• Taldan@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I give it 98% they landed where they took off

    They did. It can bee seen in the press release photos and the video they released

    so that $5 nets them about 110kWh of juice

    They would have needed more than that. Likely got some lower rate somehow

    This flight was not going very high, and it was not going very fast

    Vne, max airspeed, of this plane is 140 knots (72 m/s). Less than a Cessna 150. Max altitude is 2,000 feet AGL, significantly lower than a Cessna 150

    If the economics of their hybrid idea work out, it’ll be fantastic

    It would be, but I highly doubt it. Energy density of batteries is simply too low. This plane can barely fly at slow speeds with no cargo or passengers, and with a cockpit stripped down to a single pilot. Hybrid thrust would be heavier than either jet A or battery-electric, and it still has the downsides of including batteries for the entire flight

    Hydrogen or nuclear will be viable before battery-electric in aviation