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It's a pretty common question: What's better, nitro or electric? There really is no easy answer, what is best for one person may not really work for another. They are both cool, and each one has its benefits. If we're looking at small 450-500 size helicopters we're pretty much focusing on electric as there hasn't been a reliable, 3d capable nitro model in that size. Popular helicopters in that size are the Trex 450 and 500, the Thunder Tiger mini Titan, and the Miniature Aircraft Furion 450.
To compare electric vs. nitro we really should be talking about 50 size machines. A 50 size helicopter typically uses 600-620mm main rotor blades, and if it's nitro it has a .50 c.i. (or close to it) size two stroke, glow powered, engine. There's really no exception to engine size in nitro models, some manufacturer’s engines are slightly larger such as the Thunder Tiger Redline 53, but it is still considered a 50 size engine. It's not really an option to put a 90 size engine into a 50 size airframe, not that it couldn't be physically modified, but it wouldn't be an easy bolt in deal. Some popular 50 size nitro helicopters are the Thunder Tiger Raptor 50, The Hirobo Sceadu Evo 50, and the Align Trex 600N.
An electric 50 size helicopter still uses 600-620mm main rotor blades, but usually relies on a brushless motor, and lithium polymer batteries. 50 size electric models available now are usually powered with 6-10 lithium polymer cells, and there are many different brushless motors available. Some popular 50 size electric helicopters are the Thunder Tiger E620, The Align Trex 600e, and the Miniature Aircraft Razor. These helicopters are all dimensionally very similar to nitro models.
Like I said before, nitro helis are different than electrics. Obviously if you buy an electric helicopter, you won't be spending any money on fuel, fuel pumps and glow igniters, but you will need battery packs, a good quality charger, balancer, and power supply.
Pros and Cons
Some of the nice things about electric models are that they are clean, relatively quiet, and if you charge your batteries before you go flying, there's less to carry. With nitro models, there's a fair amount of clean up after flying as the exhaust residue makes a mess, they do make noise, and require you to have a fuel jug, fuel pump, starter, and glow igniter at a minimum. Electric models usually have shorter flight times than nitro models; many times it's half of what a nitro model will fly for on a tank of fuel! When the fuel tank is empty, it's simple to just fill it back up and go again, with electric, the battery will have to be recharged which usually takes about an hour. Some electric models are also very easy to set up, for instance the Align Trex 600 electric includes a motor, and ESC which work very well. Other models like the Miniature Aircraft Razor do not include motor and ESC so you will have to do your research to find out what works best for your style of flying.
One of the biggest drawbacks to large electric helicopters is the battery cost. For a Trex 600, which is designed around a 6s lipo battery of 5000mah. These batteries usually cost around $275-$300. The Raptor 620 is designed around an 8-10 cell battery which usually costs around $400-$500. That seems very expensive, for initial purchase but for some, the advantages and convenience outweigh the costs.
Battery Costs vs. Fuel Costs
 If you plan to fly a moderate amount, and I mean 10-15 flights per weekend, with a nitro model you will probably go thru at least a gallon of fuel per week. At fuel costs of about $35 per gallon that adds up. So, let’s say you live in a temperate region where you can fly most weekends. We’ll say you fly 45 out of the 52 weekends in the year. 45 weekends X $35/gal of fuel equals $1,575!! If you had a Trex 600 electric helicopter, you could fly the same number of times on three lipo batteries which at most would cost $900. Even if you had four batteries, you’d still be spending less that you would on nitro. The biggest difference is that you probably wouldn’t purchase $1,575 worth of fuel all at once, where as with batteries you must spend that money up front. If that is a major concern, then a nitro helicopter may be a better choice for you.
Recurring Costs?
 There’s no real free ride with Nitro either. You will have to learn how to tune a nitro engine. Many people are very uneasy about tuning an engine, but it’s really not that hard. The main thing to remember is do not ever overheat the engine. If you overheat an engine badly, you can expect a full rebuild! With an electric helicopter it’s easy to simply plug in the battery and fly. Between flights you must allow the electronic parts to cool down, and of course you also have to recharge that battery. It is very important not to OVER-discharge a lipo battery. Doing so, even ONCE can render a battery pack worthless, that is an expensive mistake. There are some batteries such as Airthunder which tolerate abuse and over discharge better than other brands, but it should still be avoided. We have found that relying on the ESC to “cut off” power when a low voltage is reached sometimes still allows the battery to be slightly over discharged. Setting a timer on your radio and figuring out how many MaH per minute your model uses is the key to not over discharging.
The CRASH
Nobody wants to crash, but it is a very real possibility with model helicopters. IF you practice with the simulator, and do not fly above your skill level you will definitely reduce the possibility of crashing. With a nitro helicopter it is unlikely to ever damage the engine in a crash though it can happen. With a large electric helicopter, damaging the battery in a crash is more likely. The battery is the heaviest component of the electric helicopter, and in a crash the energy is often times transmitted to the battery. Today’s lipo batteries do not hold up well to damage, unfortunately there is no repairing them either. If a lipo battery is damaged it is rendered useless and should be disposed of properly.
Power and Flying
Usually a well set up electric helicopter will out power a nitro model. One reason is that an electric motor develops torque at a MUCH lower rpm than a nitro model. The nitro engine must rev up to produce torque. We’ve seen 50 size electric helicopters such as the Thunder Tiger Raptor e620 easily out power 90 size nitro models! The downside to all that power is flight time. It is tough to say exactly what kind of flight time to expect out of any helicopter because there are so many variables, but usually it is significantly less than that of a nitro.
Choosing which is right for you
Hopefully after reading this, you are able to make an informed decision about which kind of power should be in your helicopter. Visiting a local flying field and checking out some of the helicopters that are popular in your area is a good idea, after all if you buy something that no one knows about at your field, you may have a harder time if you need help. On the other hand, there are people out there that discuss their set ups online at the popular R/C helicopter forums such as www.runryder.com and www.helifreak.com and others. Everyone here at HeliProz is also happy to discuss the options you have as well.
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