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Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

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11–20 of 46 posts

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#11
"It leaves when you arrive"

This doesn't work for an electric aircraft, or many normal public transport methods as they are all focused on batching people up into large groups (planes, trains, etc).

Also, Elon has called Hyperloop 'another type of transport', i.e. nothing like we already use, whereas I would say this idea is just an aircraft with a new type of launch system; not as different as Elon suggests it will be.

However I agree that getting the land to build a tunnel on the surface (or a track of any sort) would cost a lot of money, and tunnels below the surface would be too costly as well.

Although I think lots of people are converging on the idea, sound waves, evacuated tunnels, all that sort of stuff, I think everyone so far has missed the big detail or breakthrough that makes it feasible, after all, these techniques have been known for a long time, just not been taken advantage of because they aren't practical.

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#12
post #4

Elon Musk said it was nearly impossible to get injured in his system. Which means that any aircraft travel is out, because all it takes is an engine failure to kill everyone on board. The safety reason is a big reason why I'm going with the underground tubes between LA and SF.

I don't think it can be underground, since Musk said it would cost $6 billion to build. Also, the plan is to build something similar for east-west coast travel, and underground would be even less possible.

In an interview, Elon said that the system could work underground but that it would be more cost effective above ground...

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#13
post #4

Elon Musk said it was nearly impossible to get injured in his system. Which means that any aircraft travel is out, because all it takes is an engine failure to kill everyone on board. The safety reason is a big reason why I'm going with the underground tubes between LA and SF.

Flight is still the safest form of transport (per passenger mile, it's hardly even close) e.g. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/736582.stm

Engine failure doesn't kill people, because you can typically glide to a landing. Speculatively, if you got your glide ratio perfect and launched high enough, you might not need an engine to get between LA and SF.

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#16
post #4

Elon Musk said it was nearly impossible to get injured in his system. Which means that any aircraft travel is out, because all it takes is an engine failure to kill everyone on board. The safety reason is a big reason why I'm going with the underground tubes between LA and SF.

To be fair, if he's comparing to human-driven cars, every mode of transport is "nearly impossible" to get injured in. That clause doesn't really constrain anything.

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#17
About the land access concern, in France we had the aerotrain which was developped as an alternative to high speed train but did not survive the conventional railroad lobbies. There is still 60 km of test track south of Paris. The track is 10 m above the ground and is built using pillars every 20 m. It has been there for more than 40 years for it's considered too expensive to dismantle for actual very limited annoyment, more limited than high voltage power lines for example. However, land is flat there and mostly non urban.

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#19

I guess Elon Musk does know about stuff like "right of way". Also you might experience difficulties to launch something into the air from an evacuated tube...

I think he specifically ruled out evacuated tubes? Well, vacuum tunnel.

Re: Hyperloop speculation – launch assist for electric aircraft

#20
post #4

Elon Musk said it was nearly impossible to get injured in his system. Which means that any aircraft travel is out, because all it takes is an engine failure to kill everyone on board. The safety reason is a big reason why I'm going with the underground tubes between LA and SF.

"He believes it could work either below or above ground." (From Wikipedia.)
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