3 ms·

Elon solution for this is to go much higher then a typical plane. This is much more possible with electric and helps with efficiency. https://youtu.be/MBItc_QA

by nickik 6y ago

Elon solution for this is to go much higher then a typical plane. This is much more possible with electric and helps with efficiency. https://youtu.be/MBItc_QAUUM?t=2422 https://youtu.be/MBItc_QAUUM?t=2422

eptcyka 6y ago
Getting higher is no easy feat, especially given the energy density of the current state of the art batteries.
- dhsysusbsjsi 6y ago
  Not to mention additional complexities going above 10,000 ft that adds weight: pressurised cabin (or oxygen) and anti-ice and de-ice systems and heating.
  - steffan 6y ago
    Exceeding 10,000 ft. is orthogonal to needing anti-/de-ice systems. In fact, you're often less likely to need them at the higher altitudes because it is too cold for airframe icing to occur. Counterintuitively, if it is too cold, you no longer have icing problems.
    - eptcyka 6y ago
      You need to pass all of the feet leading up to 10'000 feet though.
  - nickik 6y ago
    You can use the batteries as structure and they produce heat that you need to cool anyway. Seems like there is a lot you can do with that once you start optimizing everything around the battery. I don't know how much weight a anti-ice/de-ice could add. My point was only that once you think about it and redesign everything around the new constraints, you can come up with things that we don't yet think about.
virtue3 6y ago
The issue is that you do NEEd air in order to use the props. So there is a limit to how high you can go. Air resistance vs not having enough air to push. Basically - you can design the prop for high altitude, but then takeoff is gonna not be great. You could design a variable prop system (or even have 2 different ones?) but then weight / complexity. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijae/2018/5782017/ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijae/2018/5782017/
- nickik 6y ago
  If you go supersonic you get enough air in even when flying higher. His plane is VTOL so the overpowered engines for supersonic will work well for liftoff.

by nickik 6y ago

eptcyka 6y ago

Getting higher is no easy feat, especially given the energy density of the current state of the art batteries.

dhsysusbsjsi 6y ago
Not to mention additional complexities going above 10,000 ft that adds weight: pressurised cabin (or oxygen) and anti-ice and de-ice systems and heating.
- steffan 6y ago
  Exceeding 10,000 ft. is orthogonal to needing anti-/de-ice systems. In fact, you're often less likely to need them at the higher altitudes because it is too cold for airframe icing to occur. Counterintuitively, if it is too cold, you no longer have icing problems.
  - eptcyka 6y ago
    You need to pass all of the feet leading up to 10'000 feet though.
- nickik 6y ago
  You can use the batteries as structure and they produce heat that you need to cool anyway. Seems like there is a lot you can do with that once you start optimizing everything around the battery. I don't know how much weight a anti-ice/de-ice could add. My point was only that once you think about it and redesign everything around the new constraints, you can come up with things that we don't yet think about.

virtue3 6y ago

The issue is that you do NEEd air in order to use the props. So there is a limit to how high you can go. Air resistance vs not having enough air to push. Basically - you can design the prop for high altitude, but then takeoff is gonna not be great. You could design a variable prop system (or even have 2 different ones?) but then weight / complexity. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijae/2018/5782017/ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijae/2018/5782017/

nickik 6y ago
If you go supersonic you get enough air in even when flying higher. His plane is VTOL so the overpowered engines for supersonic will work well for liftoff.