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Any Regrets going ALL ELECTRIC?

16K views 204 replies 67 participants last post by  marks_a18138 
#1 ·
Just wondering if any of you that have gone ALL ELECTRIC have any regrets?

I'd be interested in hearing about the Pros and Cons, withdrawals and any unexpected surprises that you may have had.

Is it less hassle, more exspensive? I'm tempted, maybe I need a push.

Thanks in advance... :crossed:
 
#2 ·
My biggest electric is Q's Katana 42" wingspan, I would not build a nitro plane at that size or smaller again.

If the power, fun, flight times, and $$$ scale from there, I'm going up.
 
#4 ·
Pros are cleaner, and quiet in small sizes. The bigger planes are still pretty loud, but a little quieter. The prop noise is surprisingly loud IMO once you get to a 60 size electric plane. You don't have to worry about getting all the wood sealed up with covering since there's no oil. No tuning the engine to mess with.

Cons, cost of setup, mostly battery cost as you're paying for fuel up front. Looks to me like in 30 size and up the motor and speed control is actually cheaper than a comparable IC engine. If you don't have a lot of packs you end up waiting for a charge cycle to finish to fly again.

If the money was available I would be all electric all ready, but I am moving that way slowly. It's just quicker and easier.
 
#6 ·
i've been slowly changing small stuff to electric. just started doing electric equivalent to la 40 power. finally cheap enough to go that size. no regrets. i probably won't go bigger than 4s for a while yet, 46 glow and up still cheaper for me to glow power. but in a couple years when the 46 size stuff starts wearing out, will probably change them over.

took a while to understand how the stuff worked. buy a wattmeter! prop it right.
 
#7 ·
no regrets what so ever.

you guys just watch.. so many discount lipo dealers popping up right now and they are dropping prices monthly. i smell a lipo price war coming soon :D

put it this way, I just got some 6S 5000 20c Turnigy's for $51 each.

words of advice.. stick to castle ESC's. they are like the mojo of controllers :)
 
#11 ·
I started out with electric, and went to gas and nitro because I liked to just fuel and go......I never had enough batteries, and didn't know how to charge multiples at one time. All the batteries I had were 1c charge rated, too.

I have now come back to electric and will stick with it. With my small stuff, I can now charge 12 batteries in an hour with one charger. With my 6s stuff, I can charge in about 15 minutes. I fly so much more because I can fly at the local schoolyard without bothering anyone.....no more driving 1/2 hour to the field. The biggest bonus is that electrics put out much more power per pound than anything else at the elevation where I live (5500-6000 ft). No more mess, either.
 
#13 ·
I've been using the current technology of electrics for over 6 years and do not regret it at all. I started in electric planes more than 20 years ago, back then it was a different story.

Small IC engines just can't compare to the power available from small brushless motors.

IMO, most of the problems people have with electrics is from buying cheap, junk rather than quality products. Granted some failures happen to all brands and some issues are user induced.
 
#14 ·
3DPete said:
rfan_11 said:
3DPete said:
people tend to overlook problems with something new they are excited about, i think it will be awile before you see any real honest guys admit regrets goin E.
Electrics have been around for a while. The only thing "new" is the lighter, more powerful gear and lower cost, which has made it more popular.
cost is one of the smallest factors in the question posed in this thread. you know cost up front so your not likely to regret it later. what the question is what are regrets going ''all'' electric. there are things to consider like; does it fly the same prop speeds being slower & all. do i like waiting an hour to charge. do i like worrying about where i charge so i dont burn down the house. do i like having a dead car battery from charging. do i like carying 8 chargers around so i dont have to wait.both. do i like the fact that i get serious prop cuts from accidental bumping the throttle while setting up in the living room. there are a lot of differences & i like having both.
Most radios have some feature that is used as a kill switch for nitro engines......it just changes the endpoint for the throttle servo to a different location. I use this feature on my electrics to prevent accidental start ups. I have an airtronics sd 10g, and its called throttle cut in the menu. The throttle is completely disabled until I flip a switch. I have done it on dx-7s too by mixing throttle to throttle and using a switch to turn the mix on or off. It's way safer, and very simple to use.
 
#15 ·
Heli radios also offer throttle hold which is what I use to prevent that. You have to with electric helis since on most there's no easy way to keep away from the blades while connecting the battery.
 
#17 ·
ProBroAndy said:
no regrets what so ever.

you guys just watch.. so many discount lipo dealers popping up right now and they are dropping prices monthly. i smell a lipo price war coming soon :D

put it this way, I just got some 6S 5000 20c Turnigy's for $51 each.

words of advice.. stick to castle ESC's. they are like the mojo of controllers :)
You mean like thunder power's recent price drop of almost 45% :D
 
#18 ·
whtbronco said:
Pros are cleaner, and quiet in small sizes. The bigger planes are still pretty loud, but a little quieter. The prop noise is surprisingly loud IMO once you get to a 60 size electric plane. You don't have to worry about getting all the wood sealed up with covering since there's no oil. No tuning the engine to mess with.

Cons, cost of setup, mostly battery cost as you're paying for fuel up front. Looks to me like in 30 size and up the motor and speed control is actually cheaper than a comparable IC engine. If you don't have a lot of packs you end up waiting for a charge cycle to finish to fly again.

If the money was available I would be all electric all ready, but I am moving that way slowly. It's just quicker and easier.
My thoughts exactly, my only hang up on nitro, is I love the sound! I am seriously thinking about going electric just because it's easier. My time is so precious that I am less concerned about expense than than opportunity to fly, and headaches once I get to the field. I have had a huge problem getting my nitro moters to run well, but electric always works. Plus, I have a soccer field about 100 yards from my house, and I can fly any e plane there.
 
#20 ·
No regrets and I've gone 100%, even my big stuff.

YES, there are new worries about charge times, battery prices, and the like but for me the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. No worry about engines deteriorating and bearings rusting if they sit, no slobber and vibration turning my models into crap, no fuel going bad, no glow lighter to worry if I've charged recently, no worries about how well the engine will run, etc.

Most of the advantage for me as you can see is just in the disadvantages I get rid of. If you want to look beyond that there are other advantages and disadvantages, but those are the ones that sold me on it. What may make or break the deal for others are positive things like the ability to build a lighter plane, the instant power response of an electric motor or negative things like having to be careful to balance weight out against flight time, no ability to see how full your "tank" is, and the risk of lipo fires.

Just my opinion of course - I've seen people go both ways for their own reasons. I will say this though: I've watched electric for a long time now and seen it progress far. It won't be this year or the next, in fact I suspect it'll be a handful or two of years, but I fully expect that glow will go the way of diesel and compressed air and become something that enthusiasts tinker with while the mainstream moves on to electric.
 
#21 ·
3DPete said:
rfan_11 said:
3DPete said:
people tend to overlook problems with something new they are excited about, i think it will be awile before you see any real honest guys admit regrets goin E.
Electrics have been around for a while. The only thing "new" is the lighter, more powerful gear and lower cost, which has made it more popular.
cost is one of the smallest factors in the question posed in this thread. you know cost up front so your not likely to regret it later. what the question is what are regrets going ''all'' electric. there are things to consider like; does it fly the same prop speeds being slower & all.
1. do i like waiting an hour to charge.
2. do i like worrying about where i charge so i dont burn down the house. 3. do i like having a dead car battery from charging.
4. do i like carying 8 c hargers around so i dont have to wait.
5. do i like the fact that i get serious prop cuts from accidental bumping the throttle while setting up in the living room.
1. I have a very hard time out flying my batteries and chargers.
2. No. I use the technology in the right way.
3. Never happened to me, yet. :D
4. I carry 3.
5. Again, Never happerned to me, yet. :D
 
#23 ·
3DPete said:
rfan_11 said:
3DPete said:
people tend to overlook problems with something new they are excited about, i think it will be awile before you see any real honest guys admit regrets goin E.
Electrics have been around for a while. The only thing "new" is the lighter, more powerful gear and lower cost, which has made it more popular.
cost is one of the smallest factors in the question posed in this thread. you know cost up front so your not likely to regret it later. what the question is what are regrets going ''all'' electric. there are things to consider like; does it fly the same prop speeds being slower & all. do i like waiting an hour to charge. do i like worrying about where i charge so i dont burn down the house. do i like having a dead car battery from charging. do i like carying 8 chargers around so i dont have to wait.both. do i like the fact that i get serious prop cuts from accidental bumping the throttle while setting up in the living room. there are a lot of differences & i like having both.
That to me is the greatest concern with the large electric conversions for gasoline engined models. I suppose a different mindset is in order, one with a strict set of procedures that prevent any chance of an accident. Even then, a speed control malfunction on a motor turning a 24" to 30" prop is something I'd only wish on underwear bombers.

I've yet to see a gas engine cut anything off when it wasn't making a warning noise!
 
#24 ·
ozzyman said:
3DPete said:
rfan_11 said:
3DPete said:
people tend to overlook problems with something new they are excited about, i think it will be awile before you see any real honest guys admit regrets goin E.
Electrics have been around for a while. The only thing "new" is the lighter, more powerful gear and lower cost, which has made it more popular.
cost is one of the smallest factors in the question posed in this thread. you know cost up front so your not likely to regret it later. what the question is what are regrets going ''all'' electric. there are things to consider like; does it fly the same prop speeds being slower & all.
1. do i like waiting an hour to charge.
2. do i like worrying about where i charge so i dont burn down the house. 3. do i like having a dead car battery from charging.
4. do i like carying 8 c hargers around so i dont have to wait.
5. do i like the fact that i get serious prop cuts from accidental bumping the throttle while setting up in the living room.
1. I have a very hard time out flying my batteries and chargers.
2. No. I use the technology in the right way.
3. Never happened to me, yet. :D
4. I carry 3.
5. Again, Never happerned to me, yet. :D
:gp:

I take 2 chargers to the field. and typically only have 2-3 batteries for any given plane,... I always come home with more charged packs than I left with.

Like Ozzy said, use the tech correctly and you won't have a single problem.

I've killed my car battery 2 times after flying ALL day without thinking to start the car and let IT charge for a while. :oops:
Luckily I mostly fly at a field with a solar system that keeps an array of car batteries charged. :wink:

As far as the whole prop strike thing is concerned,... one runs the same risk if they setup their Nitro plane with the motor running,... a simple solution is to disconnect 1 wire into the motor while doing the setup,... or LEAVE THE FUCKING PROP OFF OF IT! :doh:
This is how I do it,... every other control is the same as any other kind of plane, so do your setup, and if you do bump the throttle it won't matter! :wink:

I regret getting a Nitro Motor, I was all E-:gay: before I decided I'd try a Saito.... I get better power out of lighter setups that don't require cleanup when I'm ready to go home.
 
#25 ·
ozzyman said:
3DPete said:
rfan_11 said:
3DPete said:
people tend to overlook problems with something new they are excited about, i think it will be awile before you see any real honest guys admit regrets goin E.
Electrics have been around for a while. The only thing "new" is the lighter, more powerful gear and lower cost, which has made it more popular.
cost is one of the smallest factors in the question posed in this thread. you know cost up front so your not likely to regret it later. what the question is what are regrets going ''all'' electric. there are things to consider like; does it fly the same prop speeds being slower & all.
1. do i like waiting an hour to charge.
2. do i like worrying about where i charge so i dont burn down the house. 3. do i like having a dead car battery from charging.
4. do i like carying 8 c hargers around so i dont have to wait.
5. do i like the fact that i get serious prop cuts from accidental bumping the throttle while setting up in the living room.
1. I have a very hard time out flying my batteries and chargers.
2. No. I use the technology in the right way.
3. Never happened to me, yet. :D
4. I carry 3.
5. Again, Never happerned to me, yet. :D
 
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