Electric RC Planes Prove Popular with RC Modelers
Electric motors and lipo batteries make indoor RC flight possible
Early gas powered model airplane
Gas engines have powered RC model aircraft since the Good brothers first took their vacuum tube equipped Guff to the air in the late 1930s. Miniature gas engines evolved and improved over the ensuing years to where they became the standard power source for radio control model aircraft. Some modelers during this period experimented with electric motors. But the heavy batteries of that era limited the practical development of electric RC flight.
Electric motor is ideal for the wood frame of the Blackburn
Modelers saw the inherent advantages of using an electric motor as opposed to a gas engine to power RC flight. The most noticeable advantage of electric power is quiet operation. A central concern of RC modelers using internal combustion engines is retaining their flying field An ever present threat to retaining a flying field remains noise complaints. RC clubs go to great lengths to ensure their planes are properly muffled and that fly zones are enforced to preempt a neighbor’s noise compliant.
Silent electric flight
Modelers instantly grasped that electric RC flight is silent. You could fly an electric powered model in your backyard without anyone noticing, let alone registering a complaint. The challenge to practical electric RC flight is those early days remained the heavy weight of the rechargeable flight batteries.
The Pietenpol Air Camper uses a 120 milliamp lipo battery
The widespread adoption of small, light and powerful lithium polymer battery technology (lipo) has resolved the battery issue for today’s RC enthusiast. Very small lipo batteries allowed model plane designers to experiment using electric power for smaller indoor RC aircraft. This type of micro indoor aircraft was not previously envisioned until technology permitted these designs to take shape.
ParkZone was an early leader in this field of practical, affordable and well flying electric powered micro indoor planes. Using precise model design and manufacturing procedures, ParkZone offers a line of truly ready to fly indoor RC aircraft. The Cessna 210 was one of the early examples. Weighing a mere 18 grams, the ParkZone Cessna 210 flies exceptionally well with its tiny geared electric motor and 70 milliamp lipo battery. Careful inspection of the Cessna’s foam wing airfoil and fuselage control setup shows the attention to detail given to this ground breaking design.
Ember RC plane could not be possible without electric flight
Internal combustion engines
RC pilots have always had mixed feelings about internal combustion engines for their RC models. For years, the most popular section of RC Modeler magazine was Clarence Lee’s monthly report on engine problems and fixes. Until the advent of electric RC flight, you simply had to figure out how to make your fuel powered model engine properly operate; there was no alternative. Pilots often spent too much time at the RC field trying to get a balky engine to start.
Those frustrating days are gone forever when you switch to electric model flight. Outrunner electric motors have essentially no moving parts to wear out. Once the battery is charged and connected, the motor starts with the flip of a switch. In flight engine failures are unheard of when using electric motors.
Robin profile RC model airplane
In addition to silent and instant power, another key advantage associated with electric flight is an almost total lack of vibration. The smoothness of an electric motor makes any model fly better. The lack of vibration allows designers to create a much leaner aircraft structure, hence a lighter flight weight.
Spread spectrum radios
While not inherent to electric flight, the availability of quality ready to fly models coincided with the introduction of spread spectrum 2.4 GHz radios. Besides providing glitch free control of RC model planes, spread spectrum technology permits airplanes to be operated anywhere without fear of frequency conflict. For the first time an RC pilot can safely fly a small plane in their back yard or nearby park. The electric motor provides quiet power that will not even be noticed by the neighbors. The 2.4 GHz radios can be turned on anywhere without fear of jamming other modelers flying nearby.
Piloto 2 channel micro plane for under $50
There is yet another side benefit resulting from electric flight. Electric power facilitated the production of inexpensive ready to fly aircraft which assists many new pilots being introduced to the hobby. In the past, when all models had to be constructed from a kit or set of plans, building skills were a requirement to participate in the hobby. No more. A much wider section of the population can now enter the hobby by purchasing an affordable ready to fly plane. These new pilots can easily migrate to building models from a kit or perhaps create an original design.
Electric flight has widened the horizons of model airplane radio control flight more than any other development in the hobby. Electric flight laid the foundation for small and inexpensive RTF models. Electric flight has allowed us to fly micro models indoors year round. The inherent nature of silent electric flight allows anyone to catch a few practice flights in their local neighborhood without having to head to the flying field. Electric flight is truly a remarkable development for radio control flight.