Originally Posted by
Machdiamond
If they ever get this thing to fly, at best it will have 5000 lb of batteries with a capacity of 380 kWh, optimistically giving a no-reserves range of about 70 nm according to quick napkin calculations.
This is a graphic illustraton of how far we are from electric aircraft being a practical reality.
5000lb of batteries give just 70 miles no reserves.
How far would this thing go with 5000lb of Jet A1?
The gap in energy density is still around 40:1 in favour of hydrocarbon fuel.
Over 70 years we have pushed the jet engine to perhaps a three-four fold improvement in fuel efficiency - 40 fold is simply an unachieveable increment.
I for one doubt that batteries are capable of beig pushed anywhere near that far - electric aircraft will probably need something else - and that something hasn't been invented yet.