Up, Up and Away! World's largest all-electric aircraft takes to the skies for the first time making a 30-minute flight over Washington State-(100 mile range...)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk ^

[RomanSoldier19]

Up, Up and Away! World's largest all-electric aircraft takes to the skies for the first time making a 30-minute flight over Washington State

A single test pilot flew the all-electric aircraft over Moses Lake in Washington

MagniX have added their 750-watt electric motor to a Cessna Grand Caravan

It can seat up to nine people and required few changes to make it all electric

They hope to have a 100-mile range commercial version on sale in 2021

[RomanSoldier19]

"He said all flights of under 1,000 miles will be made by all-electric aircraft within the next 15 years but battery technology needs to improve first. "

The world's largest all-electric aircraft made its maiden flight on Thursday as it flew for 30 minutes over Washington State, according to manufacturers magniX.

A solo test pilot took off at 16.02 BST (08.02 PST) in the nine seater plane and flew over Moses Lake followed by a small chase plane - landing at 16.32 BST (08.32 PST).

To develop the plane the team took a Cessna Grand Caravan - one of the most used medium-range planes in the world - and retrofitted an electric engine.

For the flight test the electric plane took off and climbed to 2,500ft, dropped to 1,000ft and then spent 25 minutes cruising over the large airport facility.

Commentators watching the plane as it flew over head said it was 'barely making any noise', with a much smaller Cessna chase plane 'twice as loud'.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

What could possibly go wrong?

[jerod]

Everything.

[max americana]

Did it take 10 hours to to charge just for the 30 minute flight?

[gibsonguy]

100 miles range for an aircraft is a joke.

[deoetdoctrinae]

The only real problem is the extremely long and costly extension cord.

[Bommer]

Going to build more coal firing plants to charge up these POS jets? Cant hear them flying, but you will be able to hear the passengers screaming to their deaths when suddenly they run out of a charge!

[Buckeye McFrog]

Won’t it need to have some sort of backup emergency power plant to meet FAA safety regs?

[Retrofitted]

Nah. Ya see, you put wind turbines on ‘em and then they become perpetual motion machines!

Dang, thinking like a greeny hurts!

[Stosh]

I just hope they didn’t forget the jumper cables.

[Magnum44]

The plane has a 100 mile limit and it flights at ~120 mph. (I fly a Caravan with a 950 HP engine that tops out at 170 for the airframe limit, I am guessing with this electic engine as to the 'cruise' speed). Anyway, thats about 45 minutes max in flight. FAA rules require a 30 minute reserve (VFR) for point to point flight. That means you can flight for 15 minutes, legally, between destinations. So its not really 100 miles. Its more like 30 miles.

If we could all just shrink ourselves, we wouldnt need better batteries...

[EEGator]

One of the best inventions was the internal combustion engine. Until someone gets the Carnot Cycle engine, please stay away from aircraft.

[BBB333]

“100 miles range for an aircraft is a joke.”

You bet it’s a joke. I’d have to ‘two-hop’ just to get to the nearest Amtrak station (185 miles away).

It’s likely to only take 30 hours for the flight.

[cyclotic]

Let’s see, drive to the airport, open the hangar, wheel out the plane, preflight check, file flight plan, get weather report, map your route etc. I’ll be that takes a considerable amount of time.

Or, jump in the car and start driving in the general direction you plan to travel, plug in the destination in a GPS while driving and in 90 minutes, you are there and haven’t maxed out the entire possible flight range of the plane.

The Caravan is not a super small puddle jumper. I’ll be there don’t do all that many sub 100 mile flights

[max americana]

Sure. But dont tell that to the bleeding hearts who are into this green planet nonsense..keep looking at the electric stuff s/

[Texas Eagle]

Put some solar panels on the wings and the thing will fly forever.

[JimRed]

Batteries are currently too heavy for that application to be feasible.

[Vermont Lt]

They could put a generator on it. That what when you run out of juice at 10k you can charge up on the glide into the mountains.

//sarcasism.

[Hot Tabasco]

100 miles range for an aircraft is a joke.

People mocked the Wright Flyer too........

[TexasGator]

“100 miles range for an aircraft is a joke.”

Not for these guys!

https://www.harbourair.com/flight-info/flight/schedules/#1551485801106-13de5fda-2155