All electric airplane is cheaper than gas

No doubt the idea of electric motors for flight would make sense if batteries didn't weigh so much and they didn't run out of juice so fast.

 

I've read about that electric trainer before. As a trainer, I can see why it would be brilliant. I'm not so sure about using one as a traveling machine, though.

 

Jeepers. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "range anxiety"!

that being said, the article provides some compelling arguments for why an electric trainer (which would be used largely for point-A to point-A flights of limited duration) makes good sense. My recollection from my limited flight-training experience years ago, though, was that significant effort and instruction was devoted to teaching me how to ensure that the motor would continue to run- looking for water in the fuel, learning how to monitor all the gauges to make sure they stayed in the green, etc. An all-electric trainer would certainly allow the students to focus on the aerodynamic characteristics of flight, but wouldn't you be missing all the in's and out's of engine management (and eventually, the cross-country aspects like navigation)?

JP

 

Great for training schools and learning principles of flight.. and ironic that in an activity full of licence add-on endorsements your very first one might be how to handle an ICE so you can go somewhere!