https://energycentral.com/c/ec/flying-without-fossil-fuels-need-high-energy-density https://energycentral.com/c/ec/flying-without-fossil-fuels-n...: “Mid-fligh

https://energycentral.com/c/ec/flying-without-fossil-fuels-need-high-energy-density https://energycentral.com/c/ec/flying-without-fossil-fuels-n...: “Mid-flight a Boeing 747 uses around 4 litres of jet fuel per second. Therefore given the energy density of jet fuel, approximately 35 MJ/litre, a Boeing 747 consumes energy at a rate of around 140 MW (million watts). We can then convert this rate of energy consumption into power density, that is the rate of energy consumption per square metre. Typically this is measured in watts per square metre (W/m2 ). A Boeing 747 is 70 by 65 metres. So the power density over this 70 by 65 metre square is approximately 30,000 W/², and of course the power density over the surface area of the plane will be a few times higher, over 100,000 W/m²” There may be gains there if electric motors are more efficient than jet engines (are they?), but overall, you’d need a lot more power than solar. I think that density is attainable, but wouldn’t bet on it being practical except, maybe, for military use, and probably not for planes but for ground use (beaming energy to a base in Iraq may be easier than transporting oil there via trucks driving through a war zone) For powering planes, I guess you’ll have to give up speed. That drastically decreases power need at level flight (the planes that flew around the world on solar energy were slow for a reason) You also will have to track the plane withyour energy beam as it moves.