LifePO4 batteries for motorgliders - are we there yet?
Years ago I used to sail ocean going multihulls; I recall Tom
Follet saying something along the lines of: "In a multihull if you
ain't got speed you ain't got nothing".
Something similar applies to motor gliders: "If you can't start
the engine you ain't got nothing". You're just lugging around a
load of expensive complicated ballast that can't be dumped.
Why anyone would choose to run their avionics off their engine
start batteries is beyond me. A brief trawl through the motor
glider accident statistics should be enough to convince. The
wretched engines have quite enough failure modes without
adding battery issues.
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