Which is one reason the aviation software driven electronics are SO expensive - it all has to be FAA certified, including the OS and firmware. What should be a $500 - $1000 piece of equipment quickly becomes $10,000 to $15,000. The recent Boeing software glitch is surprising in that there have been so few instances of that sort of thing so far. Says something about the testing and review that's happened so far. Yes, the results are deadly when something goes wrong, but it doesn't happen often (yet).
On Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 4:22 PM Curley McLain via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > AND WHEN YOU ARE IN THE AIR, and the software decides your batteries are > dead, so are you, even though there is plenty of juice in the battery. > Ever have a laptop battery? Or a cell phone battery with software > "management"????? They have a habit of being squirrelly. I'd rather > fly a J3 than fly in any airplane run by software. I have seen and > lived with "software engineers!" Not people I want to trust my life to. > > My apologies to the few software engineers who sleep at night and are > conscientious about structured design, and rigorous third party testing. > > But, the stereotype does fit the majority. > > > > Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote on 4/3/19 3:56 PM: > > I mean running out of battery isn't really any different than running > out of fuel. Not many good refueling options up in the sky... > > > > -Curt > > > > On Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 2:14:55 PM EDT, G Mann via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > > Batteries remain the limiting factor for electrical propulsion in > aviation > > > > Well.... that, and the problem of finding a parking place in the sky > while > > you recharge your dead [operative word here "DEAD"] > > batteries. > > > > I have a lot of flight hours behind the P&W PT6 engine. Always worked > well. > > Dependable. Survivable. > > > > On Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 6:59 AM Andrew Strasfogel via Mercedes < > > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > >> Commercial flights on electric engines may arrive in 2021Published: > >> Wednesday, April 3, 2019 > >> > >> There's no shortage of companies working to build electric aircraft, > but a > >> Canadian airline and a Seattle-area engine maker say they've found a > >> quicker route to electrification by converting a small bush plane with > >> batteries and an electric motor. > >> > >> The first passenger flights for British Columbia-based Harbour Air Ltd. > >> would be in late 2021 under a partnership with magniX Technologies, > pending > >> regulatory approvals, the companies said last week. > >> > >> They plan to swap kerosene fuel tanks for a magniX electric motor and > >> lithium-ion battery packs on a Harbour Air de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver > >> aircraft, which seats six passengers, to begin test flights in November. > >> The propulsion system will have a range of about 100 miles. > >> > >> The goal is an emissions-free, quieter aircraft that is certified by > both > >> U.S. and Canadian aviation authorities, Greg McDougall, Harbour Air's > >> founder and chief executive officer, said in a telephone interview. The > >> suburban Vancouver-based seaplane company flies about 500,000 passengers > >> each year from British Columbia and downtown Seattle. > >> > >> "I think electrification of all different vehicles now is going to > become > >> so prevalent it's just going to be something like, 'Oh, that's something > >> going electric as well,'" McDougall said. "It's just a natural > evolution." > >> > >> Worldwide, there are some 100 different electric-aircraft programs in > >> development, according to an estimate by consulting firm Roland Berger > >> GmbH. Zunum Aero Inc., backed by Boeing Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp., > aims > >> to bring a hybrid-electric commuter model to market by 2022, while Joby > >> Aviation Inc., another JetBlue-backed electric firm, is working on a > >> five-seat aircraft with a 150-mile range. > >> > >> Batteries remain the limiting factor for electrical propulsion in > aviation, > >> said Roei Ganzarski, magniX's CEO and a former Boeing executive. The > >> magni500 electric motor to be used in the Harbour Air flight testing is > >> rated for 750 horsepower and offers a 60-minute range, more than twice > as > >> long as Harbour's average flight, Ganzarski said, allowing for a > 30-minute > >> reserve on the batteries. > >> > >> The converted plane will weigh the same as the conventional Beaver model > >> powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine, Ganzarski said. Over time, > Harbour > >> plans to convert its 15 Beavers and 22 DHC-3 Single Otter seaplanes to > >> electric motors, McDougall said. The flight testing aims to win > regulatory > >> certifications both for the electric propulsion system and for > commercial > >> conversions of the de Havilland aircraft. McDougall said one primary > goal > >> of the testing will be to show that the electric motor is "at least as > safe > >> or safer" than the current engine. > >> > >> Longer term, Ganzarski predicts that electric motors will lead to a > >> "resurgence" in the regional airline industry for trips under 1,000 > miles > >> with new aircraft designed for 10-25 passengers. North American carriers > >> have struggled to fly in some of the smallest markets as most commercial > >> aircraft flying today have at least 50 seats, too many for thinner > routes. > >> > >> "By 2025, 1,000 miles is going to be easily done," Ganzarski said, > based on > >> the evolution of current battery technologies. "I'm not saying 5,000 > miles, > >> but 1,000 miles, easily. I don't think that's far-fetched or a > >> pie-in-the-sky thing." *— Justin Bachman, Bloomberg* > >> _______________________________________ > >> http://www.okiebenz.com > >> > >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >> > >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >> > >> > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > -- OK Don *“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”* – Mark Twain "There are three kinds of men: The ones that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." WILL ROGERS, *The Manly Wisdom of Will Rogers* 2013 F150, 18 mpg 2017 Subaru Legacy, 30 mpg 1957 C182A, 12 mpg - but at 150 mph! _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
