Where Have All the EAB Aircraft Gone?

[rwanttaja]

I believe Tesla has a system that allows owner to quickly recharge and resume a cross-country flight...err, drive.

It may not be directly applicable today, but with development time a workable system can probably be deployed.

About 40 years ago, I was an Air Force shavetail operating early warning satellites. Those who might remember their history will recall that WWIII never broke out. This meant a lot of overnight shifts with nothing to do but wait for the satellite to break or the Soviets to launch a test missile.

I ended up reading a lot of Science Fiction. Especially some of Robert Heinlein's young adult books. Really liked one of them, but it had one aspect that I felt was completely unrealistic. "That would require a huge infrastructure to support. No one would EVER develop or fund such a thing."

The technology? The main character carried a telephone with him, that let him call anywhere in the world whenever he wanted.

So you rarely see me these days, claiming that some technology will never mature.

Ron "Space Cadet" Wanttaja

[dougbush]

The operators will not have to learn the arcane skills necessary for control of elevator, aileron, rudder, and throttle to reach a destination.

Arcane? I think that's the easy part.

My dear sir, if it's so easy, why is failure in these skills the leading cause of aircraft accidents?

Interesting question. I don't know why there are many loss-of-control accidents blamed on the pilots, despite having previously proven their skills to a CFI and DPE. I suppose one might review the reports of some accidents in this category to seek an explanation.

The irony is, that if you were to poll the folks who have chimed in on how much they like to fly, they'd all agree that the fun is in exercising those same arcane skills. None of us daydream in meetings thinking about programming our GPSs, none of us watch the evening news blank-eyed, considering the challenges of fuel management, none of us geek out over the joys of ATC communication.

I fly our T210 for transportation, never for fun, not that there's anything wrong with flying for fun. While flying it, I feel more like a flight engineer/meteorologist/navigator than a pilot. My challenge is to make trips (that are too long to drive and too short to ride an airliner) with family safely, and without anyone having an unpleasant experience, economically. It requires a lot of weather study and flight/trip planning, never the slightest forethought on how to manipulate the controls.

The physical control of a small aircraft is simple to learn, but takes a lifetime to master. My first flight in a Fly Baby was in 1986, and, except for BFRs and an 18-month dalliance with a Stinson, I've been flying one Fly Baby or another for the past 33 years. Why am I not bored to tears by it?

BECAUSE I STILL HAVEN'T FRICKIN' GOT IT RIGHT!

Oh! Well, maybe it just seems easy to me because the T210's CG is forward of the main gear, which have fairly large tires and spring steel legs with a long travel, its nosegear has an oleo strut and is steerable through bungees, its wings have washout such that they stall progressively from root to tip, and its nose never blocks my view of the runway.

I can imagine how a Fly Baby would be a challenge, not because the pilot had not mastered the controls, but just because it is an unstable vehicle on the runway, subject to invisible gusts. It would be like pushing a garden cart at 50mph.

And that's where the fun is...the challenge of the smooth takeoff, keeping a stable attitude, watching for traffic, and managing to land that hard-mouthed SOB smoothly regardless of the winds, regardless of the runway, regardless of the loading, regardless of my own physical state.

We all appreciate a graceful landing!

But you see, that's where the split lies, when we start talking about autonomous aircraft. Most of the participants here are pilots because it's fun. But the majority of the world treats aviation like I do cars: The vehicle's job is to haul my rear end to places I want to go.

General Aviation is hurting; I'm hoping the rise in autonomous air vehicles will bring a flood of new people into aviation, even if their interest is in mere transportation.

GA is hurting because we don't treat it as mere transportation. When more people want to drive places, we expect the government to condemn property and build more and wider roads. But we are destroying airports in the most popular destinations and whenever we build a new one, it is way out in the boonies. For GA to thrive, we need to ask for airports to be built where we want to fly from and to. And we need to solve the problem of ground transportation at the destination. If GA were only sport, how could we justify the need of any particular airport infrastructure or airspace?

[Ron Blum]

My previous reply didn't post! So I'll try again.

Y'all need to get out of the box. We are EAA with the "Can Do" attitude.

The first flying aircraft engine was 12 Hp and 200 lbs. in 1903. Is the current state of electrics such that we have a drop in replacement for 120+ years of development of the piston engine? No, BUT the advantages of electric motors are greater than the jet/turbine engine was to aviation back in the 1940s. Please consider: 1) no vibration (gliders last a lot longer than powered airplanes); 2) lighter weight (motor vs engine … not talking energy storage); 3) one moving part; 4)multiple motors per one physical motor; 5)TBOs longer than the airplane structure itself; etc. just to name a few advantages. I'm not going to touch the environment stuff as it is all politics.

"Hybrid" in airplanes and automobiles are completely different. Those that compare have forgotten physics. "Hybrid" in airplanes is a temporary/interim solution to the energy storage issue for electrics. Fuel cells can get us there, but they are very expensive at this time. Something will come along. There's LOTS of $$$ going into this area.

Ron "Just Sayin'" Blum

[Ron Blum]

Interesting question. I don't know why there are many loss-of-control accidents blamed on the pilots, despite having previously proven their skills to a CFI and DPE. I suppose one might review the reports of some accidents in this category to seek an explanation.

Great statement, dougbush! This is one reason why I believe that training is NOT the answer to LOC. I can't believe that any one of these accidents was caused by the pilot KNOWINGLY stalling (or spiraling) the airplane into the ground INTENTIONALLY. I believe that their mind was just elsewhere during those moments.

[ssteve1]

"ssssssteve: When did you pick up the sstutter?"

Mr. Blum,
As I said, electrics (is) are the future, just not mine.
Also, thanks for noting my double post. I have deleted one of those which obviously offended your sensibilities.

[L16 Pilot]

We have an electric aircraft at our little strip. Gull 2000 sort of like a Challenger. I think about 35 hp electric. When he leaves you know he'll be back at the airport in about 20 minutes (10 minute reserve). By the way he flew Skyraiders in 'Nam and F111's in Desert Storm. Must be quite a change.

[Bill Berson]

Brditschka flew the first electric with nicads around 1970 for a few minutes. Batteries now are about twice as good but still limited.

[CHICAGORANDY]

Batteries? We don't need no stinklin' batteries - where's my Mr Fusion, Doc Emmett Brown?

[Ron Blum]

ssteve1: My stutter comment was an attempt to be funny, but I am an enginerd. I apologize.

On the original topic, I think that innovative products/airplanes are not all at Oshkosh because worldwide communication is so much better. Today we know real time what is happening throughout the world. In the past we all went to Oshkosh to see the latest and greatest because that's where it was. The first time I saw a Harrier was at Oshkosh. Holy crap! An airplane that could go fast AND hover. Today I would watch the YouTube video the day it was posted … and then think it was fake ;b...

Times have changed, but I enjoy learning every day, including that my other post that I thought didn't post did post (just in a different location/order than I thought it would).

[Ron Blum]

Brditschka flew the first electric with nicads around 1970 for a few minutes. Batteries now are about twice as good but still limited.

Is this the one that used a washing machine electric motor?