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[โ€“] 16 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Scroll further down in the article and you see a full-size electric plane that pilots have already logged almost half a million miles in

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  • [โ€“] 8 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

    That's still just a 2-seater. There are many things where scaling upwards runs into the square cube law. Increasing the lift or the thrust of this design would increase the weight even more.

    My ability to build a scale model of a bridge that can hold up scale models of automobiles doesn't actually prove that my design is viable with those materials at full size. It's the same for aircraft wings, engines, and actual flight.

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  • [โ€“] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    Well the company states that the batteries (each 1000kg) are loaded into the wings of the plane, and that the wings will be significantly larger than that of current commercial aircraft, with a passenger count of like 90, and for only 1000km. So you're right, there's definitely a limit, however it still seems like a viable technology.

    I remember sitting around the table after a thanksgiving dinner with all my conservative relatives, who were making fun of electric cars, and I said the same thing to them that I'll say to you now. It all starts with a little innovation, that can form a link in the energy chain. Once people prove it can be done, then it will be improved, and improved, until it's no longer a technological marvel, it's just a Tuesday. One day we'll have gas powered crafts purely as collectors items and antiques, and an entire green grid. but you gotta start somewhere.

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 2 weeks ago

    I'm not discouraging the research. I'm just pointing out that this technology is very much unproven, and that they've got a long, long way to go. I wouldn't get hopes up until they actually build prototype engines with sufficient thrust and power to make the calculations work.

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  • [โ€“] 3 points 2 weeks ago

    I wonder what itโ€™s going to do to MLW numbers. Usually itโ€™s expected that the plane will be lighter when landing, with batteries it wonโ€™t. This will increase structural requirements on the plane, but more so, would it do anything to the runway?

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