First commercial electric aircraft

[DiscoMick]

Just a start, but interesting.

World's first fully electric commercial aircraft takes flight in Canada

World's first fully electric commercial aircraft takes flight in Canada | World news | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/11/worlds-first-fully-electric-commercial-aircraft-takes-flight-in-canada?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard)

[Tombie]

Not keen to test that at the moment!

Lithium power is everything and then nothing. Not a gradual reduction in power.

Wouldn’t want to be in an aircraft that goes from power to dead!

[RANDLOVER]

I thought they were flying/going to fly an electric plane to Rottnest Is. MAybe that doesn't count as commercial as I think it was for sightseeing/tourists?

Found the link, Australia's first electric passenger plane takes to the skies of Perth, with Rottnest in its sights - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/first-electric-plane-passenger-flights-in-australia-to-rottnest/9304424)

[cjc_td5]

Not keen to test that at the moment!

Lithium power is everything and then nothing. Not a gradual reduction in power.

Wouldn’t want to be in an aircraft that goes from power to dead!At least it would be power to GLIDE....

[JDNSW]

Not keen to test that at the moment!

Lithium power is everything and then nothing. Not a gradual reduction in power.

Wouldn’t want to be in an aircraft that goes from power to dead!

Been there, done that, and it didn't take lithium power - all it took was a dropped valve.

[Tombie]

At least it would be power to GLIDE....

Small aircraft maybe. Some of the Big buggers don’t fair so well.

And glide is all good and well if there’s somewhere lower to go!

[goingbush]

I don't suppose regen would work if you feather the prop !

[cjc_td5]

I don't suppose regen would work if you feather the prop !That's an interesting concept if you could feather the blades far enough for wind speed to drive the props. I should imagine the glide angle would have to pretty steep though to get much return!

[cjc_td5]

Small aircraft maybe. Some of the Big buggers don’t fair so well.

And glide is all good and well if there’s somewhere lower to go!Didn't QF38 mostly glide most of the way from its engine failure point back to Singapore?

[JDNSW]

Didn't QF38 mostly glide most of the way from its engine failure point back to Singapore?

No, it had one engine still working.

But Speedbird 9, after it lost all four engines over Bali in 1982 was estimated to have a gliding range of 91nm and a glide ratio of 15:1.

Jet aircraft have a rather good glide ratio.

[Tombie]

No, it had one engine still working.

But Speedbird 9, after it lost all four engines over Bali in 1982 was estimated to have a gliding range of 91nm and a glide ratio of 15:1.

Jet aircraft have a rather good glide ratio.

Talking with a Pilot a while back, apparently the newer ones are not quite as good. More engine than wing!

[cripesamighty]

At least they are better than the Mirage III, which was basically 'throw a brick out and then follow it down'.

[DiscoMick]

Hyundai is to build electric flying cars for Uber from 2023. Melbourne will be one of the pilot cities, according to one report.
I wonder if a pilot's licence will be required.

Hyundai will make flying cars for Uber’s air taxi service - The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/6/21048373/hyundai-flying-car-uber-air-taxi-ces-2020)

Uber and Hyundai team up to put flying taxis in the sky - CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/tech/uber-hyundai-flying-taxis-trnd/index.html)

[vnx205]

I expect that you will need a licence for the environment in which you are operating. In the same way that pilots of seaplanes also need a boating licence.

[JDNSW]

Flying taxis will certainly require a pilot's licence, with appropriate medicals, recency requirements, and restrictions on operation over built up areas.

It seems to me that the sort of service envisaged will require major changes to legislation and ANRs which are likely to take decades rather than years to implement - if ever.