Adam's Park Flyer
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Batteries & Chargers

    Unfortunately, many people skimp on batteries when assembling their Park Flyer R/C Airplane.  A lot of hobbyists think that a battery is a battery, which is simply not the case.  A more powerful motor may sound tempting, but will go to waste if the battery behind it is inferior.

    There are two main types of batteries on the market today:  Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH).  There are some distinct differences between the two which are outlined below.

NiCad

• Relatively inexpensive
• Heavy
• Large
• Suffers from memory effect
• Good power
• Short life

NiMH

• Somewhat expensive
• Light
• Small
• Limited memory effect
• Good power
• Longer life

    The most important difference between the NiCad battery and the NiMH battery is the memory effect.  If they are not properly discharged every time before they are recharged, NiCad batteries will begin to hold less and less of a charge.  This will of course seriously effect the performance of the battery, and will ultimately shorten its life.  NiMH batteries can also experience the memory effect, but to a smaller extent.  Most battery "experts" will agree that NiMH batteries are well worth the added cost.  Aside from the longer life, they weigh less which is extremely important when you are mounting them inside an R/C Airplane.

    Whether you are using NiCad or NiMH batteries it is always a good idea to condition (discharge and recharge) the battery at least 3 times before its initial use.  This will ensure that the battery is operating at peak efficiency right from the start.

    When choosing a charger, it also pays to get good quality.  A decent charger will condition the battery by discharging it first every time you charge it.  Also look for convenience features such as LCD displays that provide information such as charge time, voltage, amp rate, and peaked voltage.  The trickle feature will keep your batteries from statically discharging once they are full.  It provides a small stream of current to the battery once it has finished charging.  This is very convenient but should not be done on a regular basis as it can have a detrimental effect on the batteries memory.

    The bottom line is, get the biggest and best battery that will fit into your budget and into the plane.