https://youtu.be/5mM9QPcOgeI
Arm flapping battery humpers have fun with that
It’s as if they never heard of a helicopter.
Dead batteries in flight
Afternoon Free-Fall Fright.....
(sorry - had to lol)
In my option, this looks more like vaporware than anything close to FAA certification.
“today announced its achievement of pre-order sales of over 2,000 electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft with a market value exceeding $8 billion.”
probably like all of those fake “pre-orders” for Lordstown Motors:
“The Lordstown Motors Mirage: Fake Orders, Undisclosed Production Hurdles, And A Prototype Inferno”
https://hindenburgresearch.com/lordstown/
Time to invest into manufacturing those ultra-long extension cords...
The folks who are intent on “greening” air vehicles have a lot of marketing/convincing to do!
I think EV aircraft are a pipe dream and kind of “scammy,” FRankly — I will not be investing in an EV airplane!
There is certainly a lot of government money chasing that EV dream, though, mostly taken without permission FRom us poor suffering taxpayers!
As a pilot, however, I am intrigued by the notion of clever people fashioning a workable hybrid powerplant/propulsion package for corporate sized (up to say, 20 seats) and smaller aircraft.
This particular demo aircraft is a hybrid; it uses some sort of ICE engine, or perhaps a small turbine engine to run the generator for those 8 electric motors. [You will note that the power source for the fans is not mentioned.]
Its STOL performance is enhanced by 8 fans blowing a lotta air over the wing.
I don’t believe a hybrid airliner would prove its worth, but I could be wrong.
A 70,000 to 99,000 lb. thrust electric fan is fascinating to contemplate, though.
Keep in mind that the fan on the 2 PW 4000s hanging off the wing of your Boeing 777 is 112 inches in diameter! That is 9 feet 4 inches! A VERY BIG FAN!
Electric motor technology has a long way to go to match or out power the PW 4000 series!
The electric drivetrain makes perfect sense. Multiple high density motors that don’t have a single point of failure and very long MTBF means these will be very safe. The whole wing being in the prop wash is why this thing can take off nearly vertical the wing sits in 100mph prop wash from zero zero conditions. Forget a fully battery power source. Put just enough batteries to smooth out the peaks and valleys of a dedicated gas turbine driving a 400V alternator while burning high density synthetic jet fuel if it makes the greens happy. Have enough battery pack to also bring it down to a short field emergency landing if the turbine fails mid flight.
This is how you should be using the advancements of electric motor power density which is now ten times combustion engines or more. Some axial flux motors have 20hp per lb density no ice motor can touch that not even gas turbines at 6:1 typical turbo ICE aircraft engines are in the 1.5:1 or less none exceeds 2:1 that’s with 100 octane LL fuel which is being phased out 87/93UL is worse. There is nothing wrong with using gas turbines to drive electric generators to power a fully electric flight driveline. High speed ships use this same type of set up every day. Gas turbines driving generators to electric motors on the props it’s the most power dense way to turn diesels/jet fuel into locomotion. Electrics have vastly exceeded mechanical gearboxes for decades now when it comes to megawatt level energy flows.
The Helio Courier didn't have any of that electronical gimcrackery and it would take off at just 30 mph.
I once saw one land in a strong headwind and at touchdown it was backing up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helio_Courier
Why would they refer to an airplane as an eSTOL?
Lets hope it doesn’t live up to its name that sounds like STALL!
No thanks. I’ll stick with the Boeing 737 Max 9.
For quick trips in to, and out from, the City States.
When entering City State airspace, a sign flashes for each seat:
YOU ARE LEAVING THE AMERICAN SECTOR