Takeoff/Landing vs Cruising
With super capacitors and batteries being installed in planes, wouldn't this allow a lot of the engine weight to be transferred out.
Imagine the fuel and engine weight you save on takeoff, it will be huge, but will cruising weight be a lot higher?
I would say the upshot to this being made now is that as battery density (and/or wireless energy transfer gets more efficient) then range will increase without the need to hugely change the designs.
Others say what about battery going flat, well, I have to wonder if the thing would still be okay landing without too much issues. I would imagine that you could recharge the caps (or battery) while slowing down, giving you the power needed to actually control the landing.
I cant see jet fuel going away any time soon, but I can imagine tons of hybrid builds coming along, and since this is not a car we are talking about then it should be a lot easier to get working than it has been for the auto industry.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
