Lithium Polymer batteries are the future of r/c ladies and gentlemen. They have been used in the r/c planes now for a couple of years and are getting better all the time.
~~I personally recommend Thunder Power, Apogee, or Astroflight chargers for the LiPo packs. The Astroflight, while being the most expensive, is the best charger on the commercially available market. I am sure many companies are now starting to explore this pathway and will have new chargers out within the year.
~~The biggest problem with the LiPo packs is the ability to handle certain amounts of ampdraw for extended periods of time and how far they are run down. The current nicad and nimh batteries can be run down past their voltage levels but LiPo's CANNOT! They must be run to a certain cutoff voltage or they will detonate or deteriorate depending on the ampdraw at the time. If the pack is overdrawn for any extended period of time the motor will lag and you will notice a slowdown. This can be shown on an ammeter or watt meter. These devices will help show how much load is being put on the battery while being run. If the amp draw exceeds the pack recommended limits it will not perform as it was advertised too. This will be a very expensive mistake by the user if not checked consistently.
~~I have seen many LiPo packs come in shredded to pieces because they exploded, literally exploded in people's airplanes because the were overdrawn or overcharged.
~~Please be careful with new technology and follow the battery manufacturers recommended charging and discharging rates.
