Customer Reviews

Fly Electric

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This is the best book on electric powered aircraft I have found. There's a good explanation of electric motor characteristics, requirements, etc., always put into a context that peopler new to electrics can relate to. The explanations of theory are just what you need to know, with no useless charts like some other books. He also steers clear of wasting space on specific manufacturer's motors, sticking to useful generalities and a few examples.

There are also useful sections on ducted fans and appropriate model selection. Instructions on soldering and building your own battery packs are clear and precise with good photos.

The only drawback is that Li-Po batteries were just on the horizon when this book was written, so his comments on them are somewhat speculative.

The author knows a great deal about his subject but seemingly very little about organizing and presenting information. With so much knowledge of his field, he encumbers so many simple ideas with semi-related details, jargon and undefined acronyms. Though he claims his book is for assorted beginners (either to RC models in general or electric planes in particular), he does a terrible job at explaining (or even introducing) fundamental concepts. For example, the chapter on plane selection is a discourse about motor power with only the occasional obtuse reference to different sets of flight controls, and doesn't really cover types (glider vs. sailplane vs. 3D vs. flying wing), pro & con of fuselage materials (balsa vs. foam vs. fiberglass). Forgive me if these aren't perfect examples but I'm a beginner! What I know about the sport is from a few coherently-written, professionally-edited magazine articles. If you are new to the sport, then this compendium of stream-of-consciousness random facts is likely not for you. If you are a more advanced model-builder, it is hard to imagine this being the best resource available.