Electric-powered RC helicopters are becoming more popular as battery technology increases to allow flying times nearly as long as nitro-powered helis. Engine choice is a decision to be left up to the hobbyist, but electric-powered helis have several benefits worth considering for the experienced or novice flyer.
One of the greatest benefits of electric-motored helis is the lack of exhaust fumes. This means no fear of toxic fumes when flying indoors, and they are a little friendlier to the environment when used in the great outdoors. This also includes noise pollution, as electric RCs are much quieter than their fuel-combustion counterparts. Since electric helis do not use fuel, there is no fuel expense, which them a more economical choice. The lack of fuel and oil also makes these helis much cleaner to touch.
When it comes to performance, electric RC helis are easy to get going, and are often ready to fly right out of the box. No equipment, like starter systems or glow plug power panels, is necessary, and an electric flyer never needs to tinker with tuning carburetors, exhaust or fuel systems. Without fuel consumption, weight stays the same, so flying balance is constant. Electric helis are also less likely to experience air intake or ignition problems that result in mid-flight shut-off for fuel-powered models.
Nothing is perfect, and there are a couple disadvantages to flying electric. Size is a current limitation. Most electric RC helis today have rotors less than 63 inches in diameter. The rechargeable lithium batteries are initially expensive, and can multiply if you choose to have back-up batteries to minimize waiting time when charging. Charging batteries takes longer than filling a fuel tank, resulting in down time. These lithium batteries also require care because they can catch fire or explode when used incorrectly.
Electric-powered RC helicopters offer many in-flight benefits, and many people on the pulse of the hobby believe that electric could be the future of RC helis. As battery technology improves, electric helicopters really have nowhere to go but up.
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