Long post sorry for the rant. I’m pretty new to RCU but have been modeling for over 40 years. I’ve been lurking for a long time.

not really any info on the poor guy and his BBQ. Other that it was a Li-po fire.

I enjoy using these batteries for small models and foamies. The reality is I'm concerned the AMA is going to step into this problem and we won't like their response.

Who knows what is going to happen. Guys that are experts running electric models and have all the top equipment are having trouble with this high power stuff. I have heard of Speed controls shorting and burning up models, I have personally seen gearboxes lock up on the pattern setups and throw props. I have also seen the BBQ of a set of Batteries at a local pattern meet last year. This guy is very on top the technology and yet still had a problem.

I think it is very cool stuff, but the reality is it’s not ready for prime time. The top FAI pilots are using it but they have huge support from companies. They could be flying brand new batts and motors every single day and we won't know it.

Tony F. has been running it a long time and his experience has described lots of issues with Batteries, controllers and motors. Granted this can happen with a Big Block 4 stroke too, but the glow motor is not likely to burn up your car, house or model. Although not specifically saying it do the math on how many battery packs it takes to get 700 flights when you are only getting 60 flights on a set of packs. Then call it a drum of fuel for every battery pack. ($650-$700)

Battery technology is marching forward. I'm ready for it to be here. The question is will this increased power and performance come with better safety or are we going to be in the same boat we are today. Like everything in our lives the regulation body could step in and place demands for reforms or outlaw the technology to be covered under your AMA insurance. Look there are other models that tend to burn when they crash too. Oh guess what when you crash one of these models they can and do start the fire too! We all know how the Jet guys feel about the AMA limits on them.

I'm not a chicken little with the sky is falling. I really think you need to take great care of these batteries when using them. The high-powered setups are really tough to manage. You are talking about 30-40 cell battery packs. New balancing technology is great, but I'm not convinced this stuff is ready for me to try it.

I made an inquiry to my homeowners insurance last spring. I had heard of some home fires with lithium packs as we have seen here on this forum. My home owners (Allstate) says they do not cover events that are a result of me keeping hazardous materials in my home. Guess what they consider Hazardous, Fuels, Paints, Batteries, ect. If you have any of these items in BULK in your home my insurance company thinks I'm risking coverage of an accident involving the hazardous material. I knew about car batteries and such do to the acid involved. So I asked about lithium-ion Polymer batteries. The answer was lithium is a very volatile material, NO. Meaning if a fire was started by the Batts or a fire occurred and my model fuel and or batts was involved. By the way a single pattern setup is currently 40 cells (5300mah 10S4P) pack. I don't think I could argue that 40 cells is not Bulk...a single cell phone or maybe even 10 cell phones is only 10 cells. But this one pattern battery is 40cells.

Even a glow motor can kill you. Just think about keeping 3 cases of glow fuel in your garage. But the glow fuel doesn’t burst into flames when you are filling your fuel tank. The reality is these batteries and the high power systems we are using are really a bit extreme. We are talking about 60amps. The motors are running basically 3phase AC type power. 42volt system. Look at your breaker box on your house and see how many 60amp breakers you have (granted this is 110V not 42V? BUT Chances are you don't have any? My personal house has a single 40amp breaker on the Air conditioning unit. This is a special breaker too with a special trip circuitry. Most circuits in your home are 15amps. Think about it?

I'm not anti Electric I would love to have one of these Electric pattern models with the Hacker C50 in it and $8,000 to $10,000 worth of battery packs so I could get 700 flights too. The reality is I just don't see the glitz overcoming the financial costs, and the loss in flying time. The word is having the gearboxes worked on every 50 flights. Even with 4 YS motors constantly being in for repair the costs are not even close. We are literally talking Turbine Jet type numbers for cost and even the risks here as well.

The AMA is a company now and their self appointed place is to regulate us in order to minimize their risks as an insurance company. Think about an accident involving an AMA club, an AMA member, and a li-po crash and fire that bring in some person from the real world. In today’s world of lawsuits over hot coffee at the golden arches and so on. The judge and or jury will look at the facts and say you mean two years ago you guys knew this could happen? You mean there is an Internet site RCU that documents these problems and fires. Guess who would win that lawsuit for big bucks. This is a regulation waiting to happen in my opinion. The club would have a really difficult time convincing the landowner, city, county or who ever holds the lease on the field that it’s a safe and family oriented activity. What about in the Midwest where I see pictures of you guys flying over farmers’ crops? Are you ready to buy an entire field of already popped corn?
Once they find out that we knew about the dangers of these things and action was not taken. Guess what?

I admire guys at the top working out the bugs on this stuff. But you don't see them out here promoting it do you? It has been 2 years since Jason first showed it was possible, and he is not out here beating the drum. Even those that are running it are not flooding this forum with the problems. The reality is they are quiet when they have trouble. No sense rocking the boat. Most people use the if you don't have something nice to say then don't say it. Some guys have leaked or led us to the fact they have had some problems. I like the note from from one guy that says who are you that is getting 200 cycles on a battery pack? They understand and know the risks. They also know about how many batts-speed controls, and motor demags they have experienced and toasted. Some even know about the flames coming from their new composite Fuselage. From what I see Tony F is using this technology and from my experience in the old days Tony was always very diligent with his models. If he is not getting 60 flights on a battery pack It is not ready. And he has not really had a fire that we know of?

Sorry for the rant.

AAM