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The new Electric Cessna 172



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 22nd 12, 03:02 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
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Posts: 21
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

Ideal for flight schools. The amazing
brushless electric ring motors which
I mentioned before, produce 600 lbs.
static thrust.

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/two-pl...na-172-skyhawk

--
Mark
  #2  
Old December 22nd 12, 04:11 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
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Posts: 2,892
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

wrote:
Ideal for flight schools. The amazing
brushless electric ring motors which
I mentioned before, produce 600 lbs.
static thrust.

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/two-pl...na-172-skyhawk

--
Mark


Nope, not for flight schools as basic physics limits how quickly you
can recharge.



  #3  
Old December 22nd 12, 08:09 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
george152
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Posts: 158
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

On 22/12/12 16:11, wrote:
wrote:
Ideal for flight schools. The amazing
brushless electric ring motors which
I mentioned before, produce 600 lbs.
static thrust.

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/two-pl...na-172-skyhawk

--
Mark


Nope, not for flight schools as basic physics limits how quickly you
can recharge.



And lack of range
  #4  
Old December 23rd 12, 12:20 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
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Posts: 2,892
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

george152 wrote:
On 22/12/12 16:11, wrote:
wrote:
Ideal for flight schools. The amazing
brushless electric ring motors which
I mentioned before, produce 600 lbs.
static thrust.

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/two-pl...na-172-skyhawk

--
Mark


Nope, not for flight schools as basic physics limits how quickly you
can recharge.



And lack of range


The claimed endurance is 2 hours, which would be enough for most training,
which is usually about an hours worth, but is marginal at best for cross
country flights with a reserve.

And you had better keep this thing hangered in places with any significant
hail with those solar panels on top of the wings.


  #5  
Old December 29th 12, 10:53 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Andy Hawkins
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Posts: 200
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

In article ,
wrote:
george152 wrote:
On 22/12/12 16:11,
wrote:
wrote:
Ideal for flight schools. The amazing
brushless electric ring motors which
I mentioned before, produce 600 lbs.
static thrust.

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/two-pl...na-172-skyhawk

--
Mark

Nope, not for flight schools as basic physics limits how quickly you
can recharge.



And lack of range


The claimed endurance is 2 hours, which would be enough for most training,
which is usually about an hours worth, but is marginal at best for cross
country flights with a reserve.

And you had better keep this thing hangered in places with any significant
hail with those solar panels on top of the wings.


  #7  
Old December 30th 12, 07:16 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
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Posts: 2,892
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

Vaughn wrote:
On 12/22/2012 6:20 PM, wrote:
And you had better keep this thing hangered in places with any significant
hail with those solar panels on top of the wings.

If you keep the plane in a hanger, there is really little point to
having solar panels at all because the panels would rarely see
significant sunlight. (They won't do you much good for the relatively
brief periods the plane is actually flying. Their unreliable and
relatively meager output is unlikely to measurably increase range.)


If you look at the wing area of a 172 and calculate how much power you
can get, you find they aren't much good for charging the battery either
unless you go days between flights.

Also, solar panels aren't terribly vulnerable to hail. Otherwise, there
would be little point in mounting them on rooftops.


Rooftop solar panels are mounted at the latitude of the location to
receive maximum power, so a hailstone will hit at an angle of about 30
to 45 degrees from most of the US and tend to glance off.

The solar panels on a wing are going to be horizontal and will take a
direct hit from a hailstone.

There are many places in the US where it is not unusual for hailstones
to dent the tops of cars.



  #8  
Old December 30th 12, 08:13 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Frank Stutzman[_3_]
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Posts: 29
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

Andy Hawkins wrote:

And you had better keep this thing hangered in places with any significant
hail with those solar panels on top of the wings.


In places with significant hail, its best to keep *any* plane hangared. I
remember seeing statics years ago stating that the largest category for
insurance payouts for aircraft not in motion was hail damage.

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Boise, ID

  #9  
Old December 31st 12, 12:12 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Vaughn
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Posts: 154
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

On 12/30/2012 1:16 PM, wrote:
If you look at the wing area of a 172 and calculate how much power you
can get, you find they aren't much good for charging the battery either
unless you go days between flights.


Agree. However, if someone wants to own a $200,000 plane and just wants
to fly it for an hour or so once a week it might work. Are there any
folks like that? Yes! But few of them would admit that to themselves
before buying a plane. It's a behavior they drift into later.

I can tell you that most of the non-FBO planes at my local airport
seldom fly. Even some of the FBO leasbacks sit unused for days at a time.


Also, solar panels aren't terribly vulnerable to hail. Otherwise, there
would be little point in mounting them on rooftops.

Rooftop solar panels are mounted at the latitude of the location to
receive maximum power, so a hailstone will hit at an angle of about 30
to 45 degrees from most of the US and tend to glance off.

The solar panels on a wing are going to be horizontal and will take a
direct hit from a hailstone.

There are many places in the US where it is not unusual for hailstones
to dent the tops of cars.


I have watched my share of hail, and seldom does it fall at a 90 degree
angle, so I doubt your theory. My home's panels are mounted at a less
than optimum angle because I am quite worried about hurricane winds and
not worried at all about hail, even though hail happens here.

Today's solar panels aren't glass and aren't terribly fragile. A
rooftop isn't a terribly friendly environment, yet panels last for
decades. I would judge that most PV panels are less prone to hail damage
than a typical aluminum wing skin, certainly no more.

Still, we agree that solar panels on a wing make little sense. They
would be costly, they would add little to the usefulness of the plane,
and they would add weight and complexity.

Also, nobody has remarked on those little wind turbines. Yes, I know
that they are an attempt to recover energy from the wingtip vortex, but
those things will add weight and drag. It would make far more sense to
reduce the vortex with winglets or a better wing design.

Further, adding blades to a prop is unlikely to improve its efficiency.

When you add the questionable solar panels, the questionable prop, and
the questionable wind turbines, I find myself thinking "vaporware".

Vaughn

  #10  
Old December 31st 12, 01:55 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Orval Fairbairn
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Posts: 824
Default The new Electric Cessna 172

In article ,
Vaughn wrote:

On 12/30/2012 1:16 PM, wrote:
If you look at the wing area of a 172 and calculate how much power you
can get, you find they aren't much good for charging the battery either
unless you go days between flights.


Agree. However, if someone wants to own a $200,000 plane and just wants
to fly it for an hour or so once a week it might work. Are there any
folks like that? Yes! But few of them would admit that to themselves
before buying a plane. It's a behavior they drift into later.

I can tell you that most of the non-FBO planes at my local airport
seldom fly. Even some of the FBO leasbacks sit unused for days at a time.


Also, solar panels aren't terribly vulnerable to hail. Otherwise, there
would be little point in mounting them on rooftops.

Rooftop solar panels are mounted at the latitude of the location to
receive maximum power, so a hailstone will hit at an angle of about 30
to 45 degrees from most of the US and tend to glance off.

The solar panels on a wing are going to be horizontal and will take a
direct hit from a hailstone.

There are many places in the US where it is not unusual for hailstones
to dent the tops of cars.


I have watched my share of hail, and seldom does it fall at a 90 degree
angle, so I doubt your theory. My home's panels are mounted at a less
than optimum angle because I am quite worried about hurricane winds and
not worried at all about hail, even though hail happens here.

Today's solar panels aren't glass and aren't terribly fragile. A
rooftop isn't a terribly friendly environment, yet panels last for
decades. I would judge that most PV panels are less prone to hail damage
than a typical aluminum wing skin, certainly no more.

Still, we agree that solar panels on a wing make little sense. They
would be costly, they would add little to the usefulness of the plane,
and they would add weight and complexity.

Also, nobody has remarked on those little wind turbines. Yes, I know
that they are an attempt to recover energy from the wingtip vortex, but
those things will add weight and drag. It would make far more sense to
reduce the vortex with winglets or a better wing design.

Further, adding blades to a prop is unlikely to improve its efficiency.

When you add the questionable solar panels, the questionable prop, and
the questionable wind turbines, I find myself thinking "vaporware".

Vaughn


.... and balonium technology!
 




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