That’s unlikely to change for long distance flights.
For short flights small electric planes are becoming viable already, and they will continue towards medium flights over time.
But theres no serious concepts for a battery that could compete for long flights.
That’s not to say that planes are doomed to be fossil dependent forever. But the likely solution will be a renewable high density fuel, possibly hydrogen or something easier to carry.
It’ll be less efficient than batteries on a energy in to work out basis, but once the cost of carrying the weight is considered, that will always swing way in the favour of high density fuels regardless of battery efficiency (for long distance).
Personally I doubt electric flight will ever be viable, but that’s because we should be using trains for short flights …. Says me from an urban area
Me who grew up rural near a small city says …… what about connections from small city to an airport where I can go places?
Me from when I worked at an investment management company and saw people with more money than they knew what to do with says …… I just need a quick hop down the Cape to my beach house (never mind that I was never one of those people)
Electric airplanes are highly inefficient and not really good enough for commercial use.
Ah the moment.
That’s unlikely to change for long distance flights.
For short flights small electric planes are becoming viable already, and they will continue towards medium flights over time.
But theres no serious concepts for a battery that could compete for long flights.
That’s not to say that planes are doomed to be fossil dependent forever. But the likely solution will be a renewable high density fuel, possibly hydrogen or something easier to carry.
It’ll be less efficient than batteries on a energy in to work out basis, but once the cost of carrying the weight is considered, that will always swing way in the favour of high density fuels regardless of battery efficiency (for long distance).
Three words, nuclear powered aircraft. I see no way that could go wrong.
I prefer whale oil fueled aircraft
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto
A little radiation never hurt anyone who maintains their Mach 2 velocity. Just never land and you’re fine.
Honestly I wanna see the crazy logistics of using rocket fule, since it’s just liquid oxygen and hydrogen with a water byproduct
Personally I doubt electric flight will ever be viable, but that’s because we should be using trains for short flights …. Says me from an urban area
Me who grew up rural near a small city says …… what about connections from small city to an airport where I can go places?
Me from when I worked at an investment management company and saw people with more money than they knew what to do with says …… I just need a quick hop down the Cape to my beach house (never mind that I was never one of those people)
There will always be people like that. There will also always be places where trains are impractical.