| Electric power for RC aircraft: planes, helicopters, | | | | maximum discharge must be monitored and that |
| ducted fan jets; is the fastest growing aspect of this | | | | careless handling, charging, or discharging can result in |
| hobby/sport. There are lots of reasons for this, but | | | | fire or explosion! (Battery manufacturers are now |
| perhaps two major developments have created this | | | | often including protection built into the battery packs to |
| gold-rush atmosphere. First, the recent bringing to | | | | minimize these dangers, but the rule is to read the |
| market of the Lithium Polymer battery - a refinement | | | | directions and be careful). |
| of the lithium-ion battery. Second, the disappearance of | | | | When coupled with the many new inexpensive |
| many of the traditional local RC flying sites under the | | | | brushless motors and controllers now available, |
| pressure of real-estate development and population | | | | modelers can have fully aerobatic rc planes that will fly |
| growth. | | | | for 15-25 minutes(!) without recharging! And, it is |
| The radio control Lithium-Polymer (Li-Po) battery is | | | | possible to buy such a plane and equip it for under |
| characterized by the use of a solid, the polymer, which | | | | $300 total! This is an exciting development, and as one |
| acts as the electrolyte, like the acid in your car's | | | | hobby-shop owner put it to me, "this is putting the fun |
| battery. This development has made the lithium based | | | | back into RC!" |
| battery relatively more stable, physically stronger and a | | | | Because of the inherent advantages to RC electric |
| little easier to manufacture. | | | | airplanes; quiet, reliable, clean and now long-flying and |
| The advantages to this battery for the modeler are | | | | powerful, it really is possible and fun to fly in the small |
| 50% or greater weight reduction over nickel cadmium | | | | schoolyard or park. You don't have to seek out the |
| batteries, greatly increased power storage and | | | | RC flying field that is an hour's drive away from home |
| considerably longer shelf-life without auto-discharging. | | | | or work and you don't have to deal with neighbors |
| The disadvantages are that the LiPo battery must be | | | | who are incensed over the noise from glow or gas |
| carefully charged on a dedicated LiPo-capable charger, | | | | powered models. |