I fly a Brodak Smoothie converted to electric in classic class stunt (and by consequences in modern advanced stunt 2 weeks ago...took second with an almost 60 year old design!). Anyway, one of the timers most frequency used is the Zigras timer. It costs $30. You can program in the flight duration the speed of the motor run. You will need to also have an electronic speed control. The timer works thru a connection to the esc. This method yields the most usable electric flights. Current thru the lines has been done but the lines will have to be insulated. They will be so heavy and create so much drag you will not be able to fly a half A model. A three line system like is used in control line carrier and scale can be used as an on off as well but you will not be able to do much aerobatics with a 3 line system. There have been a number of very sucessful half A size electric control line models and stunters. Dick Sarpolis has published plans for some and they fly very well. On one of the speacialty stunt forums yesterday I saw pics of Bob Hunt flying a nice half A electric stunter.

Electrics are being used very sucessfully in control line stunt competition. Bob Hunt qualified for the USA Stunt World team last year with an electric version of his Genesis and is currently doing a twin engine electric stunter for this season. There were several electrics at the worlds and a number of top level stunt fliers are exploring the technology.

The current most common power system utilizes an Axi 2826/10, a Zigras or the other, I think its a JPM timer, a Castle Creations Phoenix 45 speed control, and a 4 cell 4000 mah lipo. This yields the equivalent of a .40 to .46 glow power plant. Line tensions are excellent. Proper prop selection is the key. You need to limit your current draw to about 32 amps for a pattern, about 6 minutes in a competition stunter.

For half A models the keys are brushless motors and lipo batteries and of course light weight. The lipos let you have so much lighter batteries that the all up weights are not so high as to limit the flyability of the planes. As you said though, putting wrench to it and getting into it is the key step. Be aware though that lipo's will not tolerate over discharge like traditional batteries.

Well, hope I have helped and not discouraged. Electrics are a fun area to explore. Electric experience in RC has been a help for many of us who are doing it. The Brodak electric Clown is an excellent flier. John Paris won Old Time Stunt in the spring stunt contest at Flint, Michigan. An electric humongous flown by Rick Sawicki took 2nd and my electric smoothie took 3rd in Classic stunt and I took 2nd in modern advanced . Myself, i still prefer glo stunt power for my primary planes, but that could change. There is still alot of developement going on and at the top levels. Those fliers and their developement teams are sharring with the rest of us and its filtering down with only about 3 to 4 months delay so we are learning alot in a hurry. The "All Amped Up" electric forum on Stunthanger.com is probably the best place on the web I know of to find what's going on in electric control line. A good resource are the other forums on the site.

Bob Branch