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Full Size Electric Airplane Debuts at OshKosh

Posted in Uncategorized at 11:43 am by admin

Something very quiet hapened this year at OshKosh: An electric airplane flew into the show. Powered by one giant motor, and some batteries, the Waiex is the Sonex Airplane Company’s newest flagship sport aircraft.
In an effort to promote energy efficient designs, they based the Waiex after there already popular, and proven line of Sonex aircraft.
However, the lithium polymer batteries the aircraft uses are from from practical. It can take anywhere between 1/2 hour to 1 hour to charge them, and the amperage required to charge them that fast is likely somewhere in the ballpark of 1-300 amps. Not exactly the kind of power most people, or airports have laying around.
<script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-3408967380540165"; google_alternate_color = "FFFFFF"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "468x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel ="4479122444"; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "59708C"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_text = ""; google_color_url = "008000"; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>Another additional limitation is the cold. Li-Poly batteries HATE being cold. It affects their voltage and ultimately their discharge capacity. Don’t expect to be cruising at 10-15,000 feet and getting the same flight time you would at 2-3000ft.




Overall, the Waiex is a HUGE step forward. Just as the first electric cars were somewhat problematic, I’m sure planes will have there growing pains as well. I think that this technology will ultimately win out because of it’s simplicity, and reliability. Imagine if your GPS knew you wouldn’t have enough battery power to get to your destination, and then offered several other places you could go instead.
The only improvements I’d like to see are two motors in a gear box. That would give a little bit more redundancy, so if one quit, you’d be able to glide a little farther provided the other motor wasn’t totally seized. And I’d like to see a seperate flight battery. Something to operate the instruments if the motor batteries decide they aren’t happy. I’m sure they’ve already done this… but you know never know.



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Digg - Full Scale Electric Airplane Quietly Flies in to OshKosh Airshow (W/ Pic)