interestingly almost all of the original aircraft conceptualizations had a lot of props -- they got simplified due to the realities of drivetrain complexity pre

interestingly almost all of the original aircraft conceptualizations had a lot of props -- they got simplified due to the realities of drivetrain complexity pre-electrification. redundancy is one reason, weight is another, cost is another. Lower amperage smaller motors require less copper and battery capacity, they're cheaper to produce, they can be placed opportunistically to maximize wing efficiency, and they're quite nearly COTS. bigger props necessitate more power in a singular spot, bigger heavier motor and cooling solutions, so on and so fourth. lots of motors at lower duty cycle can reduce these burdens, and if done right may even be able to get rid of the cooling systems and associated weight entirely.