ORIGINAL: Bobsean
I'm trying to figure out general information such as engine information and how the power is measured and other similar information. For example standard combustion engines are measured by displacement... (.40 .60 1.2) then how about electrics?
Electric power is measured in Watts. Watts is Volts times Amps, and 746 Watts is one Horsepower, the same kind of HP that's used to rate glow engines.
One major point of confusion for newbies to electric power is in trying to compare electric motors like they compare glow engines. Unlike glow engines where the chemical reaction that releases energy happens in the engine, the chemical reaction that releases energy happens in the BATTERY on an electric. The battery is usually only considered as the "fuel tank" when it's also the "displacement."
For the motors themselves, there is no "standard." Electric motors are relatively simple to design, and every manufacturer has an opinion as to what characteristics make the best motor. The only way you could make any useful motor standard is to force all manufacturers to build motors of the exact same sizes, using the same strength magnets and same gauges of wire. At that point, everyone's motors would have the same exact performance characteristics, and the manufacturer that produced the lowest-priced motor would drive everyone else out of business
You might see motor "standards" like 300, 400, 500, or 600. Many "manufacturers" sell 400 motors, for example. These motors are all made by the same manufacturer; they're all Mabuchi RS380 motors. Mabuchi makes them by the millions for all sorts of consumer products. If you have a hair dryer, it probably has a "Speed 400" motor inside it, for example. It just so happens that these motors work well for small radio control airplanes.