WATTsUP

[fly_tornado]

http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/new-electric-trainer-pipistrel-takes-flight

 

 

 

[eightyknots]

Bye bye Rotax?

 

 

[Downunder]

I see it doesn't need a stab and elevators.......awsome design.........(joking)

 

 

[Ultralights]

1.5 hrs flying time, with more power than the 912... 1 hr to recharge, could be on to a winner!

 

 

[dazza 38]

I like it, but a school will still need a aircraft fitted with a internal combustion engine for navigation training, until a electric powered aircraft can go for around 4 hours before needing recharging.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

With a wing like that and such a drag free airframe you should be able to thermal your way between waypoints :)

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Considering the high price of comparative ICE powered trainers it is pretty competitive considering the low cost of recharge.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

EU$100K

 

There are billions going into developing a battery that can get a 4 passenger car 300 miles and recharge within an hour. Its almost there

 

 

[AVOCET]

EU$100KThere are billions going into developing a battery that can get a 4 passenger car 300 miles and recharge within an hour. Its almost there

It will still be about the weight of the battery's , Are those billions going towards light weight alternatives ? I hope so .

Exciting times on the electric horizon . .

 

 

[fly_tornado]

There is so much money going into battery development right now its not funny, its the biggest boom since biotech.

 

 

[Downunder]

I read somewhere that the power/weight ratio is doubling every 5 years.

 

Meaning you can store twice as much energy per same weight.

 

 

[av8vfr]

I read somewhere that the power/weight ratio is doubling every 5 years.Meaning you can store twice as much energy per same weight.

Same here personally.. except power is the same but weight is doubling every 5 yrs...(not really lol)

 

 

[av8vfr]

Oh BTW... can someone put this in a Tucano and sell it for $50K so I can buy a squadron.... thanks..

 

 

[dazza 38]

I am excited with what the future holds with electric aircraft.

 

 

[pylon500]

Bye bye Rotax?

While I'm hopeful for an electric future, the thing no-one is talking about is battery life cycle....

How many battery packs (and cost) will this go through in 2000 hours?

 

Just doing a quick calculation here (read; guess..);

 

$20k for a 912 (approx price when supplied with an aircraft),

 

$56k for fuel (14 lph @ $2.00 per lt x 2000 hrs),

 

$ 2k for 100hrly's (probably a lot more than that, and this is without labour).

 

So, hoping that the electric motor will almost last forever (?), and be priced in hundreds of dollars (unless you count the speed controller), we have to beat about $75~80k in batteries to pass the efficiency of a 912.

 

Maybe there's hope after all.

 

 

[dlegg]

Electric/battery power is truly the way to go. Even with todays batteries, having an extra set and swapping out to get an hour or two of flight while the other charges is going to save flying schools a motza. Very quiet and neighbourhood friendly as well. The plane could also be equipped to tow gliders etc. I really can't see any downside. As range improves they become viable cross country machines as well.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

EU$100KThere are billions going into developing a battery that can get a 4 passenger car 300 miles and recharge within an hour. Its almost there

Yeah right, give me 1 cent for everytime I have heard that one and I would be a billionaire.

 

It will still be about the weight of the battery's , Are those billions going towards light weight alternatives ? I hope so .Exciting times on the electric horizon . .

Yup, nah, plenty of Government funding but no results, plenty of refinements but nothing new - REGARDLESS of what bullshit you hear spun, the bullshit that keeps the grant money coming in.

 

Actually one of the best is an Australian innovation, redox flow batteries, safe and instant recharge, they just need to figure out how to reduce their size next .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_battery

 

 

[Geoff13]

If I could find a school that wanted to put one online, I would invest in one. Three or four battery packs and a row of solar panels on the hanger roof. And as for xcountry, its not there yet but a couple of spare battery packs and you have four and a half hours, it is well on its way and certainly a step in the right direction. Remember the aircraft it is based on is extremely fuel efficent by most standarsd and has a glide ratio better than almost all of the competition.

 

Cheers Geoff13

 

 

[SDQDI]

why not a hybrid? seems to me like a good idea, range wouldn't be a problem then but you still get efficiency benefits. the technology in the hybrid cars now in regards to power saving/generation is impressive, you would use fuel in climb but nothing in descent and little in cruise.

 

hmm the hornet might not be the efficient drag free airframe to start experimenting with lol.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I read somewhere that the power/weight ratio is doubling every 5 years.Meaning you can store twice as much energy per same weight.

...a new Moore's Law?

 

 

[AVOCET]

If I could find a school that wanted to put one online, I would invest in one. Three or four battery packs and a row of solar panels on the hanger roof. And as for xcountry, its not there yet but a couple of spare battery packs and you have four and a half hours, it is well on its way and certainly a step in the right direction. Remember the aircraft it is based on is extremely fuel efficent by most standarsd and has a glide ratio better than almost all of the competition.Cheers Geoff13

I think that changing battery packs would have to done by suitably qualified folk , i don't think it would be like changing batteries in a flash light !

 

Cheers mike

 

 

[SDQDI]

Lol mike I don't know what you mean, a nice little battery booster pack from supercheap would be just like a reserve tank or you could use it for extra takeoff boost.......... Ok bedtime for me

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Mike. Why would the battery pack have to be changed by "suitably qualified folks"? You work for CASA? Simple slide out slid in packs will do the job, take all of two minutes.

 

For cross country I'd go the electric diesel route. Small diesel generator running the show with a smaller battery pack.

 

 

[AVOCET]

Mike. Why would the battery pack have to be changed by "suitably qualified folks"? You work for CASA? Simple slide out slid in packs will do the job, take all of two minutes.For cross country I'd go the electric diesel route. Small diesel generator running the show with a smaller battery pack.

I hope thats the case ,

 

And no , CASA works for me !

 

Yes i recon hybrid is the way to go , but ill be surprised if you'll get all of that ,for 600 kgs mtow

 

Mike .

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I went over to Air Venture 2011 to meet up with Dale Kramer and the E Lazair, there were also several other E aircraft there. All had battery packs that could easily be changed in several minutes.. All were in the prototype stage so had several Henderson type plugs to deal with. But everyone including the LSA and GA players were working on having a rack that had fitted plugs to simply slide in and push home. The biggest danger with the larger aircraft was dropping the heavy pack on your foot.

 

Whilst a pure E aircraft is the ultimate dream, for them to be really practical to cover distance with a decent payload you have to go the Hybrid route.

 

CASA works for you? yeah right , jingle bells jingle bells la la la