Electriflying

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.

So here you go.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/tag/electric-airplane/

"Flight times for two-seat electric aircraft in development already
exceed 90 minutes. That might not be enough for a long cross-country
flight, but it’s longer than the typical flight lesson lasts. And this
is what has caught the attention of flight schools.

The commercial side of electric airplanes may be less about going
places, and more about teaching student pilots how to fly. And the
first electric student pilot has already flown solo, learning the
basics entirely in a battery-powered airplane."

Even better will be a commuter aircraft so you could fly from, say,
Salem to Portland or Seattle to Port Townsend unencumbered by rush
hour traffic. My philosophy is, the faster and harder society advances
this technology the more likely we will be able to enjoy it in our
lifetime.

-c

Gatt wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.

"When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is
possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is
impossible, he is very probably wrong."


- Arthur C. Clarke -

peace and justice,

"Bill Shatzer" wrote in message
...
Gatt wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.

"When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is
possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is
impossible, he is very probably wrong."


- Arthur C. Clarke -

peace and justice,



And the Death by Global Warming bunch are Old Buggers.

--
"I'm the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo ..."

On 6/22/2011 12:39 PM, Bill Shatzer wrote:
Gatt wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.

"When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is
possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is
impossible, he is very probably wrong."


- Arthur C. Clarke -

peace and justice,

xxxx
Clarke was one fine bull****ter.
An Art Bell on steroids.
A HoaXland with 1/2 a brain.

On Jun 23, 8:35*am, SMITH29 wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.


Clarke was one fine bull****ter.

PSSST! Did you hear about the ELECTRIC AIRPLANES? The cynics all
said they were IMPOSSIBLE.

On 6/23/2011 10:44 AM, Alpha Propellerhead wrote:
On Jun 23, 8:35 am, wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.


Clarke was one fine bull****ter.

PSSST! Did you hear about the ELECTRIC AIRPLANES? The cynics all
said they were IMPOSSIBLE.

xxxx
Gossamer Albatross goes one better.
http://www.diseno-art.com/encycloped...albatross.html

Or:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NCOPLEJOl0

German battery plane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RsWNiQuTP8

Nuclear powered aircraft:
http://www.century-of-flight.net/Avi...ology/nuke.htm

And the beat goes on.
Real science is far more interesting than fiction.

29

In rec.aviation.owning Alpha Propellerhead wrote:
On Jun 23, 8:35Â*am, SMITH29 wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.


Clarke was one fine bull****ter.

PSSST! Did you hear about the ELECTRIC AIRPLANES? The cynics all
said they were IMPOSSIBLE.

Utter nonsense.

What was said, and is still being said, and will be said absent some
astounding breakthrough in basic physics which enables batteries to be
about an order of magnitude better than they are, is that electric airplanes
are IMPRACTICAL.


--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

In rec.aviation.owning Gatt wrote:
A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.

So here you go.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/tag/electric-airplane/

"Flight times for two-seat electric aircraft in development already
exceed 90 minutes. That might not be enough for a long cross-country
flight, but it’s longer than the typical flight lesson lasts. And this
is what has caught the attention of flight schools.

So is that 90 minutes plus the FAA mandated reserve time or 90 minutes
minus the the FAA mandated reserve time?

How long to recharge for the next student?


--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

On Jun 23, 8:08*am, wrote:
In rec.aviation.owning Gatt wrote:

A few years ago when people were discussing the possibility of
electric-powered flight, you'd get hacked on pretty hard for
suggesting such a thing would be practical or possible in our
lifetime. Obviously if you knew anything about physics or electrical
engineering, why, you'd know it was totally impossible.

So here you go.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/tag/electric-airplane/

"Flight times for two-seat electric aircraft in development already
exceed 90 minutes. That might not be enough for a long cross-country
flight, but it’s longer than the typical flight lesson lasts. And this
is what has caught the attention of flight schools.

So is that 90 minutes plus the FAA mandated reserve time or 90 minutes
minus the the FAA mandated reserve time?

How long to recharge for the next student?


They'd come under the heading of toys.
No crosscountry range, a useless rating and a constant changing of
battery packs.
However there IS a machine that is powered with photo voltaic cells on
the wing if you like air speeds of 40 knots 24/7

On 2011-06-22, george wrote:
They'd come under the heading of toys.
No crosscountry range, a useless rating and a constant changing of
battery packs.

As things improve, electric aircraft may make for a great glider
towplane! Less noise for the neighbours to whine about, less concern
with cooking the engine on climbout and cooling the engine excessively
on descent, lower maintenance with far fewer moving parts.
Electric propulsion also would be good for a self-launching motorglider,
lower complexity, battery pack doesn't need to be all that big since
you only need power for perhaps 10 minutes (5 minutes to launch,
perhaps keep 5 minutes in hand just in case you need a second attempt
to find lift).

Of course, the Wright's first aircraft wasn't all that useful, but
with development it became useful. Battery and motor control technology
is improving. The electric aircraft will almost certainly remain a niche
aircraft for some time to come, but I wouldn't write it off forever.