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That heavy engine ...

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DangerZone

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Sep 5, 2011
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Moderator Note: This thread was forked off from the Is electric propulsion worth it? thread, starting about here: http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/f...1-electric-propulsion-worth-7.html#post241071 End Note

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It's not so much about the mission but the greater design options electric gives you.


IMHO the biggest single limitation with the vast majority of GA aircraft (that is not generally present in commercial/military aviation) is this: the design starts with a large heavy engine at the nose. The engine weighs in the 250-500 lbs range, and right behind the engine you have the pilot and maybe a passenger adding another 150-400 lbs. From this point in the design you have only one option because you MUST counter the large moment of force that has been created at the nose of the plane. You must create a relatively long fuselage with a large countering force, or negative lifting force, at the end (tail). This is the horizontal stabilizer and it creates a **** ton of drag.

When the only option you have for propulsion is the heavy/bulky piston engine what else can you do really. This is why I say electric propulsion for aviation can be a real game changer. Now you can design your airplane with efficiency, performance, or even greater capabilities (like VTOL), and add the motor in virtually anywhere to aid in the design goals.

True, but there are also airplanes which don't have the classic tractor approach. They range from the miniscule electric and ICE Cri Cri to large wingspan gliders like the Pipistrel Tauruses or even the electric Long EZ. The tail drag is minimal in all of these configurations compared to the limited range of batteries.

The future of electric aircraft is in hybrid systems, the aircraft needs a battery pack for takeoff, landing and aerobatics yet relies on a range extender for long range flights. This enables optimizing the ICE for best efficiency at cruise further reducing consumption. In a way, it means getting the most from both systems.
 
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