Where is the cheapest place you guys have found these? Is one type better than the other? I had some red ones but they were not as good as I had thought. They broke easily as they were almost rotten. I can't fly my RCH Trainer until I get some. What is a good general size to get?
bigone5500,
I never thought much about rubber bands or their cost when I first got into the RC hobby last year when I bought my 48" wingspan trainer with a removeable main wing. But after doing the math I started looking into where I could buy them cheaper. You may want to contact the RC shop where you bought your trainer and ask if they have rubber bands available for it. Here's a few links for rubber bands, however, they are specific to my trainer as to their size.
Horizon Hobby
https://www.horizonhobby.com/rubber-bands-(8):-apprentice-15e-efl2738
With shipping to me the cost equates to $.75 per rubber band for a package of 8.
Motion RC
E-flite Apprentice S 15e Rubber Bands (8)
With shipping to me the cost equates to $.87 per rubber band for a package of 8.
I found that a little pricey for something that wouldn't last that long so I did a little research. I found a company in Ohio who sells rubber bands by the pound. I carefully took measurements of one of the bands that came with my trainer and contacted them. For a pound of service grade rubber bands (how the sales rep described them) containing about 275 bands, size being 5 x 1/8 x .062, was $12.00 total...$5.20 for a pound of the bands plus $6.80 for shipping. That equates to just slightly over $.04 per band. They are red in color if color matters.
Since I have a substantial investment in my trainer now with control surface re-enforcement, nylon hinges installed for all the control surfaces instead of foam and a repaint I didn't want to trust my trainer in the air with just office grade rubber bands. Murphy's law being what it is I could see my main wing coming off in mid flight. While my plane is a trainer it does have the power/speed to do some mild aerobatics if I choose to.
Here's the contact info for this company:
sales rep: Richard (Rick) Michelson
Keener Rubber Company
14700 Commerce Street NE
Alliance OH 44601
phone 330-821-1880
fax 330-821-4246
rickmichelson@keenerrubber.com
www.keenerrubber.com
As a side note from what I understand the two enemies of rubber bands are the sun and exposure to air over long periods. They begin to degrade over time. I've taken a bag of office grade bands out of my desk drawer to have them crumble. I got the idea to use my wife's hand-held electric food saver baggie evacuator to seal my bands in one of her baggies. They're now in a super air tight bag and have no exposure to air. This cheap food saver gizmo is available at Walmart for about $20. When I need some bands I just reseal the bag.
Hope this helps. I know buying a pound of rubber bands is obviously overkill but they'll last me the rest of my life.
SSU