7/24/2006: First battery-powered manned flight

Undertoad · 07-24-2006, 12:02 PM

Not just any batteries, but AA batteries produced by Panasonic, powered this first battery-powered manned flight last week.

According to the full story, 160 "Oxyride" AA batteries (20 serial cells formed one row, eight rows connected parallel: 30V) surged out almost 900W of power.

Enough to get a "Wright Brothers" kind of flight - 59 seconds, 6 meters off the ground, and virtually outrun by the people on the ground. Still, it's something. It's a start.

I figure my frame could get off the ground with roughly twice that number of cells, so, I would like a battery operated plane, please.

glatt · 07-24-2006, 12:07 PM

Cool. Much more beautiful than the human powered Gossamer Albatross that crossed the English Channel when I was a kid.

Happy Monkey · 07-24-2006, 12:15 PM

The perfect gift for the child of someone you don't particularly like! 160 batteries per minute!

Trilby · 07-24-2006, 12:53 PM

One yard of drag will slow the something something 20%--so says some damn book by Dan Brown (is Dan Brown really a name?) anyway...I'm not impressed.

'Course, I'm just down the road from the Wright Brothers Museum...

xoxoxoBruce · 07-24-2006, 02:17 PM

I'd like to know how they built that plane.
31m wingspan and it only weighs 44kg....batteries included. Amazing.

Pie · 07-24-2006, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The perfect gift for the child of someone you don't particularly like! 160 batteries per minute!

Oh, you could use rechargables!

JayMcGee · 07-24-2006, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

Cool. Much more beautiful than the human powered Gossamer Albatross that crossed the English Channel when I was a kid.

I think I hate you.

Harrumph...... when I was a kid indeed.....

binky · 07-24-2006, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The perfect gift for the child of someone you don't particularly like! 160 batteries per minute!

Great! I can just see my sister in law buying one of these for my kids next Christmas lol

capnhowdy · 07-24-2006, 07:32 PM

**finally**

Something that uses more damn batteries than my digicam...

DISCLAIMER: Warning These 'Wish Book' toys use 160 batteries a minute! Use of product may result in crash....

Kitsune · 07-25-2006, 08:35 AM

Quote:

63kg including T-shirt and bicycle helmet.

Almost 139lbs. They might have been able to squeeze a little more time and altitude out of the flight had they found a jockey for a pilot.

wolf · 07-25-2006, 12:09 PM

Just out of curiosity ... what's the cost of batteries, versus, say, the cost of gas to run something like that?

Doesn't look real efficient to me.

MaggieL · 07-25-2006, 01:00 PM

AvGas is $4/gallon at the airport where I fly. My 2,500 lb four-seater burns 9 gallons an hour, makes about 120 mph over the ground.

So I guess it has mostly to do with how you define "something like that". Rotax ultralight engine fuel consumption runs from 4 gal/hr (50 hp) to 9 gal/hr (100 hp). The abovementioned four-seater has a 180hp engine.

xoxoxoBruce · 07-25-2006, 07:43 PM

It said some of the students ran faster than the plane, which flew almost a quarter mile in 59 seconds.
That's almost a 4 minute mile, speed.

milkfish · 07-25-2006, 08:40 PM

I would be much more impressed to hear of the first twisted-rubber-band manned flight.

07-24-2006, 12:02 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	7/24/2006: First battery-powered manned flight Not just any batteries, but AA batteries produced by Panasonic, powered this first battery-powered manned flight last week. According to the full story, 160 "Oxyride" AA batteries (20 serial cells formed one row, eight rows connected parallel: 30V) surged out almost 900W of power. Enough to get a "Wright Brothers" kind of flight - 59 seconds, 6 meters off the ground, and virtually outrun by the people on the ground. Still, it's something. It's a start. I figure my frame could get off the ground with roughly twice that number of cells, so, I would like a battery operated plane, please.

07-24-2006, 12:15 PM	#3
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	The perfect gift for the child of someone you don't particularly like! 160 batteries per minute! __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

07-24-2006, 12:53 PM	#4
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	One yard of drag will slow the something something 20%--so says some damn book by Dan Brown (is Dan Brown really a name?) anyway...I'm not impressed. 'Course, I'm just down the road from the Wright Brothers Museum... __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

07-24-2006, 02:17 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I'd like to know how they built that plane. 31m wingspan and it only weighs 44kg....batteries included. Amazing. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-24-2006, 07:32 PM	#9
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	finally Something that uses more damn batteries than my digicam... DISCLAIMER: Warning These 'Wish Book' toys use 160 batteries a minute! Use of product may result in crash.... __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

07-24-2006, 12:07 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Cool. Much more beautiful than the human powered Gossamer Albatross that crossed the English Channel when I was a kid.

07-25-2006, 12:09 PM	#11
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Just out of curiosity ... what's the cost of batteries, versus, say, the cost of gas to run something like that? Doesn't look real efficient to me. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

07-25-2006, 01:00 PM	#12
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	AvGas is $4/gallon at the airport where I fly. My 2,500 lb four-seater burns 9 gallons an hour, makes about 120 mph over the ground. So I guess it has mostly to do with how you define "something like that". Rotax ultralight engine fuel consumption runs from 4 gal/hr (50 hp) to 9 gal/hr (100 hp). The abovementioned four-seater has a 180hp engine. __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..." Last edited by MaggieL; 07-25-2006 at 01:12 PM.

07-25-2006, 07:43 PM	#13
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	It said some of the students ran faster than the plane, which flew almost a quarter mile in 59 seconds. That's almost a 4 minute mile, speed. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-25-2006, 08:40 PM	#14
milkfish A serene breakdown Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern NJ, USA Posts: 266	I would be much more impressed to hear of the first twisted-rubber-band manned flight. __________________ A genius is one who can do anything except make a living. - Joey Lauren Adams

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