Electric Aircraft - Future of Air Travel...

One of the biggest expenses in operating an aircraft is the fuel bill. This is really high at the moment with the price of aviation gasoline the same as the fuel for your car. The other repetitive expense is the cost of maintenance for the engine. So what if you do without an engine and buy a glider? Well, you still have to get it into the air by towing or winching and there is a lot of dependence on the wind for the timing and length of your flight.

But, the answer may have been found to these problems with the aircraft that made its debut at the Air Venture show at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is the Electra Flyer-C which has the flying attributes of a glider combined with the power of an electric motor to launch and power the flight. The motor runs from a Lithium Battery which then drives a 45 inch diameter propeller. With a top speed of 90 MPH and a cruise of 75 MPH this compares well with other small single engined aircraft. The duration of up to 2 hours is low but as this is a new technology the battery and motor efficiency will no doubt be improved and better endurance will result. A full charge can be done in as little as 2 hours and the manufacturer thinks it will cost of 60 cents on your power bill. The other saving is there is little maintenance compared to the traditional piston engine.

So, if you are interested in being on the cutting edge of 'green' flying visit their site and learn more about this innovative technology. If commuting is not for you then how about the Sky Spark? This low wing twin seat battery powered aircraft holds the speed record of 250 Km/hr! Now that will be the one to have when you are late for the office. Of course if there is no rush then the Solar impulse would be the one to choose. This aircraft has 11,000 solar cells which charge lithium polymer batteries, these in turn power the electric motor and the 11 foot diameter propeller. Although not fast it is able to sustain long flights with a 24 hour flight on solar powered batteries on 8th July 2010. The aircraft is planning to circumnavigate the world in 2012.

So get with the program and go green.
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The Solar Impulse Aeroplane - Environmental Friendly Flight

In a world almost entirely reliant on fossil or other non-replaceable fuels (such as uranium), the idea of finding a replacement source of energy can be hard to fathom on such a scale. Solar panels and wind turbines can produce electricity, yes, but they can't effectively power a car or a plane, can they?

That assumption is about to change. With the unveiling of the Solar Impulse, an aeroplane powered entirely by solar energy, the limit of solar power's usefulness has been challenged - particularly the world's assumptions about its basic fundamentals.

The main limitation that solar power has always faced is the fact that solar panels can only work while the sun is in the sky. This means that during the day, the energy must be stored in batteries; all very well if you're only using the power to turn the lights on at night, but not very useful if you need to, say, fly a plane day and night.

Despite that, this is exactly what the Solar Impulse plans to do in its attempt to be the first solar-powered aircraft to fly around the world. And its amazing design - a wingspan the size of a Boeing 747, and the weight of an average family car, means that it can continue to store ample energy to keep it aloft during the night, even while it flies through the day.

Unveiled in June 2009 by Bertrand Piccard (one of the two men who first flew non-stop around the world in the Breitling sponsored balloon Breitling Orbiter 3, and the man who initiated the project,) and Andre Borschberg, the Solar Impulse HB-SIA will have made its first test flights by the end of the year, with an all-night flight over Switzerland planned for 2010. A second aircraft, the HB-SIB, will be built to make the 2012 flight around the world in five stages, each of which will last several days.

This is the culmination of six years of work for the team, a triumph of science, technology and the imagination and passion to keep going. And therefore it is only natural that esteemed watch manufacturer Omega should have been one of the sponsors for the project; it is a work of equal dedication to the intricate design work of a finely-tuned watch movement. The watch industry is also notable for many environmental interests from manufacturers across its spectrum, with many becoming carbon neutral and supporting initiatives across the world.

Omega's pioneering spirit also fits the theme of the Solar Impulse's mission, and Stephen Urquhart, Omega's President, said he hoped Omega would continue to work towards developments in sustainable energy. For an industry whose most prestigious and luxurious products can be powered simply by the swinging of the wearer's arm as he goes about his business, this is not an impossible dream.