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Inside The First Production-Ready Electric Airplane
This spring, Volta Volare will begin testing its four-passenger GT4. Constructed around a standard airframe, the plane runs on a hybrid powertrain similar to the one in the Chevrolet Volt, with batteries plus a backup gasoline engine. An electric plane could be significantly less expensive to operate than a conventional aircraft. A 200-mile electric-powered flight in a single-engine personal plane would consume about $20 of electricity, compared with about $80 worth of aviation-grade gasoline,… (www.popsci.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Since when do you take apart a power train, engine and other parts like gear box or prop on a normal annual? I never did unless there were problems, sounds a little like a snake oil deal to me trying to generate operating money. Too much fluff and not enought true facts probalby all on paper and nothing tested.
And while its true that running out of batteries in an electric airplane would "all but assure" a forced landing, I can't help but point out that running out of gas in a piston airplane probably has roughly the same results.
At $500K this is a plane for high rollers. Do they need one that is "significantly less expensive to operate"?
Flying schools do.
For $500K, a flying school could buy 7 very nice used 172's. Besides, I wonder what the hourly rate would have to be on their new electric airplane?
Don't under-estimate what a school will be willing to pay for a fancy new eco-friendly airplane - (this is about the same price as a Cessna Corvalis), nor what people will be willing to pay to fly it.
Ultimately if it's a success, then reduced operating costs will result in either more profit for the flying club, or lower costs for the renter/student. (I suspect rates will be initially engineered for profit, not low cost)
The question is whether the manufacturer will be able to sell enough airplanes to justify their business model - there's an extremely high chance they will fail and be added to the long long list of defunct aircraft manufacturer startups.
Ultimately if it's a success, then reduced operating costs will result in either more profit for the flying club, or lower costs for the renter/student. (I suspect rates will be initially engineered for profit, not low cost)
The question is whether the manufacturer will be able to sell enough airplanes to justify their business model - there's an extremely high chance they will fail and be added to the long long list of defunct aircraft manufacturer startups.
I understand that about 80% of flight students don't get certificated, and it not because they can't learn to fly. It's because the cost of fuel and the CFI and the hourly aircraft rent will usually bust a students budget. And that's with the existing aircraft in the schools fleet. I went thru about $6500 18 years ago just for my private and about the same for my instrument. Who knows what the average total would be now. You tell a young student he has to pay the probably 400 dollars hourly rate for the electric airplane plus the other costs and he'll forget the whole thing.