| It's a lot more convenient to throw a switch after landing than pulling | out a plug. But I do pull the battery plug now that I know better.
Yes. The switch that comes with an ESC turns off the BEC power to the RX, so it'll turn off the motor in most cases. It also doesn't switch much current, so it can be a small switch.
Mostly it's just a `safety' thing -- turn it off when your plane lands so the motor doesn't roar to life due to a glitch. But your battery is still being drained slightly by the ESC, so you don't use it to turn off your model for storage or the trip home. | I believe Red has the right idea about switching off the battery lead.
I'm not sure I agree (with putting a switch there.) Sure, it would be convenient, but it also introduces resistance where there was none before, reducing the performance of your plane. And even if you can put a smaller switch than you would normally expect to handle that much current, it's still extra weight.
I think I'll just stick with pulling the battery connector, though that can lead to the connector wearing out, and you could accidently pull some wires loose.
Of course, I do prefer to put a fuse in there, either between the motor and ESC for a brushed motor, or battery and ESC/BEC for a brushless plane. I realize that if the fuse blows in the latter case I lose all control, but if the fuse wasn't there, the ESC would probably burn up and then I'd lose all control anyways. The fuse adds some resistance and weight, but I think it's worth it. But a big switch? I'm not so sure.