A Geek Goes Flying

Just got this announcement:  https://hs-7242331.f.hubspotstarter.net/hubfs/7242331/TURBAERO%20PRESS%20RELEASE.pdf  They’re hunting for a buyer. I hope they find one. Besides electric aircraft, this is one of the developments I’m most excited about; the possibility of replacing failure-prone 1940s-era (still annoyingly often leaded gas dependent ) piston engines with modern turboprops with equivalent power, is #goals. TurbAero turboprop engine for light GA The reliability of turboprops is appealing to me for some reason 🙃 and I’m still, long term, planning (hoping; dreaming I might be able) to do a factory-assisted quick build of a Velocity Twin with two TurbAero power plants. (Although the turbine-powered ship that’s flying now was built around the PBS TP100 . Still dreaming ... (With the A&P shortage , I really, really want the ability to do my own maintenance and condition inspections...)

The elephant in the room is now beating at the gates (with apologies for the mixed metaphor): The Tetra Ethyl Lead (TEL) in aviation fuel. The search for a fuel to replace the currently ubiquitous (and only fuel that can be universally used by piston aircraft) 100LL AvGas has been under way for some time. Here, I’ve attempted to summarize the current state of things, and cover the frustrating difficulties that prevent an overnight switch to unleaded fuels. Why Aviation Fuel is Leaded: Octane The first thing that must be understood when discussing replacement fuels is the octane rating. (Also, note different numbers mean different things, and it can get confusing; see below.) The main issue is detonation .   Aircraft engines with magnetos (i.e., virtually all piston-powered aircraft currently flying) are not computer controlled and have static timing that does not advance with increased RPM; additionally, mixture is manually controlled by the pilot. Automotive engines, liquid-cool...

Alas, I missed my chance to build a supersonic BD-10  ( promotional video ). (Yeah, it would have broken up in flight and killed me; minor details...) But my dreams of being a mini-Maverick aren’t dead yet, even if I never buy an L-39 Albatross . There’s: The Stratos 716x kit plane (P&W JT-15 powered) ($2.5M bizjet); The SubSonex Jet ( PBS TJ-100 powered) ($115K single-seat toy), with a 2-seat version under development; and The ViperJet (GE T58 powered) ($350K 2 seater). Day dreaming ... Getting a type certificate letter of authorization to fly a personal experimental jet is a bit interesting .

Embraer and Energy Group EDP Team on Electric Aircraft

Electric. Pipistrel Velis Electro receives a European type certificate . (Happened back in June ?) Type certificate . Gaining access to the U.S. market laterally should be significantly less onerous than going for FAA type certification directly. Interesting note: “The motor, which Pipistrel certified separately, is available to other aircraft manufacturers.” I recently discovered there’s a growing community of folks in the experimental space using Zero Motorcycles powertrains: Electic Sonex Xenos Commute to Work  (Gabriel DeVault’s other videos are also worth checking out) Zero DS propulsion system for aircraft power Motorcycle Motors as Powerplants for Experimenters NASA continues to refine it’s “outside the box” (multiple small motors)  X-57 Maxwell electric airplane. (It’s the geek in me, but anything with an X- I kinda swoon for. Even a bastardized P2006T. Bring back the X-29 !) Retract. I love Paul Bertorelli ( classic ). Resurgence of the RG . Diamond DA50 RG Pip...

Sweet. https://www.byeaerospace.com/sun-flyer-2-completes-first-flight-with-siemens-electric-propulsion-motor/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0TKoq-b3nA

Had an opportunity to attend a public presentation by George Bye about the upcoming Part 23 certified SunFlyer 2 and SunFlyer 4 electric airplanes (we also treated him to lunch after the presentation). Exciting stuff. I've been keeping a casual eye on electric airplanes, and have been sort of underwhelmed to date; e.g., the eFan 2.0's hour of flight time only made sense for the most rudimentary of training missions, and Pipistrel's decision to go LSA for the Alpha Electro was mind-boggling, given the fact there's no change to LSA definitions, which still require ICE. (All-electric propulsion is now an option under Part 23.) (Also, the weight limitation of light sport aircraft puts a serious limit on the kilowatt hours you can carry with you.) I wasn't aware battery tech has advanced as aggressively as it has; they've gone from 100 Wh/kg to 260 Wh/kg in 5 years (and anticipate ~350 Wh/kg by the time the SunFlyers are certified). The SunFlyer 2 claims a 3.5 hour ...