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The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

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Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#101

Post by danlugo92 »

torginus wrote: post #73
QuantumNoodle wrote: post #32

These kind of startup excite me. More so than the "next killer app" or "look what we shoved AI into." Cheap electric transportation can finally offset USA's lacking rail commutes and attack Europe's short flight market (which is already cheap). Now we need bigger planes or more frequent planes and the next startup to solve the energy needs.

Btw, I kind of changed my opinion on AI. Finally, everybody can build an app, so we no longer have to pretend the people who built one and made it big are some sort tech pioneers pushing humanity forward. Likewise, if you're a nerd, you can spend your free time building stuff you thought you would never get around to. Yes, AI as marketed is a bit of a snakeoil, but much more real and meaningful than crypto and social…

Rare soulful HN comment

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#102

Post by kmeisthax »

QuantumNoodle wrote: post #32

These kind of startup excite me. More so than the "next killer app" or "look what we shoved AI into." Cheap electric transportation can finally offset USA's lacking rail commutes and attack Europe's short flight market (which is already cheap). Now we need bigger planes or more frequent planes and the next startup to solve the energy needs.

USA's lacking rail commutes come down to the fact that America's leaders made the deliberate decision to destroy its own rail network and force people onto planes. The electric range of this aircraft is 125 miles[0], which is at the low end of the range where conventional intercity rail is time-competitive with the plane. A bullet train would absolutely smoke this.

tl;dr I have a few qualms with this app[1].

Now, this thing might take off (pun intended) anyway, for one simple reason: a theoretically faster train does not compete with it if it doesn't exist. The midwest and west are chock full of towns whose rail connections were either abandoned or never existed in the first place, but have regional airports. This thing would be perfect to service feeder flights from hub airports to regionals or as a charter plane.

That being said I wouldn't expect this to revolutionize air travel. You're still going to be packed into a sardine can and made to pay extra for the privilege of bringing a reasonable amount of toiletries with you. And all the long-haul flights are still going to be using fossil fuels because the energy density of batteries sucks. But still, I'd rather have this than 10 million AI companies.

[0] 500 miles for hybrid operation on SAF, because the FAA would not certify a plane with such a small range

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#103

Post by Spooky23 »

LastTrain wrote: post #99
Waterluvian wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you imagine the (rather justified?) NIMBYism for all the airports required for commuter flight? If rail can’t be done, flight definitely won’t fly.

Rejecting stupid ideas that are a net bad for the community isn’t NIMBYism

Stupid in those that lack imagination.

I happened to be in Plattsburgh the day of this flight, on my way to a fishing trip on the lake. They used that facility for the long former SAC base runway, but I think it’s also appropriate given the nature of the NY North country that an ultra low operating cost aircraft would see flight there.

The death of most industry really hurt these regions, which are largely cut off from the prosperity of the normal economy. The ability to affordably link places like Plattsburgh or Watertown NY to the broader world. That region in particular prospered with rail links driven by iron and timber.

90 minute flights to places like NYC metro or Boston Metro would be transformative, and may even create new airline operating models.

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#104

Post by notahacker »

projektfu wrote: post #74
subpixel wrote: post #64

I'm not sure I get the 'appreciating asset' point he makes in the video. How will the plane perform better in 10 years? Cool stuff regardless!

It won't likely perform better as it ages but it may continue out-performing a fleet that tends to hold its value. If the maintenance cost of the electric motors and batteries along with the turbines operating at reduced power is better than the maintenance cost of two turbines that are operated at 100% power to take off, it could really pay off, as that tends to be a very expensive part of the operation. Airframes a…

Turbine powered helicopters can appreciate in value if demand picks up because the tech doesn't move that quickly, as can GA aircraft that are already old because they're all cheap and rudimentary to start off with. (The supposed appreciating asset tends to cost a lot more than the asset appreciation to maintain though...)

Fixed wing commercial airliners generally don't, because airlines' biggest cost is fuel and new aircraft are a lot more efficient than older ones

Seems optimistic to think that a first generation electric plane will avoid that challenge: in theory if you're only operating on electricity the kinetic efficiency doesn't matter quite so much, but 125 miles range on electric power is really quite limiting and crucially newer generation electric aircraft would be expected to offer more electric range. I guess a lot might depend on how easily it is to legally retrofit better batteries to older gen aircraft.

They'll want to sell for more than the market value of an old Saab 340, that's for sure...

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#105

Post by bryanlarsen »

runako wrote: post #7
ajross wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> 500 miles with hybrid system > the grueling two hour drives What country are you in, and perhaps more importantly, what roads are you driving on?

According to the video, 2/3rds of that range is for loiter and divert capability. It's illegal to fly a route without the capability to loiter and divert. You need 30-60 minutes of loiter + 100 miles of divert. This plane cannot be used on any route longer than about ~200 miles. Which can be driven in 2 hours, although obviously the OP was referring to the 120 mile electric range.

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#107

Post by waterTanuki »

infotainment wrote: post #81
QuantumNoodle wrote: post #32

These kind of startup excite me. More so than the "next killer app" or "look what we shoved AI into." Cheap electric transportation can finally offset USA's lacking rail commutes and attack Europe's short flight market (which is already cheap). Now we need bigger planes or more frequent planes and the next startup to solve the energy needs.

> Cheap electric transportation can finally offset USA's lacking rail commutes I'm not sure how building an electric aircraft would help with this. Are people going to suddenly switch to commuting by plane? Fixing America's commute problem is primarily an urban planning one (ie, putting all the homes nowhere near anything) and not an insufficient-electric-aircraft one.

It's clearly marketed for remote communities with little to no connecting infrastructure. Think Alaskan wilderness or Hawaiian island hopping. This isn't for getting from LA to Denver for skiing.

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#108

Post by AshleyGrant »

The moment he talked about "remote pilots managing many planes," I closed the tab. Remote pilots sound great until something goes wrong, and things inevitably go wrong, not often, but they go wrong.

I will never fly on any aircraft that does not have a minimum two-person crew on the flight deck. The ability to "feel" the plane is invaluable in an emergency situation. Frankly, just the fact that someone whose life is literally on the line doing the walkaround is an invaluable part of the safety of commercial flight.

I was rooting for this company when I saw the news of their first flight. I am no longer rooting for them because it is obvious that their leadership does not understand the human element of commercial air travel.

Re: The largest electric aircraft just flew [video]

#109

Post by idiotsecant »

onjectic wrote: post #106

I don’t see how a purely electric aircraft could ever beat synthetic jet fuel made with electricity. If this is a hybrid, I am curious where they are stealing energy from.

It beats it by mostly not using the turbines. The turbines are there for long range diversions which should happen rarely enough to not really matter in terms of carbon release.
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