What's the deal w/ electric helis

[tad]

Getting back into flying after long hiatus. Previously owned x-cell 60, TSK Mystar 30, and Kalt 30.

Trying to make a decision on whether or not to go MA electric or gas. Is it me or is half the talk on the forums about problems and decisions with batteries, chargers, balancers ESC, regulators, motors, and gear ratios. Am I missing something or is there a real advantage to electric helis?

Thought you gas, nitro people might have some insight.

[DavidH]

The majority of the ehelis I see at events are the 400 size. Like the Trex 450. E helis became popular a couple of years ago when the battery technology came along that would allow longer flight times. Plus the batteries are lighter and produce more power than the nicad/nimh cells did.
I think the electric is just a phase in the hobby. Went to an event last weekend, there were 60 pilots there. Nitro helis were being flown more than electric helis, even thou there was probably twice as many electric helis there. The e helis were flown at night under the lights. LOL
Electric helis are cleaner than nitro helis.

David

[beeflyer2]

I think the electric is just a phase in the hobby.

:roll:

You know what they say about opinions.

[Klinger]

They aint no passing phase, there probably the future. Every year battery technology gets better and better. At the moment you can easily get much higher power to weight ratios in electrics than anything else out there, only flight times suffer and as they pack more power into our batteries this'll change as well. there will always be the diehard nitro flyers but electrics are growing faster than ever before!

[Eyefly]

I understand that overseas, e helies are more common than nitro.

[wjvail]

I have spent almost 4 decades in modeling now. From control-line combat, racing boats, flying gas planks to heli's... I've flown free flight and RC Pylon. I haven't seen it all but I've seen a lot of it. Along the way I've learned something from each avenue of this wonderful hobby.

For the first 30 years I would describe electrics as an interesting experiment. With considerable effort you could make an aircraft fly quietly and mess free with electric power. The promises included no fuel cost (!). I was always impressed that it could be done. Still, having achieved flight with electrics, I was alway left with the though, "yea, but it would be better with and engine". "Yes it's flying, but it would fly better with a gas engine."

A couple of years two things happened to change that. Not one but two things...

Lithium Polymer batteries and brushless motors (including brushless controlers).....

The combination of the two has revolutionized this hobby. It has made electric flight a real alternative to fuel models. Notice I did NOT say a BETTER alternative. Each has clear advantages and dis-advantages.

Right now, and for the first time in modeling history, we are at a time when there really is a choice. The uniqueness of this choice, along with the marketing efforts of distributors, has swung the pendulum to the side of electrics. I have no doubt that someone will soon rediscover the fascination of being able to put 2 cups of fluid in their heli and be able to fly... virtually without end.

For me, I will never tire of the fascination in that there is a fire and piston and fuel making my heli fly. No mater how far battery technology progresses, I will alway enjoy seeing my toy in front of me with an internal-combustion engine.

I also own a Blade 400 and Voyager-E. They are too easy to take out in the backyard and enjoy the afternoon.

Please notice all of the above applies to the entire spectrum of this great hobby and not just helis. There is a revolution going on. I would suggest this revolution is not electrics in-and-of-themselves but electrics as a viable choice. For the first time in 40 years when someone asks me do you think I should get a gas or electric trainer, truck or 3D heli, I can't tell them one is definitively better. There is a choice...

Bill

[Pla]

I am relatively new to the hobby.
First I bought gas .25 plane and just wanted to fly it. Made less than 15 flights on it.
Later bought electric - 2 helis and 2 planes. Comparing both, I wouldn't easily go back to gas.

- I can fly small electric helis almost anywhere.
- Electric aircrafts produce less noise - i can even hear the sound from the wings.
- There are a lot more fields that allow electric aircraft than gas because of noise levels and fire hasard.
- Each time I fly gas, I have to spend another 10 minutes cleaning oil and gas from the plane. I have to cover my car trunk to protected it from stains. I need to carry a field box...
- Electric is very clean and maintenance free.
- For gas you need starter, pump, fuel, battery for glow plug... for electric just spare batteries and charger
- I can fly my e heli indoor (at home) - no gas exhaust, you can tune your setup at home.
- Gas engine may die even before you run out of fuel, electric can stop and start while in flight...
- No need to calibrate engine / fuel mixture depending on temperature, altitude...

[fiveoboy01]

If lipo prices came down(I'm talking 1/3 to 1/2 of what they cost now - for the quality packs like TP and Flightpower), I'd have nothing but electric stuff.

[stevehonn]

In the UK Flightpower have just dropped battery prices by 15% and there is lots of competition from the new breed of Chinese lipos, this could be the year electric really takes off, maybe next year if prices continue downwards.

[Pinecone]

Battery prices will drop to 1/3 to 1/2 of current prices, when the next generation comes out. Of course the lower price will be for what we are buying now, and nobody will want such inferior batteries. :)

For larger helis, liquid fuel seems to make more sense. For smaller, electric makes more sense.

[lennydude]

I also have been into RC for many years.
I agree with 99.9% of what David says but agree electric is not a "phase". It is indeed here to stay IMO.

What boggles my mind is.......................after all these years, why isn't there an "alternate" fuel for our helis?

Hydrogen, ethanol etc. Why do we need to spend $30+ dollars a gallon for a "old" technology smelly, stinky, dirty fuel? Would love to see this happen and THEN, maybe electric would disappear?

Lenny

[beeflyer2]

Would love to see this happen and THEN, maybe electric would disappear?

:lolol:lolol:lolol

[lennydude]

:lolol:lolol:lolol

You may think it is funny BUT...............imagine for a second..............

You go to the field, fill your "tank" with hydrogen, fire it up and fly for 20 minutes with full power.

NO dirt, grime, goop all over everything..................just H2O coming out the muffler (would need water proof electrics already on the market). Put your heli away and store your hydrogen tank and go home CLEAN. :)

If that could happen.........be it hydrogen or whatever.........why in the world would someone want to buy chargers, balancers, and $300 to $500 dollar batteries????????????

[jeffros1805]

Hey I run my heli on "coleman" fuel... No mess and little smell (smells like cooking hotdogs) :YeaBaby:

Its about $6.00/gallon but I get long run times so price isnt an issue.

[Pinecone]

The mess is the oil. We use two strokes to make power, two strokes need oil in the fuel and make a mess.

What you actually burn doesn't make a difference.

BTW ethanol versus methanol is just one alcohol versus another. Both are renewable sources.

[Pla]

The mess is the oil. We use two strokes to make power, two strokes need oil in the fuel and make a mess.

What you actually burn doesn't make a difference.

BTW ethanol versus methanol is just one alcohol versus another. Both are renewable sources.
Actually, methanol is very poisonous - even its vapor.

[Pinecone]

Actually, methanol is very poisonous - even its vapor.

1) Any ethanol sold for none consumption purposes is rendered toxic bythe additional of some other chemical, sometimes methanol.

2) The vapors aren't THAT toxic. OSHA permissable exposure limit is 200 parts per million and the IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) is 6000 PPM. Ethanol has a PEL of 1000 PPM, but the IDLH is actualy lower at 3300 PPM (also based on the LEL).

In use, they are alcohols and behave in similar manners.

And BTW, the nitromethane is worse than either. PEL of 100 PPM, and IDLH of 750 PPM. and it is also corrosive.