Very interesting, but 50-60 min run time is pretty limited.
However, wasn't the 2 x 745 kW for the DC-3 engines? According to Wikipedia (ultra reliable, I'm sure) the Dash 8 has 2 x 1800 shp turboprops. So 2686 kW would be required instead of 1490 kW, reducing the run time from 60 min to only 33 min.
You are right, but the Dash 8 does have a much faster cruise speed than a DC-3 so it needs the extra power. I was looking at that plane as an example of the masses that could be saved if one around that size was made electric, just to see if this idea would fly (ahem). I
suppose that the advantage of an electric design would be that you could have 2MW motors for take off if needed and still throttle back to a lower speed only using the power talked about above.
As for the usefulness, well around the UK and Ireland there are plenty of turboprops flying routes well under 150 miles and I'm sure that is the case with other island nations too. So if this can significantly lower running costs, there could be a market there. It's worth a closer look I think.
I have heard about adding electric propulsion for taxiing, firing up the jet engines just before takeoff and shutting them down immediately after touchdown. That seems to make a lot of sense.
I believe that the original PML Flightlink pancake motors were developed for aircraft landing gear. Was this the intended purpose?
Is there enough time at the gate to recharge the batteries if only used for that purpose?
Well, having a high power charger in that environment is more likely to be approved than on the street, and if the fuel saved in taxing more than offsets the mass, then this could be an application for the AltairNano battery (hey, if EEstor come through, that would be excellent for this discussion).
I think you mean the
F35. One of the most awesome planes I've ever had a change to see in person.
The friend at Rolls Royce that I mentioned in the Lotus EV thread is working on the lift fan for that. But he said that the vertical take-off done by the prototype was basically a stunt that only that plane could do - the production F-35B spec will be short take-off/vertical landing.
But I agree, it is awesome.
If that's all it's going to do, you might be better off just using some kind of EV to tow the plane to and from the runway. (Might have to take more precautions to avoid ground collisions, though.)
Not sure if it is with EVs, but Richard Branson
proposed doing this.