World's first all-electric commercial plane set for takeoff in Richmond

[MillCreek]

And the test flight was successful yesterday:

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/fossil-fuel-free-air-travel-gets-closer-with-a-short-electric-flight-redmond-based-magnix-provides-engine/?utm_content=buffer0a331&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=owned_buffer_f_m&fbclid=IwAR203rc4fU4JA8Kdrov45VTYwG61YDGTs4RY7YKzes8dfsfv0BqGK8eHzoA

[MechAg94]

Good to hear. 

I was thinking it would be neat if a solar charged plane could be practical as that would seem to be useful in out of the way places.....but I hate to think how long it would take to charge a set of batteries with enough power to fly a significant distance. 

[230RN]

Motor made by MagniX in Redmond.

Slide show of the event.  One shows motor in plane's frame.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/12/10/magnix-harbour-air-electric-seaplane-flight.html

Most articles on the event seem to be on a paid subscription basis.

Good to hear.  

I was thinking it would be neat if a solar charged plane could be practical as that would seem to be useful in out of the way places.....but I hate to think how long it would take to charge a set of batteries with enough power to fly a significant distance.  

Minor pissant correction; you mean energy there.  (I've done that, too.)

Of course, "out of the way places" are just the places where electrical energy is pretty hard to come by.

However, it's interesting to observe the upscaling of electric flight from model R/C aircraft and drones to stuff like this.

Terry, pissant discriminator of "power" versus "energy," 230RN

[230RN]

double-tap, sorry

[MechAg94]

Motor made by MagniX in Redmond.

Slide show of the event.  One shows motor in plane's frame.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/12/10/magnix-harbour-air-electric-seaplane-flight.html

Most articles on the event seem to be on a paid subscription basis.

Minor pissant correction; you mean energy there.  (I've done that, too.)

Of course, "out of the way places" are just the places where electrical energy is pretty hard to come by.

However, it's interesting to observe the upscaling of electric flight from model R/C aircraft and drones to stuff like this.

Terry, pissant discriminator of "power" versus "energy," 230RN

Energy is correct.  I was just thinking if you could carry some sort of portable solar sheet, how long would it take to charge the batteries for another 10 minute flight?  I think we talked about this in the thread on electric trucks.

[230RN]

"I was just thinking if you could carry some sort of portable solar sheet, how long would it take to charge the batteries for another 10 minute flight? "

That's readily calculable for a rainy day since there's a near-zero in the terms.  

Otherwise, more info is needed; possible variables:

Solar panel output under assumable lighting conditions.

Assume 80% charging efficiency, maybe less.

Need capacity of battery.  No, you don't  My error, I got "a full charge" notion stuck in my head.

Need amount of energy needed to go (wherever) in ten minutes.  This would be approximately ((ten minutes ÷ time in minutes to totally discharge the battery at flying output rate) x battery capacity.)

I'm sure there are others I'm missing.

But, for that rainy day, assume at least 24 hours + charging time as calculated in the above mish-mosh.

:)

Terry