel-efficiency/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/automobiles/autoreviews/the-battery-driven-car-just-got-a-lot-more-normal.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ford has chosen to view the EV as a drive option rather than a completely different vehicle.

Where is Tesla motors electric car?

Movie Boy

Tax payers gave tesla motors tax money. People payed on a waiting list. Did any body see there car?

Answer
Tesla's first electric car, the Roadster, has been in production since 2008. This is a high-end sports car, sold to a select market of car enthusiasts. There are a little over 2,000 of them on the road today:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Roadster
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Tesla did apply for a $465 million loan from the department of energy in 2009. This loan was to help with the development of the Tesla Model S, an electric sedan with a 300-mile driving range. This money was not "given" to Tesla - it is a loan, which will be paid back.
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The link below shows the Model S, which will go into production in 2012. It is an expensive car, but it boasts sportscar-level performance, and 300 miles of electric driving range:
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http://www.teslamotors.com/models
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Tesla recently announced they will not need any more energy department loans:
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http://detnews.com/article/20110929/auto01/109290477/Electric-car-maker-Tesla-drops-bid-for-Energy-Department-loans

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Best way to mute guitar strings?

HaNae

While strumming, I like the whole muting thing and I can do it easily with my palm, but I've seen people do it with their picking hand, and I just wanna know what's the best way to do it?

Answer
String Muting and Damping
www.guitarprinciples.com/lessons/beginner/string_muting.htm Cached
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In order to mute a guitar string, simply rest the palm of the picking hand on the string that is going to be picked. Find out how to use muting for rhythm or leads ...
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Muting Bass Guitar Strings - Get Rid of Unwanted Noise
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Muting Bass Guitar Strings. No one likes noise. That being said, no one likes noise any less than a musician. ... how do we mute our bass strings to prevent it?
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In order to mute a guitar string, simply rest the palm of the picking hand on the string that is going to... How to Play Harmonics on the Electric Guitar.
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[Sep 28, 2008] Best Answer: There's a few ways to mute: Assuming your are right handed 1) Use your right hand and place your hand on the bridge. This will mute the ... ~ by Jim C ( 1 comments )

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if you were to watch a video on observing tips?

Kara

what kind of tips would be neat .. what kind of video ..

Answer
Observing plans. You can get more accomplished if you have some idea what you want to see in advance.

Observing logs. I've used a clip board, a palm pilot, and lately, an mp3 player that has voice recording ability. Handy when it's cold. Don't record all night, just when you have something to say. I type it in later.

Use a green laser pointer as a finder for your scope. You point your whole scope to the spot on the sky where the object should be (where it is on some chart). Look in the eyepiece.

I've got a dob. When looking low on the horizon, i have to kneel on the ground. I use the floor mat from my car to keep my knees intact. When looking higher, i use a 2 step kitchen stool. I sit on the low step when it's low, and the higher step when i'm towards the zenith. But there's a handle for when you're showing little kids. It's something they can grab other than your eyepiece.

Binoculars. 8x binoculars can be hand held. For me, 10x is pretty shaky. I can get 10x50 binoculars at a sporting goods store for $25. But a good tripod is over $100. And you still need a $25 adapter. But at the DIY section of the sky & telescope web site, they show plans for a binocular mount that you can put together for $15 and a couple hours.

All you need to watch meteors is a warm blanket and a pillow. How hard is that? Spend your free time learning the constellations that happen to be in front of you.

How to dress warm. I find that when my batteries are working in my electric socks, i don't need gloves even when it's below freezing. Dress for success.

Make observing a social event. If nothing else, the object you didn't have to find because someone else did that is the easiest.

I'd write much more, but they took my crayons away.

Planning on shooting a video? Send me email.

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problems with the electric car?

Ali want

What is the problem with the electric cars and why aren't they on the roads today?
I nead at least 5 reasons why i wouldn't buy an electric car!!!

Answer
The only reason why there aren't electric cars everywhere is because ppl are ignorant.

But if you must know, what causes people to not buy electric cars is:
1. "Short" range (very simple solution to this, just get a generator on a trailer for whenever you go long distances).
2. Nowhere to recharge. This is still not a big problem, because almost everybody who will use an electric car will recharge it at home 99% of the time, and on long trips will take a generator with them.
3. Supposedly weak. Not true, but a lot of people believe electric cars are not powerful. That is wrong. A car is as powerful as you make it. If you want a 100hp car for everyday stuff, you can have one. If you want a 1000hp semi, you can have that too.
4. Expensive? Yes it is true, to get a reasonable electric car right now you need to say goodbye to a lot of cash, but that is only if you are buying the car. You can very easily take an old car from a junkyard and convert it, and it isn't going to make you file for bankrupcy.
5. You need a garage/carport to have an electric car. True if you want to have an electric car, and recharge it at home at the same time, you would need a garage/carport/driveway, but you can probably do some deal with your power company to run a power cord to a smal plug where you can plug in your car. They would be glad to do it for you. After all, you are paying them for a lot of electricity every time you recharge (all modes of transportation require as much energy as a small apartment (at least) and electric cars are more efficient than other modes of transportation).

I only see number 5 as a potential problem if you can not get permission from the city hall or something, but there is another way to deal with that: you can see if your manager will agree to install a cable for charging your car in the garage of the building. You will be paying them for parking there, so they should be happy to comply as long as you pay or do the job yourself.

Number 4 is a potential problem if you can not recognize general parts (like the engine, fuel tank etc.).

The benefits of electric vehicles are much stronger than the drawbacks.

And for all the ignorant people out there:
1. No country uses 100% coal
2. Big coal power plants are more efficient than small gasoline engines.
3. Electric cars recharge at night, when coal power plants are kept at idle, so electric cars mostly use energy that would otherwise be wasted.
4. Electric cars are more efficient than hybrids. Considering the average fuel consumption of cars is much higher than hybrids... yeah.
5. Electric cars can use peak power for a much longer time than internal combustion engines. That means that starting an electric car with a heavy load is not a problem.
6. Hydrogen technology is a whole load of rubbish. It's basically electric cars, but MUCH less efficient. Plus it's much more dangerous.
7. Electric cars have a range that is good enough for every person that doesn't go on a cross country journey every day.
8. Electricity for electric cars can come from hydro (59% of Canada's electricity is hydro, and 1% is renewables as of 2003 (?) ), solar, biomass, wind, tidal, wave, geothermal, etc.
9. A lot of US's electricity comes from natural gas power plants, which are still polluting, but much less than coal. 20% of electricity in the US is from natural gas, as of 2008.
10. Electricity can be produced from lots of differend sources, which means it is much harder for a country to be dependent on some unstable country for energy. The US has lot's of coal, natural gas, nuclear, and that means that if people switch to electric cars, US's dependence on foreign oil will lessen.


11. IMPORTANT!!! Even though your electricity bill will rise because of owning an electric car, your gasoline bill will dissapear, therefore you spend the same ammount of money, if not less.

Phoenix Electric Car: capable of 10 minute recharge?

dreamflow

Is this true?
http://www.autoneato.com/phoenix-electric-car-the-electric-truck-with-muscle/

Answer
As the article points out, the ZAP-X Crossover has also claimed that it will be able to recharge in 10 minutes:

http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=4560

They do it with nanotech batteries, which you can read a little bit about here:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070802/clth056.html?.v=99

From the Phoenix car website:

Off board charger: 10 minutes to recharge to 95% capacity
On board charger: 6 hours to recharge from 220V plug-in

So basically in order to get the power necessary to recharge such a large battery in 10 minutes, you would need to have a special recharge station built. Otherwise you can just plug into a 220V outlet and recharge in 6 hours. If we can get some of these rapid recharge stations built to make the Phoenix and ZAP-X recharge times just 10 minutes, electric cars would soar in popularity very fast. This is a huge technological breakthrough.

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Any cheap rc cars with a pistol style controller under $50?

tuffblade1

I am looking into buying an rc car for around $40-50. I want a pistol style controller with the wheel for turning. I want the scale of the car to be like 1:10-1:12. I would prefer having a sports car like a corvette, but I would also buy a truck if I can't find anything else. Don't post an answer saying "under $50 and good rc cars don't mix" or "Invest your money." I'm a 15 year old kid with no income, so I won't get anymore money for like a year. I just wanna buy an rc car. My mom won't bring me anywhere local to look, but I can buy stuff online at amazon.com and other stores like wal-mart or toysrus, or any other store that is trusted and online.

Answer
The Redcat Racing Sumo RC is a 1/24 scale electric that retails for around $50. However, Redcat has been out of stock for a while. Most shops don't have it and won't get restocked until late May. It isn't 1/10 scale, but it fits your budget. If you can wait a few weeks...it has a pistol grip transmitter and variable speed control. They're available in trucks and truggies.

i am curious to know why is pure wolfs (Grey Wolf) are illegal to be a pet?

fadi

Answer
Because they are dangerous.

You wouldn't give a little kid a high powered sports car instead of a little electric car for their first powered ride-around toy car, would you?

Even very young wolves pure play extremely rough. Adults need to exercise great caution.

If you don't give them constant attention, human contact, and play with them a lot, they get more aggressive.

If you keep one tied up in the yard for a week or two without attention, you could wind up with an uncontrollably wild animal on your hands (or throat).

You are allowed up to 7/8 pure wolf mix. No details on how to get the mix.

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Will electric cars ever be affordable and practical?

Q. Electric cars have been around for over 100 years, yet many problems remain to be solved.
Cost: $40,000+ is out of range for most people and certainly too high for a small car. It would take years to pay for itself in terms of gasoline saved.
Batteries: charging can take several hours. Expense of replacing can be as high as half of the car cost.
It just seems that it will be a long time before technology can give the people an electric car that makes sense.

Answer
we have a long way to go to make electric cars as practical and affordable as gasoline cars. The biggest hurdle now is battery technology. Once batteries can be made which provide the same amount of energy as gasoline, meaning that a battery can take you as far as a tank of gas one a single charge, and are affordable, we will see electric cars on the roads.

Right now, batteries with a decent amount of Amp-hours are extremely expensive and bulky. Plus, there isn't much infrastructure in place to support electric cars. There is a gas station on every corner but can you think of a place to plug in your car even if it used a regular 120Vac outlet? Could you plug it in at work or in a parking garage without running 1000 feet of extension cords?

We may see them being affordable one day but until they become practical as well (solve these issues I listed above), it will be a long time before they replace gasoline cars.

When will electric cars become affordable?

HotterThan

Answer
As long as an electric car works with your driving needs, it will be very affordable. Electric cars have been getting cheaper.
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Example: The Fortwo Smart electric. See link:
http://www.smartusa.com/models/electric-drive/overview.aspx
Electric cars qualify for tax credits, so the $25,000 price becomes $17,500 after rebate.
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All electric car models come with free 120 volt home chargers - you can upgrade to a more powerful charger if desired ($500 to $1000 usually), but it is not mandatory. All EVs also come with the same 100,000 mile / 8 year battery warranty that hybrids do (and hybrids have not had battery failure issues, so EVs probably won't either.)
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On top of the low purchase price, there's the fuel savings. Electricity is about 5 times cheaper than gasoline. Most people will save about $2,000 per year in fuel cost by burning electricity instead of gasoline.
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So after five years of ownership, you've saved $10,000 by not buying gasoline. You've also probably saved on maintenance - electric motors need no oil changes, fluids, filters, plugs, or anything else.
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A $17,500 car with $10,000 worth of savings is not just affordable, it's incredibly cheap.
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Other inexpensive electric cars: Mitsubishi MiEV, and Nissan Leaf.
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Don't feel guilty about taking the tax credit, many other businesses get large tax breaks - including every foreign car plant built in the USA.

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Electric cars?

lew

I live in the uk, where there is a lot of talk about introducing new electric cars in place of petrol/diesel fueled cars.

I recently read about an electric Range rover and was wondering, do these electric cars offer less performance than petrol/diesel models?

Answer
there have been electric cars that could happily drive at 100mph if you so wished.
Performance has not been the problem, for getting an electric car into production in the past
The main problem was the Oil companies bought up the patents.... It was not in the interests of the Oil Companies to mass produce a car with no need of oil.
But times are changing. We will soon see cars on our roads, with no emissions, some form of car that self charges as you drive.
The technology already exists, dynamos on the axles, solar panels, storage cells are getting more and more efficient.
new super bright LEDs on all the lights will reduce battery drain. The car will be lighter, new alloys and carbon plastics can be as strong as steel.

Imagine an all electric car with lower running cost, lower insurance and tax, perhaps even lower parking costs.

So if you want to see the cars sooner, make the politicians work , All new cars could be electric in less than 10 years, less than 5 if we push the governments and companies to do it.

So whats next????
Electric powered Aircraft? and pollution free skies
Lets make it happen

Electric cars?

Troasa

Why is it that all electric cars were leased and never offered for sale to the public?

Answer
they are!!

just not in the states (notice the first answerer is an aussie)

"Who killed the electric car" is a great flick, but doesn't exactly answer the question, WHY. and WHY only in america.

as far as the UK goes.....

I think other countries have MUCH higher gas prices (10$ a gallon?), and charge higher taxes for driving.
so they have more incentive or reason to use them. its almost as if they don't even have a choice.

These cars also get tax refunds and "congestion fees" are dropped if used instead. (since they are so small)

they still pay for electricity with a RF credit card at their "docking posts" around town

I know of an electric "smart car" released in the UK but is limited to the amount of purchases (limited to allow drivers to actually have access to available docking posts. the posts are hard to find and are an expensive addition to city infrastructure)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile)#Electric_version

and the g-wiz
http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store

also check out their new electric sports car.... (sweet)
only $300,000 ???? WOW
http://www.lightningcarcompany.com/

I think, most oil corporations see America as having VERY different ideas of transportation, space, price, and selfishness.

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My wife wants to buy an electric car.?

madcityd06

In this part of the country there are not many of them. Have you owned one and how did you like it. How often did you plug in your car, everyday or after the 50 miles were used?
In this part of the country there are not many of them. Have you owned one and how did you like it. How often did you plug in your car, everyday or after the 50 miles were used? If you have owned one, would you purchase a second one or one to replace the one you already have. I am trying not to have this be a political discussion. I know the rumors. I just want someone who has owned one to tell me their experiences

Answer
You have to start by answering the question, "What do I need to get out of the vehicle?"

If your primary use is just to put around town like take the kids to school, run down to the grocery store, commute the 5 miles to work you can get way with a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) or some times called Low speed Electric Vehicle (LEV). The cars are limited by law to 25 MPH (35 MPH in some states) but they recharge from any outlet you can plug your cell phone in.

If you need to take to the highway your options become severely limited. Currently the only highway speed EV available to the public is the Tesla Roadster at $120,000. Everybody else "is working on it and will be ready by 2010".

You don't need a 300 MPC (miles per charge) electric car. When you get home after a hard days work, you plug in the car, eat dinner go to bed. In the morning you get up, get dressed, unplug the car and leave every day with a full load of "fuel". Two minor additions to the usual routine and you've made the world a little better. A gas car doesn't self fill at night an since you don't want to visit the gas station on a daily basis 300 miles is a light range requirement.

The length of the charge time at night is irrelevant. I'm asleep so what difference does it make if it takes 1 hour or 6. Think how many hours a day is your car actually being used out of 24? The rest of the time it is just sitting, waiting for you to use it.

As for plugging it in everyday, don't you plug in your cell phone every day to charge it? An EV is the same deal, put the car in its parking place, hop out plug the cord in, go in and eat dinner. The rest is automatic and baring some kind of minor catastrophe your car is ready to go in the morning. You can also plug in wherever you stop, called opportunity charging, if your vehicle has a 110 volt charger. Since 80% of people put less than 40 miles on their car on a daily basis a 50 mile range isn't an inconvenience.

Flybo Electric Car under 10K!

marcy_mik

Does anyone have one of these cars? I want to know what you think of them. They have 2 seaters & 4 Seaters very cute. I found them on an Organic website for $8500. today.
http://www.NHallnatural.com

Answer
The Flybo is being imported as a NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) sometimes called LEV (low speed electric vehicle). This means it has federally regulated top speed of 25 MPH in most states and 35 MPH in some. They can be driven on streets with a 10 MPH difference in the speed limit i.e. 35 MPH speed limit for the 25 MPH version.

The Flybo can not go on the freeway because it goes to slow and doesn't have the crash protection required. It will work fine for dropping the kid (only 2 seats) off at school, running to the store for groceries or a surface street commute to work. Or if your daughter has her license she can commute to school and you wont have to worry about her getting into vehicular trouble.

I konw someone who has an NEV. He uses it every day to commute 6 miles to work and back. For the one part of his trek that requires higher speed he just simply uses the surface street that runs parallel to the highway. It takes him an extra 5 minutes to get to work (but who's in a hurry anyway) and he has not put 1 gram of pollution into the atmosphere which is his goal. And even better it cost him less than 15 cents a day in "fuel" aka electricity.

For more information on NEV check out Miles Automotive, ZENN and GEM Car web sites.

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self propelled car project?

Cain

So I have to build a self propelled car of some sort that moves around in a circle that is one meter in diameter, the track is thirty centimeters out side of that. I thought about use a magnetic rail system, but its too expensive for me at the moment. Any ideas how to build a vehicle like this would be appreciated. Thanks
Forgot to add that I can not touch this vehicle after setting it in motion and that it needs to have a more complex propulsion system than a simple rubber band or mouse trap.

Answer
how long does the power to the vehicle need to last?
It doesn't get too much more simple than taking a mouse trap (or rat trap for more power), attaching a long piece of wood to act as a long lever to the bar of the trap, and then wrapping a rubber band around the rear axle of the car.

simple and very cheap!

Google "mouse trap car" if you want pictures, kids do this all the time in science and engineering programs.

EDIT:
is the track outdoors? You could build a simple solar panel to run the car.

If the track is inside, is a gear and spring system (like on the pull-back-and-release toy cars) an option? Or is that still too simple?

What about air-propelled or a miniature steam engine?
http://npmccabe.tripod.com/steam.htm

What about a small electric motor, running off a battery?

A chemical reaction (vinegar/baking soda) can power a toy car for a good distance.

Why do some women have kids just to dump them in daycare?

They ca

Now that I have your attention, I have a legit question. Why do people have children just to dump the child off in school once they turn 5 years old? We have these people making judgements about daycare, yet isn't school the same thing? Kids are in school for about the same amount of time. Just think we they get older and are involved in sports/band/choir/etc. How terrible that these children can't spend every second of everyday with their parents.
(note the sarcasm)
Kimberly, see where Isaid note the sarcasm?//I posted this because Ise daycae-bashing question every day. MY ids aren't in daycare but I know parents who have to put their kids in daycare. I've seen people say on here "Oh, those poor childrne have to be away from mommy 8 hours out of the day." Now remind me how many hours a child is in school? Isn't it 7 or 8. Then when they start with sports and then an after school job when they turn 15 or 16, that's even less time with mommy and daddy. Why don't these same people complain about this even though not sending your kid to school is illegal?

Answer
Like Ellie said, thank goodness you were being sarcastic, cause I was very tempted to give you a tongue lashing too! :)

I don't understand why either group, (the SAHM's or the working moms), feel it necessary to insult and put down others for the choice they have made. The comment that people have made, "Why have kids if you are going to have daycares raise the?" is just really rediculous! So basically, without just outright saying it, these people are saying that unless someone is financially able to stay at home with their children and not use a daycare or a private babysitter, then they don't deserve to be a parent. That is very judgemental and just plain hateful. Not every woman has the luxery of falling in love and marrying a man who makes $35-60,000 a year. I married one who only makes about $25,000 and brings home alot less after he pays child support on his children from his ex-wife and insurance premiums on all the kids. I don't think the fact that I didn't marry someone who made alot of money, means that I dont deserve to have children.

What about a woman who is widowed? My best friend was widowed with 2 young children, and had no choice but to work to support her kids. So I guess according to some of these women, she didn't deserve to have the kids, because she ended up having to put them in daycare. Point is, no woman, even these ones that are so freely judgeing working moms, know how their life will turn out and what might happen to them.

I don't know any woman who enjoys dropping her kids off at a daycare in the mornings, I certainly don't. But my husband and I live in an older house, and have had alot of things break, like our hot water heater, pipes, leaking roof. We have not had the money to repair these things outright, so we have had to charge them on a credit card. The motor on my car blew up and it cost over $2,000 to fix it, so again that went on the credit card. I was a SAHM for 18 months, and any unexpected large expense that came up, went on that cerdit card. So, I will be trying to pay all that off for years now. But it was either do that, or go without hot water, or no water, or have no vehicle. Which would have ended up hurting my kids more than me. So I did go back to work, and I do have to take my daughter to a babysitter during the day.

I do not live an extravagant life. I don't go shopping every month, I don't have a Coach purse, we don't have 4 wheelers or motor bikes, we don't go on vacations, we don't eat out every week, I don't buy new clothes for myself on even a monthly basis. If I have an extra money, from working over time or getting a bonus at work, I spend it on my husband or kids, not on myself. I took some extra money I had about 4 years ago, and bought my husband one of those $65.00 do-it-yourself outdoor pond kits, and some cheap 25 cent goldfish to go in it, and helped him make it, for fathers day, and I have had women on here tell me that was an expensive, frivolus expense and that is probably the reason I have to work, cause I am wasting money. I never knew buying my husband a fathers day gift would be considered "wasting money"!

If a mom chooses to work, because she does not want to stay at home at her childrens expense, then I don't think that makes her selfish at all. In fact I think it makes her a loving, wonderful mom. If choosing to stay at home, means that you and your husband have to stretch and skrimp so much with his paycheck, that you find yourself telling your kids "No, you can't have that, we can't afford it." or not taking them out to eat or to the movies occasionally (cause you have to pay the electric bill), not being able to buy them new clothes or toys occasionally (and I don't mean the cheap $2.00 toys at the Dollar Store that fall apart within 3 days) or you just simply have no extra money for "extras", then I do think that the mom staying at home ends up affecting the kids in a not so good way. Sure, they have mommy at home with them all the time, but if they never get the "little extras" that I know most kids would like to have and enjoy, then I think to alot of kids that is not worth it. I have seen stay at home moms, who have to skrimp and save so much that they can't even buy their kid Christmas presents or a Halloween costume. So, how is that fair to the kid?

I realize that not all daycares are great, but their are alot of women who do daycare out of their home. I found a wonderful older lady who watches kids out of her home. She is very inexpensive compaired to dayca

is there small efficient electric car that i can drive in nyc?

wat2be

Basically i want cheap small electric car that goes up to 70mph no need for more charge last one week if i drive 6 miles daily.

it needs to be:
-2 person car, small car.
-can recharge from sun.
-portable battery.
-can parallel park, meaning tires can turn 90 degrees.
-one back camera(optional).
-recharge from brakes, going down etc.
-least max speed 70mph.
-price of <4000.

Answer
(Edit)

I didn't see the rest of it... You've pretty much described the Smart, but in no way is there an EV out there for second hand that costs close to $5,000. The EV market is only 3 years old, most cars at the price you're looking for are almost 10 years old. If you want any sort of electrification, the Prius is the best bet and they are very difficult to find at a bargain nowadays.



It depends what price you're looking for and what you consider cheap. The most popular EV is the Nissan LEAF which starts at $28,880. Always remember that there's a $7,500 federal tax rebate for the public buying or leasing an EV. Pretty much every EV in the US does more than 70mph.

There are two I could think of at the moment. The Smart ForTwo EV. Its MSRP is around $25,000 which excludes the $7,500 rebate and leases are cheap. The Smart is also the only EV to have Flex Leasing as seen in Europe where you can buy the car initially for far less and rent the battery for 3 years as maintenance and so on. Like any Smart, it's great with parking. The problem with this is that it doesn't Rapid Charge in the usual 20 - 30 minutes, so you're left with a 16 amp, 6 hour charge. Another issue is that for the past year only a few hundred have been sold constantly because of high demand in Europe so you could find yourself on a waiting list, though that should change halfway through the year. There are also very few for second hand.

The second is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It has 4 seats, it's more practical, bigger and was praised for its Tardis-like spaciousness, but it's still a damn good shorter than a Mini Cooper, so like the Smart parking it would be a nice change. It's also the only car other than the LEAF that uses the CHAdeMO Rapid Charger which is by far the most numerous, it should charge its small battery in less than 20 minutes.

The car used to be laughed at for having a steep $30,000 sticker`with little bells and whistles. Because of that, they didn't make any 2013 models and there are only a few 2012's left on dealer lots, and I really mean a few. There's supposedly less than 20 units in the US with monthly sales limping at less than 5 units compared to hundreds a year a go. The little stock left can be very cheap! There have been some from $15,000 to $10,000 for a car that's 2 years old, but you'll see that a lot of them are dotted around the country and not in your state. But be aware, the old i-MiEV had an optional CHAdeMO plug, so you could get one and be left with a car that can only charge at 16 amps/ 3.3kW which is less than 6 hours from 0%, but with your commute, it would do perfectly.

If you are interested in the i-MiEV, Mitsubishi is reintroducing the 2014 i-MiEV this May. It's price has been reduced from $30,000 to $23,000 and that's excluding the rebate, so it fits in among the most affordable cars in the mid $10,000s. It also got new features like leather wrapped stuff, both front heated seats and more. That car is also expected to have very cheap leases, a lot of people expect between $150 - $99/month leases. It had $99/month and $69/month leases in early 2013 which is the reason why there's so very little left.

So you've got 3 things going for ye;
Lease or buy a Smart ForTwo EV.
Wait for the 2014 i-MiEV until May and then lease or buy it.
Hunt for a second hand i-MiEV online and find it somewhere in Florida, Alabama, Washington or Illinois where it was popular.

If parking is a serious pain for you, I recommend the Smart. If you just can't commit to sacrificing the 3rd and 4th seat, it's the i-MiEV, the latter of which also has more cargo space than a Prius with the rear seats folded.

Help with information about electric cars?

Metallica_

I am thinking about one but had some questions I would like to know before going to the dealer:
1. How much does it cost to get the charging station in stalled in your house?
2. Can you not get a charging stations and use you 110 out?
3. What happes if you run out of charge while on the road?
4. I have seen a few electirc charging stations around, any idea what they cost?
5. How much are the batteries to replace?
6. Are they reliable?
7. Is there still oil (needing oil changes)?
8. Was the $7.5k tax credit good for 2013 (filingin 2014)?
9. Other things I need to know?

Please help even if you do not have all of the answers. I am very interested in one of these cars and would like some education before I go to the dealer.

Answer
I just recently went through this process, and after two months of driving an electric vehicle (EV), here's what I know:

1. How much does it cost to get the charging station in stalled in your house?
It can cost anywhere between $2000-5000 for a Level 2 charger at home, but you really don't need one. The advantage is that the Level 2 charger will add 10-20 miles to your battery per hour. I have been managing fine with my home charger and the ChargePoint network.

2. Can you not get a charging stations and use you 110 out?
Yes. The complimentary charger you get from the dealer is a Level 1 (or Trickle) Charger and adds 2-5 miles on the battery per hour. So at the end of a trip where you are spending an overnight stay or at the end of the day, plug in the car and let it charge overnight. you will be ready to go in the morning. I've been managing fine, as I mentioned earlier, with the home charger.

3. What happes if you run out of charge while on the road?
You usually get a warning before you reach this point once you dip under the "10 miles remaining" mark. CarWings (my on-board GPS and car monitoring system) offers me the option to find the closest charging station, but if I can't make it I can call AAA and ask for a tow to the nearest charging location.

4. I have seen a few electirc charging stations around, any idea what they cost?
As I mentioned before I am with ChargePoint which is like an ATM for EV chargers. So far, I've used $5 of it for when I spent an evening in Old Town Manassas, VA. Depending on the chargers, though, they may be free. For example, at my day job, there is an array of Level 2 charging stations and all of them are free. The stations are free as they are plugged into a solar array.

5. How much are the batteries to replace?
Battery cost varies from make, model, and range. Check with your dealer, but they should be covered in the car warranty.

6. Are they reliable?
Absolutely. After two months, I've been driving my EV without fail and it is a delight to drive. Smooth ride. Whisper quiet. And all the perks (entertainment center, rear view camera, passenger seat warmers, etc.) are all standard. It really is a great car and a fantastic ride.

7. Is there still oil (needing oil changes)?
Nope. The electric motor does not require any kind of oil change. The only regular maintenance you need to worry about is brake maintenance.

8. Was the $7.5k tax credit good for 2013 (filingin 2014)?
I leased so Nissan took the tax breaks on the car which brought the cost of the car down from $37K to $27K. The three year lease is $234/month which, for this car, is amazing.

9. Other things I need to know?
Travel along the Interstate will drain the barry faster so when you can, take U.S. routes that have a lot of hills. With the regenerative braking system you can recharge the battery as you drive. There is a learning curve when you drive an EV but it is a real delight when you get the knack for it. The biggest challenge is the infrastructure. We need more charging stations, preferably Level 3 Quick Charge stations. This was why I leased the Nissan LEAF. In three years, I will see what the infrastructure and charge station networks are like, and then decide what to do next.

I am also enjoying the experience so much that I'm blogging about it for APUS' green blog. Please, feel free to swing by and check it out.

Good luck.

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Building an electric car for school?

cutiepie.3

We have less than two weeks to build an electric car in class. Our energy sources are two AA batteries. The Chassis size is 12 cm X 30 cm. The driveline options are gears, pullies, wheels, chains, propellers, etc. It also must have an on or off switch. I'm not very experienced in this field so any recommendations on how to get this all to work is greatly appreciated. Thnx :)

Answer
There are plenty of instructions on the web. You just have to know how to search it. Try these:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4910601_build-toy-electric-car.html
here is a video: http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2008/04/19/how-to-build-a-solar-powered-car-for-your-kids/
http://www.miamisci.org/girlsrise/session2/beta/Car.html

The main trick with any of these is going to be finding the parts in a limited amount of time. You may have to see what is available locally rather than on the web. Look in a $1.00 store for a hand held battery fan for a motor. It won't have a gear but you might be able to use the fan to power the vehicle. Good luck

What are some toys you've always wanted...?

The Hoo Ho

As a kid but never got.
A toy I always wanted was a child size electric car and I know this next one isn't really a toy but I always wanted a race car bed as a child. So what r some of urs?

Answer
i've always wanted mini toy cars,tanks,planes,and little mini guns for me. a little battlefield

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Chemical powered remote control car?

Jsh

We have a design assignment where a small car (remote controlled size) must travel a set distance and then stop without the use of mechanical brakes. It cannot be thrust driven. One idea is that the car will stop by running out of fuel.

Any ideas?

Answer
Install a rotation sensor( a switch or magnetic pickup) and connect this to a counter. Set the counter limit to the rotations you want and when it reaches this count send a signal to the switch to turn off the electric motor. Batteries are chemical devices that provide dc power for things like this. Are you specifically prevented from using batteries and/or motors?

where can u buy an electric remote control car?

Q.

Answer
Crap, guaranteed DOA in a month or less - Wal-Mart, Toys 'R Us, etc.

Quality, that you or who you're buying it for will love -
http://www.towerhobbies.com
offroad cars/buggies
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0093p?&C=CAA
onroad cars
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0093p?&C=CAD

DO NOT buy from eBay (unless you know the field well enough to know what you're looking at.)
DO NOT buy "smartech"
DO NOT buy from China, Taiwan, Korea - these are all "knock offs"
DO NOT look for "lowest price." In the RC world, lowest price guarantees complaining, whining, and generally an unhappy experience. More true than anywhere else, you get what you pay for.

You are looking at around a $150-$200 range for bottom end of anything that will last, including vehicle, radio, charger, batteries.

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DC Motor size for a project?

Greg Z

What size DC motor and controller should I use to power a small car (simmular to a Little Tikes Car) with a 200lb person in it? Please include all specs of the motor. Thanks.
try to keep it cheap

Answer
The power can be determined for several situations:
How fast to go when cruising, and the friction and wind load under this condition.
Maximum acceleration with weight of completely loaded vehicle.
Maximum climb rate with weight of vehicle.

If it is just walking pace and no grades and minimal acceleration, I would say 200W. The motor size will dictate battery size too. It will need gears to match the motor speed to the wheel RPM. If you intend to run with this size motor and a 12V battery it needs to be a large 12V x 60-100AH battery to work well, though that will run for quite a few hours. A bigger motor is better with a 24V battery, and more as it gets bigger still.

Usually these things are determined empirically - experience with other similar vehicles determines what is satisfactory. It is best to look at similar ride on cars. Some kids cars may be more like 50W with a small battery but that doesn't work for long or well.

Consider electric disability/mobility scooters. These are only expected to run on flat hard surfaces, an the sizes mentioned above are something like the top end of these. I expect golf scooters are more powerful as they are intended to run on grass with grades. The third link shows an electric wheelchair for tough conditions with almost 1KW of motor power.
Motors will be specified for RPM and mechanical power in watts (the torque can be calculated from that. They are also specified for voltage to provide this RPM and maximum allowable current. Other important considerations are the cooling (if it has a fan it may not be able to run slowly without overheating), the gears built in or how to mount gears, bearing life, waterproof. Mobility and other scooters mentioned are often available second hand, and would be a good source of all the parts you need. You also need a speed controller and a battery charger to suit, and probably wheels and steering., axles etc.

The links below might give some ideas.

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What are the chances of surviving 5 accidents?

Nicholas

First let me say, in any of these anyone else or myself were at all hurt. Every accident ended up totaling the car as well. Each accident was caused by me having a seizure and no I am not driving now so no comments are needed about me staying off the road.
. The first accident was me crashing into the back of a school bus. No kids were in the bus at the time. I slammed into the back of the bus, crushing the whole hood and engine of my car. I lifted up the back end of the bus and my car was covered to the windshield.
The second was caused by, flying up over a curb and running into a brick wall. The front end of the car and the engine were crushed together against the wall.
The third was running into a 20 foot wooden electric pole, knocking the pole to the ground and rolling over. I woke up hanging upside down in my car by my seat belt. I tried getting out on my own but had trouble because I was disoriented and unable to find the lock for the seat belt. The passenger side had the roof crushed down to the seat and arm rest about 6 inches away from my body. Then of course the front end was pushed in as well.
The fourth I was driving on the express way and blacked out. When I blacked out I went to the left and dragged the driver side again the cement wall. I woke up shortly after, still driving with half the car dragging on the ground. I drove off the express way and got into a walmart parking lot a ways down the road so I could figure out what to do. In that crash the whole driver side was smashed in, the window was shattered and half of the car was dragging across the ground.
The fifth one was driving down the express way again going about 70 and blacking out. I crashed into the back of a car causing the car behind me to crash in my back end and spinning me across four lanes. When I was spinning across those lanes I hit a hummer and ended up crashing head on into a tree down on the side of the road. I woke up from that already standing outside my car trying to figure out what to do.
As I said in any of these accidents I never got a scratch on me or anyone else. I am wondering what you think the chances are of me and everyone else surviving those. Also, after hearing this does it make you think of guardian angels? Or even God preventing everything bad from happening for some reason?
I forgot to say what kind of car each accident was done in. The first was a 2001 crown victoria, the second a 2000 nissan altima, the third a 2005 Mitsubishi lancer, the fourth a 2006 bmw z3 convertible and the final vehicle a 2008 chrysler sebring convertible. By the way in the final crash the air bags did not go off.

Answer
GO AWAY---------------------------------------------------------

Do the means justify the ends?

AviTech

In America we start wars in order to claim oil deposits in oil rich nations around the globe. Oil necessary to sustain our way of life. Everyone drives in America and all vehicles require oil to run. Even electric ones run off of electricity generated by coal power. On top of which we are the Earths LARGEST Contributor to global climate thanks to all the hydrocarbons spewed into the air both directly by us as well as indirectly.

Guys, just because you love your big houses in the cul de sac. Houses that required around 100 trees to be chopped and enough fuel for your lifestyle to power a small town in the Netherlands. Does it make it OK? Just because you like your goods and services does it justify the expense to the Earths well being?

Don't you guys realize what your doing here? Don't you know that all the pruducts you buy required tons of oil and pollution? Can any of you at all grasp the amount of damage that Wal Mart is causing for the whole world?Dothemeansjustifytheends
Yes it's actually "DO THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS". I had it the other way around.

Answer
You are showing a paranoid responds to problems.
"In America we start wars in order to claim oil deposits " if anything we lost money rebuilding these countries we have entered wars with and we do not "claim" their oils.

So do you live in a tree, wrapped in animal skins??
What is your issue with Walmart?? they are no better or worse than anyother big box store.

And to answer your question No the "NEEDS" do not justify the ends. Not means. Hey a car is a car, it moves your fat *** from point a to point b. A 12K car getting 35 mpg does it just as well as a 45K car that gets 15mpg.

However people have to live somewhere, so unless you are going to start the lead and not have any kids, lay off the general house problem. If we all lived in apts. social stress would only be higher. I also agree that some houses are oversized for the need, but it is their money and the space used on the house lot would be smaller but all the trees would still come down. Building code crap.

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Redneck slogans..........?

Taylor

What are some muddin slogans fourwheeling slogans hunting slogans and softball slogans. Any redneck slogans too. Something other than get r done

Answer
If you own a home that is mobile, and fourteen cars that aren't.
If your ironing board doubles as a buffet table.
If your dad walks you to school because you're in the same grade.
If your underwear doubles as your bathing suit. (Jeff then adds, "A little finger pointing going on in the audience.")
If you've been on television more than five times describing what the tornado sounded like.
If you have used a bar stool as a walker. (Ron White raises his hand)
If you have the electronic singing fish in more than three rooms in your house. (Jeff raises his hand after Bill, Larry, and Ron point at him - Bill even holds up four fingers)
If you've ever been too drunk to fish.
If you've ever cut your grass and found a car.
If an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger changed your life.
If you see a sign that says "Say No To Crack" and it reminds you to pull your jeans up.
If you've ever hauled a can of paint to the top of a water tower to defend your sister's honor.
If you go to the family reunion to meet women.
If you think "fast food" is hitting a deer at 65 miles an hour. (Ron White raises his hand)
If you've ever worn a tube-top to a funeral home.
If you take your dog for a walk and you both use the tree at the corner. (Ron White raises his hand.)
If you've ever ridden an electric floor buffer. (Bill Engvall fessed up to this, claiming "tequila was involved, get off me" causing Jeff to ask "I wonder how many times his wife has said that.")
If you work with a shirt off... and so does your husband.
If you own a Waffle House credit card.
If you think a "quarter horse" is that ride in front of Kmart.
If you own a complete set of salad bowls, and they all say "Cool Whip" on the side.
If your mother doesn't remove the Marlboro from her lips before telling the state patrolman to kiss her ass.
If you smoked during your wedding.
If your dog passes gas and you claim it.
If your daughter's Barbie Dream House has a clothesline in the front yard.
If you've ever made change in the offering plate. (Jeff: "Guilty.")
If you've ever stared at a can of orange juice because it said "concentrate".
If your working television sits on top of your non-working television.
If you keep a fly swatter in the front seat of the car so you can reach your kids in the back seat of the car.
If directions to your house include "turn off the paved road".
If you think 'N Sync is where the dirty dishes go.
If you've ever worn a dress that is strapless with a bra that isn't. (At this point, Larry the Cable Guy raises his hand; Jeff then adds "Think about that and try to sleep tonight.")
If somebody hollers "ho-down" and your girlfriend hits the floor.
If the biggest city you have ever been to is Wal-Mart.
If you've ever bought lingerie at a yard sale.
If you've ever taken an RV to a drive-in movie.
If you've ever heard the phrase "come and move this transmission so I can take a bath!"
If you wear someone else's work shirt.
If you've ever had your nipple bitten off by a beaver. (Jeff had earlier told the story of it happening to the brother of an audience member)
If you refer to the fifth grade as "my senior year".
If the richest member of your family bought a house and you have to help take the wheels off of it.
If you got into a fistfight at your last yard sale.
If your dad's cell number has nothing to do with a telephone.
If your family tree does not fork.
If you've been married three times and still have the same in-laws.
If you refer to your wife and mother-in-law as "dual air bags".
If you think Silence of the Lambs is what happens when Larry walks out to the barn.
If you've ever used a toilet brush as a back scratcher. (called in by a woman during Jeff's appearance on a radio show in Dallas)
If you think a 401(k) is your mother-in-law's bra size.
If you have ever been accused of lying through your tooth.
If you empty the bed of your pickup truck by driving backwards really fast and then slamming on the brakes.
If you missed 5th grade graduation because you had jury duty.
If someone tells you you have something in your teeth, and you take them out

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jeff_Foxworthy#Redneck_jokes

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kids electric car question!!!!!!!?

Cosmo22

i am interested in buying a eletctric car for a 13 year old anyone know a car (electric) that would fit i dont care on the price???? thanks!

Answer
in india there is a car called REVA.. i m not sure if it is exported. But really cool drive. costs near rs300000. very low driving costs. u don't have to spend over 10 dollars in an year. but replace battery every 5 yrs.. 175 km range

What are 12v kids electric cars like?

Ryan

buying my nephew one for Christmas. He's 3. Any advice also please.

Answer
PLEASE don't buy one for your nephew! I beg you.

1. He's only 3 years old. What are the odds that he is going to drive into something and get hurt?

2. Kids don't get enough exercise as it is, does he really need an electric car where he just sits in it? Get him a tricycle or something like that where he needs to pedal it.

3. I know you want to be the "cool" uncle, but don't you think a 3 year old with an electric car is pretty spoiled and ridiculous?

Get him a toy where he can burn off some energy (like a bike) or can learn something (like a leapfrog).

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Drivable toy car for preteens?

Hodari

So I have two daughters who's birthdays are coming up soon; (July1st and july5th) when they were little they had those small drivable little battery powered cars and I was wondering if they had anything like that for bigger kids... My girls are going to be 9 and 7... I don't really want to get them those electric scooter things but like a small 2 passenger drivable toy car.. (for their age group) thanks and ill try to link their old car I am referring to

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fisher-Price-Power-Wheels-Pink-Barbie-Jammin-Jeep-12-Volt-Battery-Powered-Ride-On/21647688

UNDER 500$ would be nice and thanks in advance..

Answer
INJUA PHANTOM x 750

Bought faulty car off eBay. Do I have rights?

J*M*H

Last Monday I bought a car off eBay that I thought was going to be a good deal. I got it for £850, and it came with 12 months MOT, but no Tax. It's a Fiat Stilo. This is the advertisement (copied and pasted) -
02 Plate Fiat Stilo 1242cc 16valve

One owner from new, in good condition inside and out for an 8year old car
(Dint on front passenger door & scratch on drivers side as pictured, not major)
Just had water pump and timing belt kit
12 Months MOT
No tax
Drives like new
Electric windows
Central locking on key

No PX
I am open to offers
Cash on collection only


Here's the problem, when I started to drive the car back, I noticed there was something dodgy about the clutch. As I was changing gear it started over revving, so the clutch was slipping. I also noticed that the steering wheel was making a funny 'clangging' noise when I turned the wheel.

We took the car down to the motor garage the next day, and he confirmed that the clutch is going and it definately needs replacing. I've had this confirmed by one more garage and a mechanic friend. We also found out (when giving it a service) that the reason the clutch was slipping was and knackered was because the gear shaft was coated in oil, probably because the gaskets gone and pouring oil out!

The other problem is that the back passenger door on the drivers side doesn't lock properly! If I manually push the catch down when it's open, it doesn't lock. I can literally push the catch open with my fingers. Which would explain why the door flew open when driving yesterday - whilst my kids were in the back!!!

What I want to know is -

Can I make the guy pay for the repairs to the car? Since it's not very drivable, and he stated 'Drives Like New'?!

Also, should the car have passed it's MOT with the door being like that?

The guy says it drove perfectly for him, but I can't believe that as it is noticeable!

Thanks

Answer
In the £850 market you have just learned that you need to test drive first. I bought a £950 car last week, I even put £5 of petrol in it to give it a decent test drive. Found lots of faults not mentioned in the advert, thankfully all minor and now mostly fixed for a few quid. Cars at that age an mileage all have problems, you need to find the ones where the worst problems not mentioned, though numerous are like my car, CD player, remote, interior lights, brake light, cruise and air con all broken and not mentioned in the advert. Mechanically though it really is good as new and that is what matters at that price. Sorry but it's a tricky market, learn, pass the car off to the next mug who hasn't learned and get a true bargain banger.

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Does anyone else have RC setups, if yeah lets hear what ya got.?

some guy

i love going down to the track or the hobby shop and looking at all the stuff ill never get, but taking joys in showing a kid what i have and explain how hell never have it. No but seriously what your set up.

I have a an HPI RS4 1/10 on-road electric drifter thats fun to play with inside. i have the old school barracuda body (dont like ricers), all wheel drive setup 50/50.

I also have the HPI Hellfire which is my basher i just take that thing and blow it to peice's

and the other thing which is addicting are those little XMODS i actually have 9, 2 06 mustangs, 1 firebird, 2 lifted f-150's, 2 camaros modded to be on the EVO chassis, a G35, and EVO. All the cars have all radioshack mods, bearings, lights, engine, suspension, all wheel drive, rims, tires, drifting kit, wild body, and lithium batteries. I got a nice setup but it my hobbies too, i got a track for in my garage. Anyone else on here got a savage or anything?

Answer
I have built from the ground up a fully Radio Controlled Ship as well as a fully Radio Controlled ( flying saucer ) with hover manoeuvrability. For the ship... it took me a little over 16 mths and for the flying saucer it took me well past 2 years to build it.

How customizable are nitro/gas powered r.c. planes?

Eugene Moo

I'm purchasing one & am very excited to finally have a hobby of my own. Two weeks ago my cousin taught me how to fly one using his plane (an 81inch J-3 Piper Cub [nitro/gas powered]),a\ after a week of browsing I've decided to buy a Zlin Z-50 70inch also nitro/gas powered...
http://www.generalhobby.com/mazda-zlin-nitro-airplane-p-59.html
...I think it's a good fit for me however I am very curious as to how much I will be able to really make it my own by customizing it. Also if there are any r.c. plane enthusiasts reading this, if you've any tips, or info, anything really that you would like to share i would very much appreciate it.
The link does show a 50inch w/s, however I am buying a 70inch, I basically just googled the model itself & added it as an example.

Answer
Infinitely customizable.

I know people that design and build custom rc planes (gliders mostly - but with small electric motors for gaining altitude) with sensors installed on them to check radiation levels, etc. in hazardous or remote areas.

I started off building planes when I was about 16 - one of my friends had a kit for a 'Super Chipmunk' (rich kid, mommy and daddy bought him anything he wanted, he started assembling it but got bored and so it was just sitting on a shelf). It was a pretty serious model - all wood, and with shrink-wrap style covering. It had a 6' wingspan.

I had his four-channel radio, receiver, and servos - installed everything, but then he didn't want to come up off the engine (I think it was a .60) because he was worried about it getting damaged if the plane crashed (apparently preferring to leave it sitting on a shelf unused). I finally talked him out of it, and flew the living crap out of that plane - never crashed it (although it did come down hard a few times - requiring minor fixes).

Me and one of my other friends that had helped me with the assembly (we were big RC car fans too) decided it was time to change it up a bit. We found, bought, and built a tunnel hull boat kit that used the same engine and prop from the plane. It was freaking awesome - as much fun as the plane.

I pictured it banking on turns like a real boat - but instead it turned on a dime. Almost perfect 90 degree turns - letting you zigzag the thing through the water.

I've been out of RC stuff for a while - a bunch of my friends got into helicopters, but they are difficult to fly (especially the ones with collective pitch) and expensive to crash. One of the guys I work with dumps a ton of cash into building, upgrading, destroying, and then replacing his helis.

I might have to build a plane again sometime - they make some amazing jets and other stuff, but I'd probably go old-school prop plane - like a Japanese Zero or a P-51 Mustang.

Good luck - and have fun!!!

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