The choice between gas or electric power rc planes is one of the most common decisions an rc pilot will make. If you’re living in a suburban area an electric model might be the right choice for you. It will create less noise and no gas odors. On the other hand, gas models can generally fly further, faster, and longer than the electric alternative. In this post we will examine the pros and cons of the classic gas vs electric decision.

Electric RC Airplanes

There used to be very short flight times associated with electric rc airplanes. Since the 90s, however, this is no longer the case. As a result of the improvements and lowered cost, these planes have experienced increasing popularity. Many new electric airplanes also come ready to fly out of the box, which results in more interest from novice pilots.

There are two main different motor types used in electric model aircraft:
The brushed and the brushless.

A brushed motor consists mainly of a cylindrical metal case containing a stator and a rotor.
The rotor is part of the motor shaft, which rotates inside the stator. The rotor has several coils (poles) that may either have an iron core or are coreless. The stator consists usually of two permanent magnets mounted close to the metal case.

Brushless motors are little more expensive but are considerably more efficient. Often between 80 to 90%. Since they have no brushes, there is less friction and virtually no parts to wear, apart from the bearings. Usually, this is a better investment.

Unlike the DC brushed motor, the stator of the brushless motor has coils while the rotor consists normally of permanent magnets. The stator of a conventional brushless motor is part of its outer case, while the rotor rotates inside it. The metal case acts as a heat-sink, radiating the heat generated by the stator coils, thereby keeping the permanent magnets at lower temperature.

Personally, I prefer electric powered rc airplanes. Feel free to discuss your personal favorites in the comments section.