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Old March 29th 07, 04:26 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
SAM 303a
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Default Boeing prepares fuel cell Motorglider


"Vaughn Simon" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
The demonstrator aircraft is a Dimona motor glider, built by Diamond
Aircraft Industries of Austria, which also performed major structural
modifications to the aircraft. With a wing span of 16.3 meters (53.5
feet), the airplane will be able to cruise at approximately 100
kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) using fuel cell-provided
power.
More info and picture www.aerogazette.com


The glider uses lithium batteries plus the fuel cell to get sufficient
power for launching. According to the Boeing diagram
http://boeingmedia.com/imageDetail.c...90&clr=release it has a
crazy-tiny hydrogen (fuel) tank. First, it appears to use compressed
hydrogen rather than liquid hydrogen, but even liquid hydrogen would need
significantly more volume than an equivalent amount of gasoline.
Definitely just a technology demonstration stunt, not a practical
aircraft.

Vaughn

That may be true, but it is the coolest v1.0 technology I've seen in a
while.