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NASA wants to play a big part in the development of electric aircraft
While everyone's eyes are trained on its mission to Mars, NASA is also working to make flights back here on Earth more eco-friendly. By way of a new partnership with the aviation industry, the space agency wants to advance design and modelling tools for future aircraft that use an Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) system. It's also seeking proposals for ground and flight demonstrations for subsonic aircraft with integrated megawatt-class powertrain systems. (www.engadget.com) עוד...
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Yes, I can see NASA using huge amounts of US taxpayer funds to develop this technology and then they will give it to the CCP, either through faulty computer security or a give-away of intellectual property rights in order to have the "honor" of doing business in China.
There will need to be huge advances in the ability to either generate electricity on board or store it there. That annoying obstacle of weight will hamper development to the point this is practical. Nothing is efficient as burning fossil fuels.
I think we all agree that significant limitations currently exist with electric propulsion and that fossil fuels won't be replaced anytime soon for most aircraft propulsion systems.
But let's not forget that powered heavier-than-air flight once was a pipe dream as well, and solutions to the technological obstacles were found, even without computers, modern materials and manufacturing techniques. Anyone who thinks that we have come to the end of the road of aviation technology would be dumbfounded by what is taken for granted 100 years from now.
The Wright brothers couldn't have imagined the path that they put us on, and I wish I could be around for the next technological revolutions or two.
But let's not forget that powered heavier-than-air flight once was a pipe dream as well, and solutions to the technological obstacles were found, even without computers, modern materials and manufacturing techniques. Anyone who thinks that we have come to the end of the road of aviation technology would be dumbfounded by what is taken for granted 100 years from now.
The Wright brothers couldn't have imagined the path that they put us on, and I wish I could be around for the next technological revolutions or two.
Absolutely! The early planes didn't even have heated cockpits!
