I don't have any graphs or deep knowledge to back my decisions up, but personally I have moved back to SLA.
In my glider I have used NiMH with some success, but the lifetime of the batteries (9Ah D cells with solder tabs) was only 2 years, and very expensive.. I think you have to be a lot more careful with NiMH than SLA. My SLA batteries on the other hand have lasted 3 years and a fraction of the price. I use LiPo batteries a lot at home for electronic equipment and Remote Control (well... toys)... and they are great for light weight and large discharge rates. So if you are powering an electric sustainer, by all means look into the lithium area. If you are mounting batteries in your panel (ie, very forward of CofG) or want a small backup systme, consider lithium but also look at more conventional NiMH. If you are trying to replace your standard battery behind the seat, my advice is stick with SLA. One reason I had moved to NiMH was to increase my Ah from 7Ah SLA, with a usable 4Ah to the 9Ah NiMH with a usable 7Ah. Since then I have found better SLA that are rated at 9Ah (same physical size as the 7Ah) - I have not tested real usable DoD but I have yet to flatten even one of my two batteries (now overkill) - well at least not in 5 hour flights. 10 hours might be a different story - although both batteries together should be fine. And... what ever you choose, don't leave your batteries flat, and don't leave them on charge. Scott
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