Aero-TV: The Green Flight Challenge - NASA Supports Electric Propulsion

[switchgrassfuel]

grate video. but i would still like to have someone put a video up about AGE85 Aviation Grade Ethanol. that can be make cheap and run in any piston type aircraft engine. even the really high compression performance engines.

[AVMamfortas]

Enough with the 'Incredibly', already. Incredible means it cannot be believed.

[senezZz]

Pipistrel owns all!

[autoreplyvmz]

"Aircraft incredibly silent". Well, if I'm not mistaken, the gas-powered aircraft (Rotax) made less noise...

"Airframes are incredibly efficient". This is simple BS. There are several 4-seat aircraft for sale that require similar or lower power to carry the same amount of people at a considerably higher speed. Think of the Dyn'Aero 4s and the Sling 4.

[kkobayashi1]

@autoreplyvmz If there are aircraft that are more energy-efficient than these competitors, why didn't they enter the competition and snap up the prize? The rules allow for gas-powered aircraft.

[autoreplyvmz]

@kkobayashi1

Because it's US only thus most didn't even bother. Virtually every efficient design (look at the designs that participated, ALL 4 are European) is from outside the US.

Look at the noise measurements for example. Thousands of European MLA's are below what those "quiet" electric aircraft produce in nuisance, while being cheaper, as efficient and much more practical as the participants.

Nothing wrong with excluding foreigners, but don't complain if they've passed by decades ago...

[autoreplyvmz]

Electric will never work, unless batteries get an order of magnitude better, which isn't likely. 1 lbs of gas has the same energy as 50 to 100 lbs of battery. Half of the empty weight of the G4 (winner) is batteries... for 200 miles range.

[americanflyyer]

as long as the battery technology doesn't really improve I don't see a future for that. Not even talking of the altitudes and speeds that jets fly and that you simply cannot achiev with a prop.

[flexairz]

@americanflyyer Totally agree on that. Current electric demonstrator are basically powered gliders which do not have a need for a lot of power.

[FlyHighRC386]

hmmm jumping the gun a bit, we should do very basic hybrids then work our way up

if any new tech goes comerical then it will be hybrids

[eatmorenachos]

Couldn't there be solar panels on those wings?