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EADS Electric Plane

Saw it two nights ago on Facebook.

Even has my hexagonal wing shapes that I did for the Avelina (solar cells, hexagonal, paint scheme on this one), and also the electric taxi mechanism. arrgh....
 
Soon we'll all be flying airplanes that sound like a cross between an electric razor and a blow dryer...>quietly hugs a P&W R1340 radial<


Actually, I'm all in favour of electric aircraft; I think it's something long overdue. Of, course we've had to wait to see a lot of improvement in battery, motor, microelectronics, and composite airframe materials for weight savings, durability, reliability, performance and range, but we've finally reached the point now where the technologies are increasingly viable and practical, and those changes will continue to come.

N.

That's Dale Kramer's electrified version of the classic Lazair ultralight, BTW. He, and others, are apparently working towards conversion kits for existing Lazair airframes and have a return to full airframe production with electric propulsion in the works. Anything to get rid of those accursed, screaming 2-strokes...
 
That is an awesome clip. Thanks for posting it.

I love electrics. So clean, no fuel costs. The main issue with these presently is battery endurance (like a tank of fuel, how far can you go), and charging time (like a tank of fuel, how long to refuel one). If we could instantaneously recharge one, in perhaps 30 seconds to 2 min's, and they lasted about as long as fuel versions do, we have have replaced the need for gasoline versions.

I believe the weight ratio differences are about the same, battery to gasoline, (I think, not sure, but nearly the same).

Lighter batteries would really help.


Fuel cells are also a possibility of the fuels didn't need to be 'pure' and difficult fuels to aquire, such as liquid helium or what ever they use, lol....
 
Lionheart said:
That is an awesome clip. Thanks for posting it.

I love electrics. So clean, no fuel costs. The main issue with these presently is battery endurance (like a tank of fuel, how far can you go), and charging time (like a tank of fuel, how long to refuel one). If we could instantaneously recharge one, in perhaps 30 seconds to 2 min's, and they lasted about as long as fuel versions do, we have have replaced the need for gasoline versions.

I believe the weight ratio differences are about the same, battery to gasoline, (I think, not sure, but nearly the same).

Lighter batteries would really help.


Fuel cells are also a possibility of the fuels didn't need to be 'pure' and difficult fuels to aquire, such as liquid helium or what ever they use, lol....
Click to expand...

From what I've read, Dale Kramer is employing Lithium Ion battery packs in the eLazair and has an endurance with moderate "throttle" use of some two hours, keeping in mind, of course, that the Lazair in any form is a slow, very light, low aspect ratio, "fair weather" aircraft with a light wing loading. He's apparently planning to go to a new technology, lighter, more energy dense battery system sometime this year. As for recharging times there's apparently a very promising new technology that presents the possibility of reducing those times significantly.

Fuel cells might be a possibility in some GA or larger aircraft, but the tankage design requirements might make it impractical.

BTW, it's liquid hydrogen the use in fuel cells, Helium in an inert, non-reactive gas that can only be used as a coolant or a pressurizing gas. The only time Helium gets "burned" (actually undergoes thermonuclear fusion to create heavier elements) is in the cores of stars that have exhausted their natural supply of hydrogen.

N.
 
Electric power is even heading into the aviation field in other ways as well with electric motor taxiing for larger passenger aircraft; http://www.france24.com/en/20130618-airbus-beats-boeing-89-billion-easyjet-deal-paris-air-show.

You do still have "fuel" costs with electric aircraft. The energy still has to be generated. It is just stored in batteries instead of petrol. You still have pollution being made in the manufacture of the batteries and the generation of the electricity to be stored in them. It's just a transfer of where the energy is generated, locally on the aircraft, or off site at an electric generation site. And as a pilot, you still have to pay for the energy whether it be electric or petroleum.

The real advantages, in my eyes, are the quietness of electric motors, and the power-curve they provide.
 
Of course a down side to electric propulsion is that an empty battery weighs the same as a full one. For larger aircraft this may be an issue as there can often be a sizeable difference in the max take-off mass and the max landing mass.
Personally I think some form of hybrid makes more sense where you can have a small internal combustion engine running at its optimum speed generating electricity with a small-ish battery to store extra power for take-off/go round.
 
This topic is amazing. I like the idea of the electrics. The only noticeable thing I didn't like are the harmonics when both props are turning the same (or close) rpm in climb or cruise. Like they were beating the air to death.
The technology is awesome. Now if they could couple a high output/low resistance constant flow (1-1 or higher) charging system in the loop without over burdening the weight, THAT would be a key factor to the time and duration in electric flight. The whole concept I like. But heat has to be a major factor in that cycle. I'm sure that in itself has been atop the list for many years.
 
AgustaWestland unveiled this at the Paris Air Show, yesterday.
All electric, take off from hover, transition to winged flight like the Osprey...

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZCXs8UajdtQ?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>
 
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