AeroElectric of Colorado, USA introduces electric airplane

Wow $250K your right that is a deal breaker.
However with technologies like this often the cost come down over time. Let's hope that occurs with batteries like these.
 
$250,000 is not outlandish if you figure in the 80-90% lower operating costs.

Wow, check out the blade angle on that propeller.

Brian
 
Hi Brain
Yes you can buy a used 10 place aircraft for that much money.
 
If you're running a flight school the savings will eventually materialize. In these current times of low gas prices it might be a tough sell though. I'm surprised they don't have a thin PV array on top of the wings like others I have seen.
 
If you're running a flight school the savings will eventually materialize. In these current times of low gas prices it might be a tough sell though. I'm surprised they don't have a thin PV array on top of the wings like others I have seen.

You can't estimate cost what are the battery life cycles and failure mode for nonscheduled maintenance controller, electronics etc???

and $200,000+ YIKES! AIRFRAME life? tbo? retirement and Haz Mat costs

(yes toxic heavy metals and electrolites $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 
Electric powered aircraft are in a catch-22 situation , they have to make a very light fuselage in order to carry very heavy batteries

Trouble is fuselages were always fairly light to begin with so there is not a lot of maneuvering room.

And modern batteries are only slightly less heavy than the older ones so they add solar panels to give a bit of re-charging in flight , and a reverse prop setting so they can turn the motor into a generator during descent

One "unique feature" is if you have depleted batteries you can park for three days and they will recharge on solar power. That is just plane cool
 
Those batteries catch fire too often.

Those batteries catch fire too often.

And don't charge it in a building! Those batteries catch fire too often.
Several garages and homes have burned that way.
 
Pie in the Sky

Pie in the Sky

Modern aircraft engines turning a propeller produce ~10 kWh of energy per gallon of gasoline. (bsfc ~ .5lb/hp-hr)

The best lithium ion batteries weigh ~ 15 lb./kWh; in other words, the battery equivalent to a gallon of gasoline would weigh ~150 lbs.

3½ hour duration?
 
I hope this thread is revisited every year or two - I'd place a bet that there will be light aircraft flying with 3 hours endurance in the next 5-10 years. Economic feasibility is only a matter of time as well. All it would really take is getting Elon Musk involved.
 
I hope this thread is revisited every year or two - I'd place a bet that there will be light aircraft flying with 3 hours endurance in the next 5-10 years. Economic feasibility is only a matter of time as well. All it would really take is getting Elon Musk involved.

Its already flying. This aircraft is a reality. Its R&D version is flying now in the US and it has 3 hours of endurance. There are people who do things and then there are others who don't. Trust me this company is real and this aircraft is real. $250,000 is less of a price point than a new Cessna 172 which is $300,000.00 I don't see why the price point is difficult when you consider a new aircraft made for training that cuts your fuel cost down from $30-35/hour to $1/hour. C172 is 4 seats and this is a 2 seat aircraft.
 
Elon Musk loves Government $$$$$ subsidies galore...

Elon Musk is a visionary and a risk taker. He is an awesome businessman and his thinking is far forward and long term. He is an immigrant who is self made and could have easily sat on his billions he had after his sale of Paypal to eBay. Instead he went forward and developed new technology for things he really cared about to change the world. He gave away his electric vehicle patents in public domain and BMW and VW and others are all using those patents to develop electric cars for the future. He basically gave them a jump of a decade in technology for free. My hats off to him.
I am sure oil industry loves their $20 billion in subsidies also every year from the US government after a century of maturing that industry and technology.
 
Great to hear. I rest my case, about the naysayers regarding electric powered aircraft.
 
The naysayers are likely progeny of the same people that used to say things like "They'll never build a car that can go up a hill" and "If man were meant to fly he'd have wings".

Whenever a new technology is brought forward that is not immediately PERFECT at that moment in time it's always dismissed by critics as a failure.
 
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