Originally Posted by
Captn Rex Havack
The doubters here are all arguing based on today's technology. Payload issues, range - who says an electric propulsion system a decade from now will be bulky and heavy, who says it won't come with good range capability. That's what R and D does. Lamax made assumptions based on what's out there now. And he/she is correct - wouldn't work now. And that's why they are not doing it now. But give it time, money, R and D, and it will happen. I might be dead when it does, but I can see it coming.
Unfortunatly there's not much R&D going on toward increasing energy density. Current batteries are fine for what was always going to be the largest market- land vehicles, so the impetus is toward lower cost and faster charging. It would take a step-change in energy density to levels not currently even theoretically possible to make battery powered commercial aircraft practical, and no-one is really working towards it.
Hydrogen, either through fuel cells or by burning it, is a possibility, but as cars aren't headed in that direction, it means an entire infrastructure just for aviation- not going to happen soon.