Harbour Air's electric plane makes successful test flight
Harbour Air completed the first point-to-point test flight using its all-electric plane on Thursday, calling the journey from Richmond to Sidney a “historic flight.”
The e-Beaver, a modified de Havilland Beaver aircraft with electric engine powered by batteries, flew 72 kilometres in 24 minutes.
The aircraft left Harbour Air’s terminal on the Fraser River, next to Vancouver International Airport, and landed in Patricia Bay, adjacent to VIctoria International Airport.
“This is a major milestone in the advancement of all-electric commercial flights,” the company said in a statement.
“Take-off was at 0812 with ample reserve power upon landing at 0836.”
https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/harbour-airs-electric-plane-makes-successful-test-flight-5715455
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Harbour Air flies out of my local harbour (Victoria, BC). Most of their flights are under an hour so this would be a perfect use of electric in flight. I don't know if they would have sufficient juice for their longer flights from Vancouver to Kelowna or Seattle, though (an hour for both). I'm sure they'll be trialed before paying passengers are allowed onboard.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Robb Report August 18, 2022
This New Airplane Could Be The First to Fly on Carbon-Free Liquid Hydrogen
The HY4 has already set a record for highest zero-emissions flight, but its new liquid hydrogen-powered fuel cell could be a game-changer.
Everyone agrees that liquid hydrogen is the jet fuel of the future, at least for long-distance flight. With almost three times more energy than conventional jet fuel, a liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft can travel much longer with the same fuel—and without the greenhouse gases. Longer range and zero carbon emissions are worth the tradeoff of an extra storage tank’s weight.
But actually building an aircraft that can handle those tanks has proven to be a technical challenge. One German company is pushing ahead. H2Fly has been flying a four-seat aircraft called the HY4 on a fuel cell powered by hydrogen gas since 2016. In April, the aircraft set a record for the highest zero emission flight, at 7,230 feet...more
https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/h2fly-aircraft-liquid-hydrogen-fuel-1234740571/
ENERGY DENSITY will kill batteries for airplanes (and trucks, trains and ships)
See Li-Ion all the way on the left (least) and H2 on the right (most)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density