Glider ARF newbie questions: esc, bec, life, lipo?

[OsideRCflyer]

I just purchased Seagull's Pilatus B4 ARF glider. My previous glider experience is: Radian, Lanyu Asw-28,& parkzone KA-8. The KA-8 I've slope soared and been towed up. The Radian and ASW are both powered with folding props so I understand the power, esc system. The KA-8 has some sort of device that lipo powers the receiver. On this new bigger glider, can I use an esc from a previous plane and still use lipos that I already have? Do you need a separate BEC if there is no motor being used? What is the advantage of using a life battery? What dictates what size ESC to use on a glider? Should you still run a separate BEC?I hope this was not too much for one post

[rtwatkins]

You don't need an ESC if there is no motor to power, but you need a BEC to step down the voltage otherwise you'll blow the receiver and other electronics.

LiFe are safer then LiPos, but they have a lower voltage and are heavier then lipos.

you can either go for a BEC, or look for a "receiver battery" though those are usually NiCAD or NiMAH and heavier then a LiPo with the same capacity

[xviper]

This B4 from Horizon is a "non-powered" sailplane. IE, it must be sent up by tow or by bungee or by throwing it off the top of a hill. Are you planning on converting it to power? If so, you can get some hints as to how to power it by looking at the specs for another similarly sized sailplane - the Eflite Mystique for example. This will give you ideas on what motor, ESC, prop, etc, to use. If you don't intend to power it, yes, you can use the LiPos you have IF you use the appropriate BEC to power the Rx (and hence, servos). The BEC will step down the battery's power to what is safe for the Rx. However, the BEC you choose must also be able to accept the voltage coming out of whatever LiPo you have.
If you have the stock Radian battery (1300mah, 3s), that can power a suitable BEC easily and give you hours of air time in an unpowered sailpane. If you're going powered, then you're looking at much bigger batteries and possibly even more cells, especially on a 3M sailplane.

[OsideRCflyer]

Thanks for the responses. I wasn't able to chat with the the glider guys at my club yet. After your responses, I was able to talk to some other fliers. I think I'm going with a CC bec and start with lipos since I have plenty. I hope to get working on it this weekend. I'll post pics when I'm done. Looking forward to graduating from my foamy KA-8!