Sun 'n Fun 2021 Aerolite 103 Offers an Electric Kit Version
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- As electric propulsion systems become more accessible, we're seeing them begin to appear in experimental and ultralight aircraft. In this AVweb video shot at Sun 'n Fun 2021, Dennis Carley describes the new electric option available for the Aerolite 103 ultralight.
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Looks like an enlarged version of a RC airplane brushless motor.
And it is!
That instrument panel is a model of super simplicity. 😝
The Aerolite is such a fun, simple design, and I love this electric version! If I can make a few more bucks from GME or the Coinbase IPO maybe I'll buy one on show-special at Oshkosh!
lol @ the Coinbase IPO down $100 in a couple hours. Diamond hands tho.
Love it!
This version is a real breakthrough in this type of aviation. Batteries will become more efficient and the motors will convert to torque with fewer joules. While the asking price is higher, the maintenance cost (should ) be lower. The operation would be quieter too. 1 hour isn't bad as the 5-gallon gas engine run-time is about 2 hours. When the electric performance equals their entry gas version, then I'd jump in.
The idea of quiet ultralights is really appealing. Imagine how great it would be to launch from your acreage, fly for an hour or two, and land without your neighbors ever knowing
As a long time RC model aircraft flyer with lots of experience with brushless motors, the more expensive part is the ESC or electronic speed controller that is very sophisticated, and costs as much or more than the brushless motor that is fairly simple, but takes a complex ESC to control the start, stopping, and variable speed of the brushless motor. Brushed electric motors are easy to control, but not with brushless motors and required very 'smart' ESC's to control them.
RC ESC's have come way down in price but I see Castle sells UAV ESC's I wonder if they will start manufacturing large ESC's for aviation use.
Too Cool!
Anybody else think "wait there's a plane called the aereolla?"
O Peter started something. 😂😁👍🏼
Nice👍
Nice! I really like this air frame, but not a fan of the electric motor. I'm glad that they have a gas version. I'm going to have to look into it. My dad used to be a pilot, though I don't think he's ever flown an ultralight. Maybe I can get him back into flying with something like this?
Now if I build a super scale electric RC model even the motor can be scale! Hide the servos in the pilot figure, have your little robot move scale controls. One quarter scale or one fifth? Hmmmm...
Can’t wait for electric power trains to be available for general aviation like aircraft like a vans rv.
Just put a frickin rotax on it, the amount of times my RC a/C batts fail even with intense care and maintenance I'd forget about a 30mins duration.... imagine a go around..
How many Ebikes have we seen on fire? Lol
@@ThePinkPanth3r you hear about batteries catching on fire in the news because it's a NEW thing. This is why we call it NEWs. ICE motors and fuel systems are way more prone to breaking down and catching fire than electric systems of any description or usage. @Lost Cloud - These are not your RC batteries. They are likely LiFe cells as in Teslas and your cordless power tools. Not the type of battery you have in your phone. Still can "Vent with flame" but way harder to induce than for LiPo cells.
@@grejen711 nah I seen my dog Louis bike go up in flames. Once they start going you can't stop it.
Consider using hydrogen fuel cells ?
Once solar cloth comes online... this will be worth it
Why doesn't anyone put a turbine fan generator on one and recover some of the charge?
You can let the prop windmill and recover some of the energy if you design it that way.
Because the air resistance reduces the glide and the amount of energy recouped is way less than you think.
Because if you fly like you're trained to there is NO spare energy to recover back into the batteries. The ONLY type of aircraft that should ever need to slow down that abruptly are fighter aircraft.
I could do the math for you but that would be a drag. It's all about drag anyways.
@@jeffallen3382 You would have to build the aircraft specifically to fly on solar energy, which has been done. Generally the panels will require way more power to create the extra lift to carry them, than they would generate.
Why not gas engine for take off and altitude, electric for cruise?
Double the weight and cost? Why?
It's cool but should be possible to work an electric solution well below 14k. if there are efficient and reliable options then a solution from the RC world might even work.
batteries cost something but small packs like that, not that much. And electric motors can really be inexpensive. It's a matter of getting the right chain going, not connecting with prototype pricing clowns.
Muppet
Yeah I thought the $10k premium seems pretty high. Most of the cost is likely for the manufacturer's insurance. They have to be ready to pay when someone abuses their battery. It's not going to be seen as a straight up piloting error the way running out of fuel is. Even though it's exactly the same thing.
@@grejen711 I don't even think it's a liability issue. We saw the same in early days of electric cars. Producers of drivetrains felt their products deserved to cost 30k$, never mind that was way more than an entire car. It's a chrome polished custom mindset and that's very counter productive to progress. If you look at industrial AC mains 3 phase motors, they are incredibly inexpensive and I know that the power electronics that regulates the power between battery and motor can also be very inexpensive, like 1$ for a transistor that can handle 10kW. And 150$ for a motor twice the size of the one on this plane. Even brand name from Siemens the same motor was maybe 330$. because it is in an inglorious work domain, they don't entertain primadonna prices. Ironically Siemens has sold slightly bigger motors for EV use for 10k$, it's so weird. It's 99% psychology. And it's so detrimental to progress.
Wow - $10k worth of batteries! Yikes. I fly an electric paramotor. It's better than an ICE in every way except range and price.
Why the steering wheel? A Yoke is a Joke. Control stick only.
That's the way they've always done it. They will install a stick, though. A few customers have asked for that
Hmmm... control stick only, yep nothing like being gored by your plane due to hard landing / crash.
@@messupfreq550 What? All fighter jets have control sticks. All of my airplanes have had control sticks. I have never heard of control sticks impaling pilots...
@@pittss2c601 so you must love Airbus as they all have sticks too.
inspired by Peter sripol? I bet so
Your joking right?
@@GabrielDeVault he did make an electric ultralight first.
@@ThePinkPanth3r lots of others made electric ultralights and airplanes before sirpol
That's a lot of money to fly for an hour at a time.
Sure but if you're goal is just to get off the ground and putz around for a bit with very little worry then this is a good option. Electric motors almost never fail and don't really require maintenance.
@@Kenrikosorry, that's not my goal.
@@bartgoins1782 then it's not for you haha. I can see this being a lot of fun for someone with their own grass strip who just wants to be in the sky without having to pay an actual airplane. Pick the aircraft for the mission and all that
@@bartgoins1782 Then you're not the customer they're marketing it for. Don't take offense to it.
Cumulative fuel cost savings to be had with electric (>90% fuel eff vs ~35% for ICE) and I love the idea, but the $10K price tag for a 30-60 hp electric drive system is ridiculous. I recently bought a new 74 hp electric drive system with a much bigger 12 kWh battery for my crosskart for half that cost, and it's a hell of a lot easier to install and maintain than an ICE, just a few bolts and wires. A lot more power for half the price. They're doing something wrong.
No one studies thermodynamics anymore? Is an electric powerplant less expensive? 1/2 hour of touch and goes? The Aerolite is a work of art, the electric ruins it for me. Seems to be even more useless and worse fossil fuel consuming than the Tesla Scam. Batteries can never beat the efficiency and eco friendliness of the 4 stroke engine. Classic airplane though.
What about the pollution that is generated as one earns the money to pay for the "clean" running engine ? Also,
What about the magnetic EMF
that is generated ? Trees do not benefit - .
It's more about lower operating costs and greater reliability (in theory at least).