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.