The problem was never the motors. The problem is ALWAYS the batteries.

I kept going to the “Do Not Touch” sign on the parallel hybrid Rotax Twin every time Paul touched the motor or engine.

great stuff man awesome channel I'll have to look at more.

Great video as always vary informative Thanks for update

I heard you can recharge an electric airplane in flight by getting struck by lightning.

Passenger compartment rigged with heaps of pedals. Passengers who pedal the most generate more electricity and receive reduced fare. You're welcome. 😂😄😄

GREAT Video! love it. One thing: Haven't you heard that an improved battery is ALWAYS three to five years away? It's called the breakthrough horizon. All good wishes!

Great to glimpse the future.

Can it work like a Prius where you recharge when you descent?

Wider distribution of the propulsion system a big plus, but other things a bit dodgy.

It's good to see they are improving the technology, we will see more and more options, for now small quadcopters for short range travel is one of the possibilities, for long range not so much with the battery tech we got now.

Love the scene with the "DO NOT TOUCH Thank you" sign... and how many times your hands were all over the motor and clutch. LOL I get it... you had permission (Still funny)

9:40 - it only burns 1.85gph at cruise? That's impressively low!

Part of the puzzle, great work guys.

Thank you for the video.

I would like to see an Electric Stemme s12!

Great job

VERY nice presentation! Lots of engineering going into those rigs.

An important goal for the developer ,apart from the technicalities and practical improvement in batteries(of which are many),is of course "COST" not only initial outlay but reducing time cycles in the hybrid reciprocating engine MAINTENANCE which in my opinion is the only real option for electric powered " A/C.that means a redesign in airbreathing engines .

Nice job, really good video for a layperson like me who is interested in eviation.

Really awesome! What are some other good sources for electric aviation news? I thought Pilot magazine has a series on this too.

Interesting • Cool ✈️

The hybrids are hilarious, they just massively reduce the performance of the aircraft while massively increasing the cost. It's like no one did the calculations that are normally done before starting a project to determine if the idea is even viable!

Batteries are rightly cited as the limiting factor in development of electric aircraft. But electric motors themselves have several benefits that make them ideal for aviation: = Electric motors aren't dependent on oxygen density and make the same power at 100,000 feet that they do at sea level, without requring heavy complex compressors. = Electric motors are one of the most reliable forms of propulsion exceeding the reliability of gas turbines. They are simple with basically two moving parts. = Electric motor's weight and volume to power ratio are extremely high, this allows for more aerodyamic designs with smaller cowl frontal area and more effective weight/balance for loading the passenger compartment. They are so small and light for their power, they can be stacked in series to increase power and if one of the motors in series were to quit (a highly unlikely event) the other could take over and provide level maintaining or minimal climb power. This would render concerns about failure of the motors themselves completely moot. = Electric motors, because of their simplicity are incredibly durable. Electric traction motors in vehicles routinely go more than 1 Million miles before overhaul/replacement. Electric motors in aircraft would probably extend TBO times by about 5 - 10x. At that point the Time Between Overhaul essentially becomes equal to the useful life of the airframe. Their routine maintenance needs are minimal to non-existent depending on design. = Electric motors are extremely quiet and they make less vibration than reciprocating engines or gas turbines. This makes the use of aircraft in populated areas much less problematic (less noise); Greatly reduces pilot fatigue (less noise and vibration); Increases the lifespan of all the other components of the aircraft (less vibration). = Electric motors are extremely efficient, on the order of 90% - 98% compared to roughly 30% efficiency for reciprocating gasoline engines and even less for gas turbines. They also produce less waste heat than fuel powered engines.

What has happened with the Siemens motor used in Hybrid (ICE powered batteries) configuration akin to a Prius?

all we need now is new battery technology , 4x-6x more energy density , will be game changing

Interesting story. New technology always changes for the better way of life. We have the Hybrid cars and Hybrid airplanes next on the gendre.

Great and interesting, welcome to discuss the details with Krung Angkor

8:09 Someone could tell me what is this orange girocopter on the left please ? Is it full electric ? Thanks

install a wind generator out front to charge the batteries..lol.

Does it really seam like a good idea to place a spinning mass on the wing tips of an aircraft in an airport scenario ? And what happens when or if an motor fails or a speed controller overheats and causes a sever yaw situation ? And why do they all have to direct drive, why not consider gear boxes to convert power slowing a motor RPM yet increasing the rpm like a constant pitch prop ?

Whats that orange copter thing in the background @8:09

I'd love to see a 25kts crosswind landing with those wingtip props :D

What is going to prevent a fatal flat spin in the event of a wingtip motor failure at low altitude?

AVweb can you provide links to all the aircraft you reviewed in this video?

These would be great for motor gliders where they don't need the electric motor the entire flight.

What I'm interested in is cost of ownership? If there enough savings compensate for the limited range?

Really cool. Especially interesting are the hybrids. If LiPO foil batteries could run in series safely, I think Diesel Hybrids could be very successful.

13:10 - Time will tell, of course, but you might be a few years late with that prediction. Orders are already starting to roll in.

Thinking much of what we saw here will greatly depend on venture capital influx. I kinda hate projected dreams of the future where you just gota believe and spend. It's hit & miss yet it's hows things are done in the end. Good info and thx.

1:41 RIP headphone users

Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't the electric jet be more an electric ducted fan, what would the flying time be 15mins and 20 hours to charge.

Brushless motors with a 3 phase are awesome matched with lipo graphene batteries my rc pylon racer cracks 200ks on 14.8v 772 watts at 48 amps static with a 7" prop and it's only made from epp foam with carbon spars 👍

We had an electric float plane maiden last year in Canada, short but successful flight.

Generate electricity using steam turbines. The passengers can help shovel coal into the boilers for reduced fare.

ALPI: DO NOT TOUCH Paul: eh, what? Laughed my head off!

What's the average flight hour to weight of air craft in kg ratio?

The issue with stacking motors is the weight penalty will begin to exceed the benefit of more power plants. You still have to add passenger and battery weight into the equation. >.>

That hybrid motor with the fail safe if the gasoline motor fails is brilliant.. gas motor goes out still got power to make it ok n the ground

what do you mean the numbers don't pencil out for hybrid electric 12:55 ? that guy said 8:11 the hybrid electric can hold 70 liters of fuel and uses 7 liters per hour in flight. If it can cruise at 100 miles per hour for 10 hours of flight time, that is about 1000 miles of flight distance, not including the electricity from battery of another 45 minutes to give it over 1075 miles of flight distance. Plus you would not be having to fill it with aircraft fuel. You could fill it with standard generator fuel? Someone please correct me where i am off on this.

These hybrids looks front heavy. I wonder what's the center of balance on the manual. Remember those front and rear propeller planes? What if u have 1 gas engine in 1 side and a electric motor on the other side. Maybe that would balance out and offer a better system

11:22, the R&D project is a great approach; develop the technology and see where it leads. While some of this is pie-in-the-sky (every pun intended), I’m amazed that an electric two seater/trainer can fly for 45 min to an hour. Won’t suffice for cross country flights, but that’s plenty for pattern work and take-offs/landings. I never thought we would even see an electric plane capable of that. Who knows what we’ll see next.

This is useful for certain aircraft, as all power systems are for all aircraft. Clearly, there are important factors that tailor electric aircraft, but they are practical. For example, a short range flight for a small airport would be a great electric aircraft. That market exists.

I'd definitely fly one of these when they become mainstream. I'd actually expect somebody like Siemens to work on electric aviation. Bombardier is likely to do the same witch would open commercial electric aviation. Wish great success for everyone working on electric aviation. Now when are we gonna get a tesla plane haha!

I'm optimistic that small to medium size hybrid/electric planes will be the future of regional travel but no one I talk to thinks it'll work because of government regulation.

Solar panel carport style covered parking areas are going to become popular if these e-planes take off (pun partially intended).

Can't wait for insurance to require Piston Time experience lol

Can a solar panel be installed to help the battery?

I know this focused mainly on engines but it's mainly new battery technology that's slowly closing the gap between the energy/weight ratio currently provided by combustible fuel.

What about super capacitors? I've seen demos of super caps with high density close to existing battery technology, plus they are much lighter.

I’ve been waiting for this story/news since the 1990’s. It just kind of makes sense to me.

Have you considered putting solar panels in the wings for continuous battery charging? Not quite sure how much weight that would be by design. Thanks Frank Bagby

I would cover the wings and part of the fuselage with solar panels, that would increase the flight capacity during the day

How many hours can it fly?

Parallel hybrid with a small, efficient ICE sized for slightly more than cruise power can have the best of both worlds- reduced ICE maintenance cost, good range fuel consumption with decent climb performance. Devil in the details, of course.

I just read that Siemens is planning to split off major chunks of it's holdings and operations to focus on alternative energy innovations.

Fantastic!! I'm very excited about this tech becoming common.

Electric motors will never replace IC engines in aircraft, but it may replace towplanes all together in the sport of soaring.

If batteries can become universal, it might be a good business to get this batteries swappable at FBO's like a gas station. Instead of waiting long hours for charging, just drop used and get a charged set. Of course station should do their job on quality control.

that's cool but what about the battery because that's the important part

I appreciate Paul's no-nonsense presentation style.

Mahepa: Hydrogen fuel cell are not hybrids unless you obtain half of your peak power from batteries. I hope do you use liquid hydrogen which it would increase the performance by a lot vs 700 bar compression.

I don't mind the idea of an electric motor driving the propeller. As long as you put a generator on that thing and have it run by some sort of fuel, whether it be diesel or gas, I don't care. You can even have a smallish battery that will be your primary power source but if you're not charging that thing with something that will last longer that what they currently have, and the problems that we already have with automobiles that are electric. I think that depending on a battery while you're out in the middle of flying, you think it's bad when people run out of fuel, and they have to be the ones you put in the fuel and there's a fuel gauge. Batteries can quit functioning as soak an electric motors for no perceptible reason whatsoever.

Is there any electric aircraft yet available with a range of 300nm?

Can you put solar panels on the wings to give a little longer range? I know they will not give the amount of power to run the electric motor but if it will give enough charge to the batteries to offset some of the power needed it would add some more time in the air, maybe 25% more. I have no idea what the power needed to run the electric motor so not sure what 200- 400 watts of solar panels will give.

There is :" Do not Touch" an he is touching it all time 6:30

power management- I've GOT IT!! Now to patent the concept.

I have heard that the electrics are really quite and very low vibration. But, I might end up missing all the smells and fluid messes.

new E-bike motors WOOT

Wouldnt a ducted fan electric engine with a variable output put out more thrust ?

Nothing like feeling someone is looking down their nose at you. Seems that a nearly no drag trailing solar sheet behind the wings would be able to add significant solar boosting to the plane batteries.

A fully electric plane would be good for training or hobby flying but that's about it as batteries don't have the energy density for long range flight. The parallel hybrid at 6:30 would be a good concept to bring into production and could increase safety.

If you thought range anxiety was bad in a car...

Has anyone done a comparison of a Pipistrel versus a C-152 in cost of annual inspection, 25 and 50 hour inspections and overhaul costs/ battery degredation? If they would make quick replace batteries, then it would become feasible, IMO.

I guess Range Anxiety get a bit amplified in an electric plane

I want the hybrid system, all the complexity of an internal combustion setup with the weight of the electric motor and batteries to make it even less viable. It's the best of the worst of both worlds! Or you can go with the Pipistrel Alpha Electro right now and get 45 minutes of flight time for a mere $140,000 USD, and if you just buy a few extra chargers at $15K each and locate them everywhere you want to go within a 50 mile radius of each other then you can make 45 minute hops with 2 hour pee breaks in between......

Paul, as always, stellar material and great presentation! The future is now - and you are right - the answer is somewhere in the middle. I'm just glad we are starting to see REAL efforts in design and production! Money is being invested and efforts are real! Advancement is imminent!

headphone warning, outrageously loud guitar riff between whispering europeans...

How much does one o them thar motors cost?

Good video, but I wish you had spoken with George Bye about the eFlyer 2 and 4. It was briefly mentioned during the Siemens booth, but Bye Aerospace has a fully-functioning prototype of the eFlyer 2, and the eFlyer 4 will be a 4 seat day/night IFR certified aircraft comparable to the likes of a Cessna 182 or Cirrus SR-20. Operational costs are less then $20/hour, making it disruptively affordable. It will revolutionize and revitalize general aviation.

Just after takeoff - This is your captain speaking, I hope you enjoyed your flight, get ready to land, battery empty

A lot of focus on motors, not so much on the batteries...

I wish that they (motor Mfg's), would design motors with smaller diameters. This would allow for more streamlined nacells., and, perhaps putting small motors onto rotor heads/blades.

Please consider using Graphene Capacitors for energy Storage instead of lead acid or Lithium ect batteries.You will have improvements all the way around,including much less weight.

This stuff is still pie in the sky at this stage with weight & range being the biggest hurdles but that's why it's called evolution.

At 4:10 is a 7 motor plane. It's more expensive to build many small motors, rather than one or two larger motors. I have to wonder if the frame is rather weak, so they don't concentrate the forces.

If the commercial airlines industry utilizes electric motors every seat could have a little bicycle pedal mechanism that could charge the batteries. Your airfare could be reduced by how much you charge the batteries in flight. Sounds like a good idea to me. 🤗

One thing that could be interesting with this kind of stuff is having two counter rotating propellers if you want more thrust, comes at a cost of more noise though.... But doing that with electric engines is a lot simpler to do the with a mechanical one.

The tail prop rear center line thrust concept has been done since the dawn of aviation. GTFOH with not done to a great a degree. I hate it when people try to act like they thought of some kind of new idea when they realize they have been doing something wrong the whole time.

How loud is it in the air? Decibal...