SkySpark - record 100% electric airplane

[idjumdjum]

Excellent...!!!.. The way forward....good luck in your future developments....

[toose70]

Looks like the Italian Pioneer 300. Electric aircraft still have a long way to go to be really useful. This same aircraft powered with a Rotax 912 100hp combustion engine, has a range of 6- 7hours carrying 2 people with 25kg luggage. I guess battery technology will eventually get there.

[mptrax]

Incredibly silent !

[dacci545]

anyone know the range, top speed, and cruising speed?

[kf4yno]

I'm still wondering...since i've seen recharged airplanes and helicopters...what you gonna do when the power goes out...UP there?

Maybe a hybrid? Maybe solar? Maybe...it all falls down and goes KABOOM

[wolfeman28]

@kf4yno Same thing you do when a gas engine goes out. Glide.

[MrSasz]

whats its range? was it rolling unpowered the last few metres? :D *G*

[gman4reel0]

Electric rules!!!!!!!!!!!

[irusev]

Simply amazing! Can't wait for the time when i will be skydiving from an electric plane!

[hakan737]

I'm really impressed. Good job, congratulations.

[VERGIS92]

The bottom line that electric vehicles can offer massive savings in the long run, even if it costs you $7,000 to replace the battery every 5 years. I noticed that the post office delivery vans here have gone electric, using cheap, primitive batteries, these cars run all day long, saving the company BIG MONEY. it is possible to fund you early retirement from fuel savings alone! (if you save and invest 50euro per week)

[m1aws]

C'mon people. If you want it, go make it!

There's at least as much fun in the making as the using. This also applies to electric cars. People make one, get addicted and HAVE to make another!

Take a microlight that's a good glider. Fit in an agni/lemco motor, a suitable prop then (I would advise) kokam batteries in a suitable insulative container. A few controls and safety items and it should fly.

[jonhagop]

The Future!!! Can't wait until battery technology improves. Almost there. Then done with the ancient 100+ year old combustion engine.

[Danielkchoi]

NVM It was just perspective

[Danielkchoi]

1:26 HOLY CRAP IS THAT PLANE  DRIFTING?!

[bicyclemonkey]

@Alexeriks1

You have obviously never seen a LiPo battery fire.

[cardinaldriver]

Thank your local RC aircraft enthusiasts for bringing this technology to th forefront. They've been using Li-Po's and brushless motors for over 20 years now.

[bored1980]

A plane is taking off, yet I can hear birds chirping. I like this future!

[1BustedMyth]

Truly a milestone in Aviation

[electricrailwaygod]

I would like to meet up with you, and visit your project. I have had for many years (placed upon the "back burner" due to financial obstacles) a certain idea involving a light twin electric aircraft. Is it possible to contact the group through the Polytechnic Uni of Turino? (Ich kann auch deutsch, ma mi italiano ce multo malo)!

[DirectTech]

I'll take two !!!

[7eardstapa7]

I love it! Awesome. Do you need to take insulative precautions with the high voltage system to prevent static and lightning induced short circuits and surges while in flight?

[danteneira]

Excellent!!!!

Congratulations

[carlosmurphy4u]

Is that a Gruman Tiger or American?

If it is that's pretty cool AND they've installed full retracts which is just as cool.

[sukerjumps]

@carlosmurphy4u the plane is a Pioneer 300 amended.

this project is the work of an Italian university...the POLITECNIC OF TURIN, one of the best engineering schools.

[heartlessvietboy]

The electric airplane with an on board generator will do extraordinary things. Flying will be even more free.

[idifferfromyou2008]

@heartlessvietboy Aircraft already have onboard generators. They're called internal combustion engines and they generate thrust.

[heartlessvietboy]

The on-board electric generator I'm talking about creates Mammoth amounts of electricity from an Electric Battery not a Gasoline Internal Combustion engine. That Super-Abundant Electricity runs the Jet Turbine or Propeller. Basically FREE Flying!!!

[dreammaker182]

To all of those that think electric is the future...it is... but, jets fly faster. I think that jets will become more and more fuel efficient so that they eventually use as many energy to power as their electric prop counterparts (in relative terms).

[16sag7]

I can't wait until this technology is perfected. This make sense all away around. Even Americans have forgotten the first cars were electric so why can't flight be electric? As long as money rule the world technology will be held back for profit motives.

[ebach1]

good video :)

[olegus7]

i love the sound, only a clean noise of the propeller and that it!!!!

[samoht1977]

...metteranno il "rumore artificiale" anche allo SkySpark, così i pedoni lo sentiranno arrivare? Hehheheheh! Spettacolarmente silenzioso!

[MGB1977Red]

This is a very serious aircraft with a lot of backing from Italian business. Very nice looking aircraft with superb technology. Makes you wonder why American electric aircraft are so home-built looking. Fuel cells are hugely expensive but if money is no problem...why not! This company is pushing the boundaries of electric flight way down the road which makes it easier for the rest of us. Bravo.

[arianne0728]

Today, exist liquid nuclear batteries (google it) which is designed for the artificial heart. In such case, your heart will still be pumping long after you are dead. On the other side, a slightly bigger than the LAC auto battery can provide over 600 amps for... ummm, 2 years? until depleated. Then, we only need lubricants in the future... Yes, indeed, it is the future I hope to see if I stop my stupid way of driving...

[CMRage]

@arianne0728 but at what cost? I'm leaning more toward solid state battery tech.

It can withstand high heat, cold and vibration. It wont ever leak. Lasts indefinitely, with no charge memory. Up to 300% the capacity of a battery the same size. Ultra fast charge time and flat discharge. They can be as small as a postage stamp or any other configuration. Weigh alot less. All this for nearly 50-75% less cost of standard batteries to manufacture.

[b101aa2]

decided my next plane will be a sonex. the xenos motor glider to be exact. and i will do it as an electric... same as Electraflyer video you see here on youtube. kit made by sonex/sonerai. i am totally intrigued by this, because i would also like to outfit the wings with flex solar panels to supplement the power supply and extend the range... after doing the math already, the panels would weigh about 40 pounds to cover the tops of the wings and put out a few thousand watts of on a clear day.

[jetfueller]

@b101aa2 What sort of price range is the Sonex electric glider? I have been toying with the idea of buying a sailplane and the idea of an electric powered one really intrigues me.

[dieselcowboy777]

good ridance to the combustion engine

[JaleelJohanson62]

@dieselcowboy777 Interesting handle for someone who wants to see the combustion engine die..

[tailwheelflier]

always land that hot?

[MrJetjoe]

lithium batterys are just salt, so many people are so misinformed

[hydrojet7x70]

the government will screw it up im sure!!! this is way to cool and cost effective. the government doesn't like that! and if you don't believe that then you really are a weirdo!

[VERGIS92]

Quick recharge problem has been solved thanks to nanotechnology, check out PHOENIX MOTORCARS, they charge in 15 minutes, use advanced lithium ion batteries, The savings on fuel could be enormous on airplanes,  the problem with this technology is that people will stop paying gas tax, the government has no way of control, anyone can get free electricity somehow

[emforty2]

@VERGIS92 the government will tax electricity and then if you put solar panels they will tax the use of the SUN

[IAmOpenMinded]

@emforty2 I don't know where you live but the government already taxes electricity, just like all other utilities (water, phone, etc.)

[Stephensonicmaster]

@VERGIS92 No doubt the government will find a way to take it as their own.

[vernie4163]

@VERGIS92 and how long will this plane could fly in a single charge?

[tsunayoshi987]

@VERGIS92

it doesnt have to be lithium ion, there are other batteries that charge even fraster but hold less charge, like the ones toshiba has, but yah electric is definatley better its always the rednecks that put technology to shame. Infact sometime very soon electric travel will probably be the best choice

[m1aws]

@VERGIS92 Sorry mate, the talk of fast charging is bollox. A 100KWH pack will need over half a megawatt for 15mins and the heat generated will kill the batteries or at least seriously, shorten their life. Slow charging is cheap, sensible, economical and not an issue. Plug it in and go to bed.

Phoenix motorcars is a paper company. That site has been around for years.

[VERGIS92]

@m1aws Heat is caused by high current, not high voltage, it is possible to transfer big power out of the socket and into a battery , as long as current on the home socket wiring stays under the safety limits. it's Power = Voltage x Current, if you use a transformer and step down the Current 10 times, voltage goes up 10 times, and power remains the same, but you can pass this energy through much thinner wires without overheating at all, Phoenix somehow managed to make such batteries

[m1aws]

@VERGIS92 Duh! lol

Baby maths.

I never mentioned amps nor volts once. Only said KWH. Read my post before showing yourself up.

High charge rates are inefficient. Lithium cell killer

Phoenix have made no batteries. Only a couple of mockup cars which didn't deliver. The shape would be illegal on EU roads. The 'net is full of such paper EV companies selling snake oil.

I will carry on charging my EV at home where I can assure the cheapest rates and longest cell life; without torching my car down.

[VERGIS92]

@m1aws You mentioned 'heat' and charge rate, this is caused by Current, (Current= charge/second).

That battery was actually invented by a nanotechnology company, not phoenix, and it's somthing to do with graphite, they removed the graphite from the Li-ion battery.

Aslo the Tesla car charges in 45 minutes, I don't know its battery concept, but it has already beaten BMW and Toyota on electric cars, Toyota has now bought this technology.

I agree that most other electric cars have failed

[m1aws]

@VERGIS92 Heat is the product of the inescapable chemical inefficiencies of the batteries through hard charging. The harder you charge them, the hotter they get, the shorter they will last (if at all) and the less charge they hold.

A123 batteries. Most EV enthusiasts will not touch them with a barge pole!

Tesla= 53KWH pack. 45mins at 100% eff. = 66KWH. Dream on!!!

Tesla BUY Panasonic 18650 LiMnO4 batteries! Tesla inventing nothing.

Please stop trying to type yourself clever.

Watch "EVTV.ME"

[VERGIS92]

@m1aws The '15 minute battery' is a fact, and it did address the problem you mention, but it does require power, 3 phase socket, therefore it didn't fit the requirements of a mass produced car as Tesla's.

and I'm not trying to prove myself, I mention what I have seen.

Generally, all electric cars when put to the test show reduced mileage than that claimed, and all are affected by extreme temperatures, but still the technology has improved dramatically in the last 10 years.

[m1aws]

@VERGIS92 You're trying to show granny how to suck egg's here. Seriously!

Sure you can charge a few dinky A123 cells at a time at 15C.... but in simple terms; its bloody stupid!

Why abuse them?

Most lithium cells electrolyte boils at under 77C. Polymers go into thermal runaway and A123's like to talk about also explode and burn with ease.

There is a cell "Moores law" for cells. The biggest issue on production is repeatability.

Every cell uses "nanotechnology" with no exception. Is a buzzword.

[jeffbiggles]

could put solar panels in the wings to recharge.?

[Addikti]

What's wrong with you people? Can't you use Google? The second phase of the project is the transition to fuel cells. The first goal was simply to get the plane airborne using electric power only.

[misitiszt]

The thing I don't understand, is why the heck did the batteries and electric engines are the main line of development. They have too many disadvantages. You ve already told them, for ex: low capacity, low power, problematic battery recycling. But there is a solution: hydrogen cells. That has no disadvantages. It can do the same as the combustion engines. only disadvantage is the high power need to produce hidrogen (why don"t we cover fucking arizona desert with sun collector powerplants????)

[nunojpg]

Because a electric engine is much cheaper, lighter and have better performance.

Because you have a world wide electric grid and not a electric wide hydrogen grid.

Only disadvantage of electric is battery development...let's see how EESTOR goes about that.

[misitiszt]

1. existing gas stations could be used as hydrogen refuel stations as well, so we do have proper grid for it, man.

2. Think a bit over: which holds more energy: 1kg of battery, 1kg of any fossile fuel, os 1kg of pressurized H? I bet on the last one, and I repeat: it doesn't have any of the disadvantages of heavy, harmful batteries. No need of recycling industry, no pollution to the environment off heavy metals which are in such a battery, etc

[appa609]

1kg of compressed h2 needs 3 kg of fuel tank. Hydrogen is created by electolysis, which involves electricity being shorted into water to produce 50% of the inputed power in hydrogen, which is then combusted in an engine with a 40% efficiency, and you're left with 20% of what you put in. Charging batteries is 90% efficient and electric motors can get 75% efficiency. that leaves you with 68.5%, not bad eh?

[Zamboro]

Also, currently hydrogen is refined from oil. Large scale commercial hydrolysis plants don't exist yet.

[appa609]

@Zamboro

I think you mean electrolysis, but yes, that's correct.

[Zamboro]

Actually hydrogen fuel cells have to be torn down, resurfaced and rebuilt after around 200 days of constant use. Of course that translates to many years of real world use but a fuel cell still 'dies' before a lithium battery does, under the same conditions.

Lithium batteries contain no heavy metals by the way; lithium is a mineral salt, not a metal, and no smelting is required in their production as a result. They're also very lightweight.

Battery swap stations make range a non-issue.

[appa609]

ever heard of aluminum air batteries?

[freddytuber]

Dumb rednecks here don't know anything. Electric is the future and that's it, period. Batteries are improving about 30% per year and are soon going to be more powerful and will hold more energy than gasoline per weight. The combustion engines are dying.

[tisoy909]

How soon is soon? What if i want to fly non stop from los angeles to denver, will i have to wait till im 65 to be able to do this?

[Mew2Productions12]

Why would you want to to fly to Denver?

[theflyingsolo]

@freddytuber

AMEN my dear brother not to mention the dumbass rednecks support a fuel source that will eventually dismantle our ecosystem and leave us to die. Meanwhile they sit at home while you and I go to engineering school to develop electric systems so we can continue to live here as a race on planet earth.

[sergeant137]

@freddytuber If electric is the future then let it stay there. With one of these you'll be flying and the charge will just run out. I mean, god, atleast have a backup gas engine in it! Gasoline will always be a better and more reliable engine because its simpler.

[vanarken]

@sergeant137 ,we must fit backup electric motors to our current gas power aircraft encase the gas just ran out!!!

compare the amount of moving parts within a gas engine, and compare it to the amount of moving parts within an electric motor, and then decide which is simpler!! transport is not going to change to electric power overnight, but there is no point denying that the future is electric powered, unless they develop a more efficient combustion engine that runs totally on renewable energy

[Zamboro]

@sergeant137

Actually, it isn't. Gasoline engines are tremendously more complex than electric motors. A gasoline powered airplane has belts, fans, a radiator, caruburetor, filters, spark plugs, etc. etc. etc. and needs periodic oiling/cleaning.

An electric vehicle has a battery pack, a motor, a controller. and a throttle. They are very, very simple with only one moving part in the drivetrain which usually means no maintinence over the useful lifespan of the vehicle.

[1970manxsr]

@freddytuber Internal combustion engines will still have a place in powering vehicles for many years to come. Battery technology is still in a major infancy & to gain any usable increase in power storage, it will require new, more expensive technologies. Batteries still suffer from power balance & storage issues & are still affected by heat & cold extremes; which are non-issues with I-C engines. Sadly young Skywalker, it is you that are mistaken...

[1970manxsr]

@freddytuber @freddytuber Internal combustion engines will still have a place in powering vehicles for many years to come. Battery technology is still in a major infancy & to gain any usable increase in power storage, it will require new, more expensive technologies. Batteries still suffer from power balance & storage issues & are still affected by heat & cold extremes; which are non-issues with I-C engines. Sadly young Skywalker, it is you that are mistaken...

[cdowell1976]

@1970manxsr - I sort of agree w/ you. Nano technology, the easier availability of lithium ion-phosphate batteries & lightweight composite materials are rising up to soon replace the dependency on combustion engine automobiles. There are now many companies in the U.S. that specialise in auto-conversions & batteries are increasingly more lightweight & house more electricity thus allowing vehicles to drive similar distances & speeds. Indications are that they may even exceed standard autos.

[cdowell1976]

@freddytuber - What does electric being the future have to do w/ people being rednecks? I'm in favor of electric all the way too...but the redneck comment? What do they have to do w/ whether things are electric or not?

[dacci545]

@freddytuber Amen brother! combustion engines are like 100 year old technology any way. If computer innovation and adoption moved at that speed we'd still be using DOS and no internet!

[14omega28ok]

@freddytuber I love my redneck ways of muddin and doing stupid crazy shit out of the ordinary in my home here in the south. But I must agree electric IS the way of the future which is why I'm in the process of trying to build an electric 4 wheeler then eventually a car. I wanna be a part of this movement!

[letour32rr]

@freddytuber Watch where you throw around the term redneck. I am one but have been keeping up with and contributing to electric transportation. However, I won't be jumping on an electric airplane soon until battery technology and electronic reliability is much improved. Electric cars just have to worry about getting stuck somewhere. If you use other electronics in flight more than you planned to, you might just fall too your death.

[14omega28ok]

@freddytuber I get called a "Redneck" and I completely support electric, and want an Electric Motorcycle! lol

[themanwich212]

@freddytuber now don't forget where that electricity comes from

[MisterSisterNW]

@themanwich212

Are you stupid or what? Do you not understand that it doesn't matter where the power comes from because we're compairing 25% efficient gas motors vs. 95% electric motors. You could get every watt you need from a coal power plant (or what ever "troll" dirty power source you choose) and the electric vehicle still comes out ahead.

It's not always about being green. Sometimes it's about emerging technology.

[themanwich212]

@MisterSisterNW Electricity doesn't come from nowhere dude, it still takes something BURNING to provide that power. So essentially, those electric vehicles are coal powered resulting in CO2, or nuclear powered resulting in nuclear waste, take your pick. I'm all over this plane, but there is no such thing as a 100% green society. At least until we get Fusion nuclear reactors.

[MisterSisterNW]

@themanwich212 ,100% of my power comes via Hydro and/or wind turbines. It doesn't matter to me where the power come from because using electric power is STILL more efficient. Any *decent* coal plant produces cleaner power than what comes out the exhaust of an aircraft engine burning 100LL..thus electric is cleaner.

Nobody I know of is claiming to be 100% green, but we can get pretty close. Solar, wind, thermal, hydroelectric...all sorts of clean(er) energy. Biodiesel could be used as well.

[asshucks]

Batteries damage the environment more than gas? Hows that? avgas can have up to 4 grams of lead per gallon. Do you realize how much that is? Before criticizing, take some of your own advise and do the research then say why you think this is a bad idea. Calling people "hippies" only serves to null and void your point and makes you out to be dumb and confused texan fukstain. Which is unfortunate for you when trying to make a point.

[aaron8862006]

And you sound like a dick for calling him a "texan fukstain." Batteries do present a problem unless they are recyclable. Many batteries are still constructed from Lead-Acid and are left in landfills, etc.

[asshucks]

Yes avgas powered airplanes use these lead acid batteries. I highly doubt electric powered airplanes will simply because of weight.

[asshucks]

For those of you who like to diss electric powered vehicles or airplanes because they are "hippies", and at the same time say do the research, go f yourself. First of all you may benefit to do a little research yourself. Charging vehicles at night when energy is wasted actually improves effeciency, not too mention you have way more options when it comes to producing that energy such as solar or wind power to name a few. It always cracks me up that how gas guzzling rednecks find any excuse.

[skajguy]

yes this engine that is on EA is probably the best in the world, apis can fly one hour and a half with one time charging the batteries, and can reach up to 3000m,

lifting is 4-5 m/s, on their web site is all kind of movis and pictures that you can look at.

[gnomaedh]

ENSTROJ... nice machine. Is that the model that can extend it's range by disengaging the motor and acting like a glider? Does it have re-gen capabilities when gliding?

[skajguy]

you are behind with the development, the engine sound terible, and 74 kWpeak power. how many kg of batteries do you have inside, i would say about 100kg too much? 250 km per hour yea for 5 minutes and then the batteris are empty.

if you would like to see the real stuff take a look at ENSTROJ, theY make engines so silent that you can listen to music in cocpit without headphones, engines are silent high torque, low rpm, low weight up 60kW or more,

unlike to your engine this is the best

[Ldighera]

Unlike an electrically powered automobile, an electrically powered aircraft must expend energy to support the weight of the aircraft in addition to the thrust for forward travel.

[gnomaedh]

Excellent! It is very good to see these new technologies on the verge of replacing fossil fuels, especially electric power! Please keep up the good work!

[hyedenny]

"replacing fossil fuels"??

Where do you think most of the electricity to charge those batteries comes from?

ONLY when battery technology improves and nuclear power becomes less reviled will this kind of thing become practical, meaningful, or viable. Until then, all it does is make the uninformed feel warm and cozy.

[gnomaedh]

Hey, I live in an area of the world where 95% of our power grid is hydro-electricity... water powered. The other 5% is part natural gas and wind power...

NOW, if EV's existed here, be it automobiles, bikes or aircraft, electric "green" power literally could replace "fossil fuel"... sir!

And if we add solar cell capabilities to the grid, not only could we toss out fossil fuel, but nuclear as well.

Think outside the box and realize the true potential of electric everything via renewables!!!

[hyedenny]

Hey SIR, Youre telling me to "think outside the box" right after you say that YOU "live in an area bla bla bla!!" The rest of the real world on the whole, does not and can not generate hydroelectric. You and your neighbors are on the same grid as everyone else. As for solar and wind, those technologies have drawbacks that outweigh their utility as practical sources.

Unless the Principles of Chemistry have changed, natural gas is still a fossil fuel, regardless of what you and Pelosi say!

[gnomaedh]

"practical sources"... interesting choice of words.

For the past few generations we have been duped into believing that the only viable sources of energy are from fossil fuels. Any attempts to develop alternative "ideas" have led to big industry, er, eliminating or absorbing these... problems.

Yes, I'm sure that with a nice flexible mindset like yours we will all be able to strive for a better future... Oh, sorry... was that out loud?

Whatever...

Let's at least agree > Things must change.

[hyedenny]

Yes, practical - because in the real world, working people have to take economics and efficiency into consideration. Your statement of "tossing out fossil fuels and nuclear" shows your naivete, and ignorance of the subject. Your hypocrisy is showing yet again. in my first post, I was talking only about the present state of technology. Please reread it. To answer your question - NO, it was not out loud - you typed it. But it is not a stretch to see how you might get that confused too.

[leighschu]

The typical greeny thinks that electricity is sort of magic, not understanding any of the technology of producing it.. They also have no idea of the inefficiency of battery systems or the toxicity resulting from creating them. To top it off they assume that CO2 is toxic and the perfect atmosphere would have zero CO2 since they don't seem to understand what plants need to keep the world green.

There is no point in trying to have a lucid discussion or argument with people so ignorant.

[hyedenny]

BRAVO!!!

Youre correct on all counts!

"gnometh" needs to go back to school.

[gnomaedh]

You people absolutely amaze me... criticize and antagonize... che cosa meravigliosa intuizione di condividere con tutti. STUPENDO!

[beaker2407]

hehe, it always makes me crack up when I read ignorant peoples comments about how electric power will somehow change the world, you hippies and Pius drivers(GRRRR) need to wise up and do some research on how much producing these fuel cells actually damages the environment. Al Gore led ignorance of the highest order, jump off the popular badwagon, stop drinking your green tea and look at the facts!!!

[dblake3rd]

I might be long, but at least I'm fast.

[beamorphous]

Grande Maurizio!!!

[gadrino]

A vedere il video mi sono quasi commosso!!