State of the Union for Electric Aircraft

22 Apr 2017
08:05 - 08:35

State of the Union for Electric Aircraft

The talk will focus on the structure, design and power for current and next generation aircraft, emphasizing what is practical now and what is possible in the near and long term.

We will look at configurations for everything from ultralight electrics to the plethora of designs for so-called “flying cars.” We will examine available powerplants, controllers and batteries, and see what the future might hold.

We will look at ownership, and whether private possession of flying machines might go away for economic and regulatory reasons.

We will close with two diversions into a pair of personal obsessions – human-electric hybrid flight and a real power structure – the Grand Unified Airplane – an airplane fueled by the act of flight itself.