Sport Pilot Talk

Bye Aerospace press release / status as of January 2021:
https://byeaerospace.com/production-start-for-eflyer-2/

Pipistrel Alpha Details: Only one hour endurance + 30 minute reserve. Basically training or local flight only.
Charges in 1 hour or battery pack swap.

Max take off weight (MTOW) 472,5 – 550 kg (LSA)

USA - FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate / Experimental

New Zealand LSA Acceptance

They are promoting it for flight training, yet experimental can’t be used for flight training unless it is student owned. (Please correct me if I am mistaken.)

https://www.pipistrel-aircraft.com/airc ... a-electro/

It might be possible if the FAA will issue a LODA.

RBearden56 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:37 am Electric Aircraft are the future. There are quite a few electric aircraft in development and the Pipistrel Alpha Electric was recently certified for use. An American company, Bye Aerospace, is well on the way to getting its 2 seat trainer FAA certified with a three hour range and a four place aircraft with a 4 hour range and both are simply stunning.
Long anticipated Light Sport Rule change will allow electric motors as well as other goodies to expand the availability of aircraft classified as light sport.

The biggest advantage to electric is cost per flying hour, $3.00 no fuel, no oil, no engine failure on TO, TBOs that cost as much as a new Ford Escape, and they are environmentally friendly. Look the photos of the actual plan under certification.

Battery Technology is the future of EVs and these advances will spin off into the GA world as well.

Randall Bearden
Sport Pilot
LSRM Aircraft

Three hour range ? According to their specs it is barely over an hour for their 2 seater. If they manage to produce honest to god 3 hour endurance affordable electric plane without any undue limitations , I would certainly be interested.

Both the Alpha Electro and the Panthera are both categorized as Experimental Exhibition due to the first ones in the US and will be used by the FAA for the certification. I would assume that once the final review is finished it would be certificated where they should.

nub_pilot wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:55 pm Both the Alpha Electro and the Panthera are both categorized as Experimental Exhibition due to the first ones in the US and will be used by the FAA for the certification. I would assume that once the final review is finished it would be certificated where they should.

What kind of airworthiness do you think they should have?

3Dreaming wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 6:06 pmWhat kind of airworthiness do you think they should have?

In order for electric aircraft to ever go mainstream, they're going to have to be certified in standard category.

The big brain expensive sailplane design crowd have been playing with electric motors for over ten years they haven't been more reliable than the crappy recip engines most motorized gliders use, and that is pretty bad. Electric solves zero problems that aren't equaled or exceeded by new problems. I'm glad people are building new stuff, that is always cool, but reality now and near future electric is more about 'look at us' marketing than moving through the sky.

Otto wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:06 pm ... but reality now and near future electric is more about 'look at us' marketing than moving through the sky.

Hey! Look at us!!!



Patience, grasshopper. These are just the first baby steps.

Otto wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:06 pm crappy recip engines most motorized gliders use,

You mean like the Rotax 912 and 914 used in all the mororgliders I've ever flown? I wouldn't call those crappy.

drseti wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:35 am

Otto wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:06 pm crappy recip engines most motorized gliders use,

You mean like the Rotax 912 and 914 used in all the mororgliders I've ever flown? I wouldn't call those crappy.

The last two I worked on had a Porsche and Wankel powerplants. Limbach was another common one.

drseti wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:35 am

Otto wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:06 pm crappy recip engines most motorized gliders use,

You mean like the Rotax 912 and 914 used in all the mororgliders I've ever flown? I wouldn't call those crappy.

No the two stroke ones used in the more racing, less touring-ish sailplanes. Four stroke Rotaxs are great engines, the electric engined sailplanes have been as crap as the two stroke pylon mounted engines. Not an impressive showing and not for lack of brain power, money and effort. If people want to support electric, go for it, just don't go believing you are onto something useful and be prepared for hassles.

MOSAIC 2023 has allowing electric on the docket but we'll see the NPRM at the end of this year and find out if the FAA decides to screw us or not.

And I hate to say it but electric planes will not be practical for anything but pattern practice and it will be like that for a long time. We aren't anywhere even close to batteries being comparable to gasoline in power-per-pound. Power-per-gallon yes we're getting closer and that's why electric cars are starting to become common. They're good for cars where weight doesn't matter and the size does keep going down but weight does not. A Telsa Model 3 is heavier than a heavy-duty pickup truck at 2 tons and it has only 300 miles of charge.

Electric motors are great. They're efficient, fast, and extremely safe. Batteries are getting lighter but just not light enough. Not if you want to compete with a half ton LSA that can get you 800 miles. One day maybe but we are nowhere close right now. Probably not in any of our lifetimes except for the really young guys here!

Also I loled at that lithium vs oil pipeline infographic. I hope people know that the oil PIPES are not what's bad for the environment!

fatsportpilot wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 1:17 amI hate to say it but electric planes will not be practical for anything but pattern practice and it will be like that for a long time. ....... A Telsa Model 3 is heavier than a heavy-duty pickup truck at 2 tons and it has only 300 miles of charge.

Electric motors are great. They're efficient, fast, and extremely safe. Batteries are getting lighter but just not light enough. Not if you want to compete with a half ton LSA that can get you 800 miles. One day maybe but we are nowhere close right now. Probably not in any of our lifetimes except for the really young guys here!

Unfortunately, I think @fatsoortpilot summed it up very accurately.
Thank you!

The electric trainers really make me wonder. With the amount of time spent in training learning engine operation and how intertwined the engine management is with the operation of the aircraft, all I can think is that even though one learns to take off and land in the electric, there will be a large amount of hours of transition time to get proficient in flying an airplane with an engine.
How is this going to save money or time?