I’m always intrigued with the many modifications done to the poor old Skymaster. Automotive engines, turbine engines, electric motors, single-engine conversions, stretched versions, rear clamshell doors replacing the rear engine–even SAND SKIS (see SAND CRAB) military experimental for operation “in the desert”.
Electric-only airplanes LITERALLY “aren’t going anywhere” because of the lack of range–but that doesn’t mean that electric doesn’t have a place. If it is to BE, I believe “hybrid” is the answer. Consider an aircraft like the Baron 58 (or better yet, the Aerostar, as it purposely was built with the engines on the CG). Removing both piston engines and one prop saves a LOT of weight. Grafting a complete engine/electric engine/battery system from a Prius is getting very close to that saved weight–and the weight saved on fuel gets even closer. Takeoff on BOTH conventional and electric power plants not only gives stunning performance, but gives a lot of safety options with the redundancy of two power sources. The efficient Prius engine provides power in flight to drive the aircraft and charge the batteries. The electric engine doesn’t have to climb at high power–it doesn’t take much to sustain flight–providing multi-engine redundancy.
CG-wise, putting the Prius engine (both electric and auto fuel) in the nose is very close to the weight/moment of the two IO–520s and props.
The system operates on auto fuel–achieving the so-far unobtainable goal of a fast aircraft to do so. The Prius engine/electric motor/battery system could be virtually “off the shelf”–FAR less expensive than two aircraft engines and props.
Look at it this way–there are a LOT MORE PRIUS CARS OUT THERE THAN TESLAS (or even Chevy Volts)–owning a hybrid is much cheaper and easier than an all-electric. “Battery-powered electric airplanes?” Put them in the same pipe dream as “Flying Cars”–everyone talks about them–but I don’t believe it’s going to happen.