Comments on: Electric flight of fancy http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=electric-flight-of-fancy Cringely on technology Wed, 22 May 2013 21:34:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Fransisca Kelter http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-276937 Fransisca Kelter Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:59:18 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-276937 hey, in some cases when I first visit this web site I get instantly redirected to a different page which feels very peculiar. You might want to take a look at why this is going on! Take care

]]> hey, in some cases when I first visit this web site I get instantly redirected to a different page which feels very peculiar. You might want to take a look at why this is going on! Take care

]]> By: Les Voitures http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-274552 Les Voitures Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:07:00 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-274552 <strong>Les Voitures...</strong> [...]Electric flight of fancy[...]...

]]> Les Voitures…

[...]Electric flight of fancy[...]…

]]> By: James http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-263960 James Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:12:44 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-263960 Bob - What about using a balloon to get to altitude? Those new lifting-bodies have a short takeoff, use little fuel, and take minimal personnel to launch/recover. Removing takeoff and ascent from the equation and you would have more of a safety margin.

]]> Bob –

What about using a balloon to get to altitude? Those new lifting-bodies have a short takeoff, use little fuel, and take minimal personnel to launch/recover. Removing takeoff and ascent from the equation and you would have more of a safety margin.

]]> By: Dave_Ganzer http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-258397 Dave_Ganzer Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:42:48 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-258397 Having a lot of experience with electric airplanes and regenerative charging (see AVinc.com) I can tell you that a flight propeller is a remarkably ineffiecient wind turbine....Our props are ~90% efficient but more like 10%-20% as a wind turbine to recharge batteries.... Oh and see if you can dig up any of the old Quicky Builders Association newsletters....They will be....educational.... Ping me if you want to talk about this..... DaveG

]]> Having a lot of experience with electric airplanes and regenerative charging (see AVinc.com) I can tell you that a flight propeller is a remarkably ineffiecient wind turbine….Our props are ~90% efficient but more like 10%-20% as a wind turbine to recharge batteries….
Oh and see if you can dig up any of the old Quicky Builders Association newsletters….They will be….educational….
Ping me if you want to talk about this…..

DaveG

]]> By: Wilko http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-258239 Wilko Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:14:50 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-258239 I think the Runway Seeker VP-400 is just the avionics you need to optimize the glide. Contact Austin Meyer from X-Plane, its his idea, based on his fabulous sim software. He might support your project, his sim approach could result in spending your battery-power in the most efficient way. Maybe not only for the glide, but for the whole mission. Optimal levels depending on winds at altitude, climb profile, deviate to take advantage of some thermal activity, etc, etc. See his story at www.x-plane.com/x-world/hardware/seeker-avionics/ or the avionics implemantation of verticalpower.com/vp-400/ Good luck

]]> I think the Runway Seeker VP-400 is just the avionics you need to optimize the glide. Contact Austin Meyer from X-Plane, its his idea, based on his fabulous sim software. He might support your project, his sim approach could result in spending your battery-power in the most efficient way. Maybe not only for the glide, but for the whole mission. Optimal levels depending on winds at altitude, climb profile, deviate to take advantage of some thermal activity, etc, etc. See his story at http://www.x-plane.com/x-world/hardware/seeker-avionics/ or the avionics implemantation of verticalpower.com/vp-400/
Good luck

]]> By: thomas boyle http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-258169 thomas boyle Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:58:25 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-258169 Will we be able to follow this project somewhere? Here?

]]> Will we be able to follow this project somewhere? Here?

]]> By: thomas boyle http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-258167 thomas boyle Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:53:35 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-258167 Ballistic parachutes weigh about 35lb.

]]> Ballistic parachutes weigh about 35lb.

]]> By: tim Rowledge http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-257997 tim Rowledge Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:09:55 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-257997 I can see that inflight refuelling would be a little tricky for a lot of e-flight cases but how about some inflight DE-fuelling? Make a suitable fraction of the battery pack into a parasite craft that attaches to the bottom, like a remora. Use cheap retail drone electronics (really, lots of gps related auto-nav stuff out there for modellers) to have said remora-batt return to launch point where it gets recharged for tomorrow. Have second remora-batt at destination - a rental market could be developed and you have your very own profitable eco-ecosystem :-) After take off and climb and reaching cruise, release the remora-batt and potter along on inboard power. Just possibly the energy budget might allow dropping the drag and complication of regenerative systems and give yo back the better glide performance. And if not, it's a way cool Thunderbirds way of doing things. Gerry Anderson would be proud of you!

]]> I can see that inflight refuelling would be a little tricky for a lot of e-flight cases but how about some inflight DE-fuelling?
Make a suitable fraction of the battery pack into a parasite craft that attaches to the bottom, like a remora. Use cheap retail drone electronics (really, lots of gps related auto-nav stuff out there for modellers) to have said remora-batt return to launch point where it gets recharged for tomorrow. Have second remora-batt at destination – a rental market could be developed and you have your very own profitable eco-ecosystem :-)
After take off and climb and reaching cruise, release the remora-batt and potter along on inboard power. Just possibly the energy budget might allow dropping the drag and complication of regenerative systems and give yo back the better glide performance. And if not, it’s a way cool Thunderbirds way of doing things. Gerry Anderson would be proud of you!

]]> By: jayrtfm http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-257768 jayrtfm Sun, 26 Aug 2012 09:07:35 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-257768 That reminds me of the Rubber Bandit project. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/11/news/mn-48645 Does anyone know what happened to it?

]]> That reminds me of the Rubber Bandit project. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/11/news/mn-48645
Does anyone know what happened to it?

]]> By: Ralph http://www.cringely.com/2012/08/17/electric-flight-of-fancy#comment-257688 Ralph Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:47:06 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4708#comment-257688 Bob, properly integrating solar cell into the wings surface takes some work and skill -- See Eric Raymond's Sunseeker or our very large Swiss Solar aircraft. I doubt it is within the budget. Otherwise talk to Eric and/or Alan Cocconi (ex AC Propulsion). He also has a very nice direct drive motor design and electronics know-how. BTW, I'd look into the effects of flying slower thus using less power. Good Luck

]]> Bob, properly integrating solar cell into the wings surface takes some work and skill — See Eric Raymond’s Sunseeker or our very large Swiss Solar aircraft. I doubt it is within the budget. Otherwise talk to Eric and/or Alan Cocconi (ex AC Propulsion). He also has a very nice direct drive motor design and electronics know-how.
BTW, I’d look into the effects of flying slower thus using less power.

Good Luck

]]>