Model Performance Changed Forever – Electric RC Airplanes
The first practice flight models took to the air in the early 20th century. Progress in the performance of these devices depends on the technology. All flight models must be constructed of light, strong materials to fly properly, and require some form of power to achieve flight.
Twisted elastic are a form of lightweight and inexpensive power for model aircraft, and are still used today in some areas of free flight. As the models have increased in size and weight, small gas engines became the means to feed the vast majority of flights. Gas engines have a lot of power, but require strong and heavy structures of the cell to handle engine vibration, creating a mess of oil from engine exhaust, and the engines are very noisy.
Over the past five years, electric motors have literally taken over as the best source for model airplanes. A chance of convergence of technologies – small, lightweight and inexpensive system for monitoring the radio, the efficiency of rechargeable batteries and brushless electric motors – has helped to revolutionize the model airplane hobby.
This trend promoting electric RC aircrafts is likely to continue. Once exposed to electric RC flight, the benefits become very clear over gas engines. Gas engines require a lot of support. Costs of fuel, electric glow plug igniters, electric starters and batteries, plus a wide variety of tools all must be purchased. It is not uncommon for majority of modelers to spend most of their day trying to get a balky gas engine started.
Starting a electric RC plane does not pose such a challenge. Flight batteries can be fully charged before reaching the area of flight. The model airplane pilot literally turns on a switch when he is ready to fly, and the silence of the electric RC airplane engine is amazing. While flying, there is never a concern of an engine failure as is common with the gas engines, electric motors have no moving parts other than the tree of the proposal.
Another advantage to electric RC aircraft is the calm of the power supplied by the electric motor. Flying gas field models is becoming harder and harder to continue, because of increasing urbanization causing noise to become more of an issue. The engine noise is an extremely important issue for the future of the hobby. Complaints of noise can cause the early closure of a field of flight. Electric RC planes completely removes these concerns, as you simply can not hear the small electric motors in RC flight.
In fact, these small groups electric RC modeler earned the nickname of the new gardens flyers. For the first time in the history of radio control airplane flying, everyone can fly their planes in their backyard, or at a local park. The neighbors will not even hear the small, quiet electric motors powering these devices. Without the need to bring along the normal gas engine support equipment, the electric RC pilot is airborne in minutes, and usually close to home. An additional advantage of this spontaneous activity of flight in the local area, is greater exposure to this wonderful hobby to a wider following of future electric RC enthusiasts. It may very well stimulate interest in aviation for some young people who see one of those planes in flight.
The passion to fly an airplane electric RC will continue to grow. The electric motors are more powerful and less expensive, and the advent of ready to fly electric model aircraft is leading to more interest in these unique designs.
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