Electric RC planes
- reasons for their popularity
Electric rc planes have become increasingly popular in just the last few years; it wasn't so long ago that the majority of rc airplanes found on a flying field were gas powered, but now it's quite normal to see an equal share of gas and electric models.
With radio control technology advancing at warp-speed, servos and receivers have become smaller and smaller in recent years, and electric motors and battery packs have become lighter and more powerful.
Previous to this recent rc revolution, electric rc planes weighed only slightly less than a medium sized bull, simply because standard size radio control gear, heavy batteries and large motors were necessary to power the beasts through the air!
Now though, all that has changed and modern electric planes can weigh as little as a handful of dimes and be small enough to be flown round the back yard, even indoors.
Also, because of their reduced weight, they (depending on model type) can be made to fly at slower speeds, making them the perfect answer for anyone looking to get started in radio control flying.
Electric rc planes such as the J3 Piper Cub, shown below, are a great introduction to basic rc flying because of their affordable price and easy, stable flying characteristics.
See the J3 Cub in more detail.
Electric rc planes are the perfect answer for the 'environmentally' minded modeler too, with increasing awareness of noise pollution these days. And of course, there's also the cleanliness and convenience of flying an electric model plane; with the flick of a switch the plane is floating out of your hand - no messy fuel and no starting problems on cold days. In short, NO FUSS!
Being able to easily fly such a quiet and clean model in a park, school yard or empty parking lot is one of the main reasons why these planes have become so popular.
And another reason of course is the increased availability of planes that can be purchased and flown straight away, without having to do any assembly. Again, the Piper Cub shown above is an example of this kind of model, known as 'RTF' which stands for Ready To Fly.
More reasons to fly electric RC planes
The aforementioned technological revolution is on a seemingly unstoppable course, which is great news for us all.
The new inrunner and outrunner brushless motors and lithium polymer (Li-Po) batteries are now widely available, and the combination of both items in an rc airplane results in a tremendous amount of power and longer flight times.
The E-flite Apprentice, shown right, is an outstanding example of what's now achievable with electric rc planes. It's essentially a gas trainer size airplane with excellent flight performance and stability.
The Apprentice is a clear indication of things to come, and electric rc flight will only become more popular still because of planes like this.
See the E-flite Apprentice electric airplane in more detail.
Electric rc planes are, from a personal point of view, a lot of clean, quiet fun and provide the easiest and quickest way of getting started in the hobby of powered rc flying.
Starting with a simple electric plane is an ideal way to get going, and as you gain experience you can either advance on to bigger, multi-channel electric models or gas powered models. Or start with something like the Apprentice shown above, and you're halfway up the ladder already!
The electric rc planes on this page can be seen in more detail here.
Related pages
Electric rc airplanes - more examples of currently popular electric planes.
Electric RC trainer airplanes - just a few examples of popular trainers.
Electric RC - the technology behind the revolution.
HobbyZone rc airplanes - popular beginners models.
ParkZone rc airplanes - excellent value RTF planes.
