I'm a bit of an optimist, so I do see a future in this new technology. Electric motors are incredibly efficient and batteries seem to be showing a similar trend. I'm not a sparky so I can only generalize & relate what I've been watching over the last few years.
Conversely, I also have a feeling it can't be easy to stuff 10 pounds of electrons in a 5 pound sack, to borrow an old phrase. Lithium ion batteries had some interesting problems related to that, as in two 787 events. But for the most part that's settled out quite a bit. I just can't buy the Achiles heel comment in the article as an absolute. It's not lost on me that the BIG GUNS are sinking huge sums of money into the fledgling AAM/drone/UAS (whatever) industry, as in Boeing, Airbus, Toyota, Daimler, etc. This feels a bit like the commercialized Very Light Jet days around 25 years ago. There was quite a bit of buzz around VLJ but it never materialized. Operational costs helped kill it but the BIG GUNS didn't really weigh in either. This is different. I believe hybrid has a good chance to get this whole thing going until the battery technology can catch up. An example is MightyFly, see the links below. They claim a 600 mile range at 150 MPH. Check their video, they tossed propellers for thrust & went to small jets, which is pretty innovative. I have to assume those turbines generate electricity for the vertical segments but they're pretty impressive. At Kilroy, we've had some contact with MightyFly along with a few others, and we're impressed. https://mightyfly.com/ https://youtu.be/IDGsZKXg4hc?si=dBxWzsFp2zdFE0GH On Sat, Sep 20, 2025, 2:11 PM Dan Solon via Mifnet <[email protected]> wrote: > This weekend's 20-21 September edition of The New York Times International > carries a front-page story, "Electrifying flights in Norway", continued > onto page 8 with a more sober, accurately descriptive head, "Norway's > ambitions for electric flight." > > The body of the story avoids gee-whiz posture and includes details of the > Alia CX300, a single pusher-prop aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear. > Identified as built by Vermont-based Beta Technologies, it has a 50 foot > wingspan and maximum speed of 176 mph, powered by five battery packs. The > unit has completed test flight in the US and had its debut at this year's > Paris Air Show, so has probably been seen by Mifnetters. > > A Stavanger to Bergen test flight is described in the story as a a joint > experiment by Beta, Bristow helicopter operators and the Norwegian airport > authority, Avinor, which operates 44 airports all over the country and > provided $5 million for the test flight. > > For balance, the story quotes Canfield University Prof. Guy Gratton as > pointing out that "The Achilles' heel" of electric flight is the battery. > He added that "I am somewhat skeptical about how good their range of > endurance and payload will be." > > Daniel Solon > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Revised: 20250507 > > You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. > > The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't > exactly cost-free. If you'd care to make a small contribution to the > effort, please know that it would be greatly appreciated: > https://wardell.us/url/mifbit > > All posts sent to the list should abide by these policies: > > 1) List members acknowledge that participation in Mifnet is a > privilege--not a right. > 2) Posts are always off the record, absent specific permission from the > author. > 3) The tone of discussions is collegial. > 4) Posts are expected to be in reasonably good taste. > 5) We discuss ideas and not personalities, and we don't speak ill of other > Mifnet members. > > * The Mifnet WEB SITE is: > https://www.mifnet.com/ > > * To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list at any time please visit: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > OR: SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: > [email protected]?subject=leave > > * Send Mifnet mailing list POSTS/SUBMISSIONS to: > [email protected] > > * You may reach the person managing The Mifnet at: > [email protected] > > * Please consider the DIGEST version of The Mifnet, which consolidates all > list traffic into 1-3 > messages daily. See instructions at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > > * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > > * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: > [email protected]?subject=help > > * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: > https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies > > * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: > https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems > > * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/ > Mike Borfitz, DER Cell 206-714-8797 e-Mail: [email protected] Kilroy Aviation LLC Website: WWW.FAAODA.COM <http://www.faaoda.com/> Kilroy is available for aviation regulatory and safety issues - Type & Production Certification, Continued Operational Safety - International validation & safety matters - Program & system management - FAA STC ODA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised: 20250507 You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't exactly cost-free. If you'd care to make a small contribution to the effort, please know that it would be greatly appreciated: https://wardell.us/url/mifbit All posts sent to the list should abide by these policies: 1) List members acknowledge that participation in Mifnet is a privilege--not a right. 2) Posts are always off the record, absent specific permission from the author. 3) The tone of discussions is collegial. 4) Posts are expected to be in reasonably good taste. 5) We discuss ideas and not personalities, and we don't speak ill of other Mifnet members. * The Mifnet WEB SITE is: https://www.mifnet.com/ * To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list at any time please visit: https://lists.mifnet.com/ OR: SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: [email protected]?subject=leave * Send Mifnet mailing list POSTS/SUBMISSIONS to: [email protected] * You may reach the person managing The Mifnet at: [email protected] * Please consider the DIGEST version of The Mifnet, which consolidates all list traffic into 1-3 messages daily. See instructions at: https://lists.mifnet.com/ * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: https://lists.mifnet.com/ * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: [email protected]?subject=help * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/
