Batteries

Most electric flyers have already moved to lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries for their higher power per volume and lower weight. However there's another option out there which is gaining popularity, namely M1 cells from A123 Racing. These are another lithium-based technology which are supposed to be safer than LiPo, can be charged very rapidly, and can be discharged all the way without damage.  read more »

Perhaps the main problem with Lithium-Polymer batteries (other than their tendency to explode when damaged) is the lack of a standard for their balance connectors. This limits which chargers and balancers you can use with a given pack. To address this, Evan at RC Accessory has put together a great list of which brands comply with the four different variations out there in the wild. Check out his Balance Tap Configuration Guide for the details, and remember that some brands using identical connectors have the polarity reversed. Good grief!