system

How is eVTOL different from VTOL (other than eVTOL has less performance)?
Don’t we already have R44’s and Eurocopters and JetRangers?

2 replies

system

OH NO !!! Not Burt, too

system

Burt has a secret weapon: his eVTOL is powered by a gas turbine engine!

2 replies

system

+1 Richard P

system

I wonder what this means for the SkiGull project???

system

I would’ve guessed piston-powered generator. Wouldn’t they be more efficient?

system

Electricity is an enabler of sorts. eVTOL might seem heavy with battery but redundancy, lower noise, and overall efficiency is raised. It took me years to wrap my head around it and something that canb’t easiloy be explained in a paragraph.

1 reply

system

Electricity is not efficient from an overall point of view, considering losses in it’s creation, conversion, transmission, storage, and eventual use. It’s also a bad fit for efficiently lifting (VTOL) because of the high weight AND that the weight does not decrease in flight like liquid fuels do when consumed. Add to that, CERTIFYING new aircraft is insanely expensive. Add to that, flying in urban areas is restricted. Noise is irrelevant based on peoples “fear” of anything flying low over schools, playgrounds, federal buildings, power plants, etc.

As I’ve said many times before, aircraft are the absolute worst place to do testing on new drive technologies. Cars and other ground based testing is the best way to accelerate development on e-power.