Within the past several years, battery technology has evolved due mostly to the whopping amount of energy density packed into modern lithium batteries. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries in particular pack an amazing amount stored energy into a relatively lightweight package. You could attain the same voltage and capacity by wiring our longtime favorite Ni-Cd or NiMH batteries together, but they would weigh several times as much as a LiPo battery of the same voltage and capacity, and they wouldn’t be able to deliver that power in sufficient quantity to meet the demands that we ask of our high-powered models.
ADVANTAGES & DRAWBACKS
There are both advantages and drawbacks to electric power systems. The first consideration is noise. I love the sound of a gas-powered warbird as much as any airplane enthusiast, but the neighbors may, mistakenly of course, feel otherwise. There’s also no starting equipment, fuel tank, fuel line to get old and crack, or stinky fuel jug in your vehicle. Once properly configured, you don’t have to tinker with tuning or needle adjustments for weather. Cold weather starting consists of connecting a battery and going flying. Unlike a single cylinder engine pounding away at your airframe, there’s
