Electric airplane
 

Electric airplane wins big money | Technology News Blog - Yahoo! News

One of the few stories where a government hand out of tax payer dollars was well earned.

Wow. Twin fuselages with a central powerplant pod. There's a whole lotta frontal and wetted area there.

...did you see the History International TV-show about the Swiss solar/battery-powered plane, "Solar-Impulse," that flew continuously above Swiss air-space for something like 26 hours?

...it used four 10 HP motors, with batteries for energy storage and solar-cell "skinning" on the wing top for power source. And, yes, it was piloted.

Sure, but it also doubles or even quadruples their allowed fuel use over those 200miles ... 1 gallon per occupant. The Pipistrel G4 Taurus is a 4 seater.

"To win the competition, an aircraft must fly 200 miles in less than two hours and use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity. If more than one aircraft meets the criteria, first place will go to the team with the best combination of speed and efficiency. "


Looks like a zwilling entry from Luftwaffe '46 :)

It's a cool looking plane, but I would be a tad bit sad to be the third passenger and be the one to take the 'lonely seat' in one fuse while my two friends sit in the one opposite myself.
Especially if I wasn't even going to get to pilot it.
:(
Still a way neat aircraft!

Sonex Electric Aircraft
 

I like the Sonex Homebuilt Electric Aircraft.

Check out their stuff:

Sonex Aircraft Hornets' Nest Research and Development

Sonex and AeroConversions E-Flight Initiative

-Mark :D

It didn't make 100mph though.
Actually, it was painstakingly slow.

...how many 'real' airplanes you know that fly on just 40 HP?

There are quite a few that manage to fly for hours on no fuel at all (except for launch/tow).

..."no fuel" = glider, and that's basically what the Solar-Impulse is: a four tiny-engined glider with solar-cell covered wing.

My favorite plane. 60 MPG at economy cruise probably over 100 MPH.

Airplane Q2

regards
Mech

...60 mpg on 64 hp ain't bad at all.