Re:Lilium – Electric vertical take-off and landing jet
by falcolas on Friday April 21, 2017 @05:07PM
(#14169435)
> would the 45 minutes of reserve fuel really be necessary if you're not constrained to use an airfield?
Yup. High winds in an area would make it unsafe to land anywhere in that area. Ditto for low cloud cover (need a minimum of 1000') or low visibility (need more than 2 miles).
From an overview of the differences in regulations that cover Helicopters (which are likely more maneuverable at low speeds than this aircraft):
>>> Helicopters must complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing, then fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and then fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed. Normally, other aircraft are required to have 45 minutes. <<<
Long story short, batteries are heavy, heavy beasts. Generally available electric vehicles have trouble going much over 300 miles on a single charge; aircraft are going to have even more problems.
Yup. High winds in an area would make it unsafe to land anywhere in that area. Ditto for low cloud cover (need a minimum of 1000') or low visibility (need more than 2 miles).
From an overview of the differences in regulations that cover Helicopters (which are likely more maneuverable at low speeds than this aircraft):
>>> Helicopters must complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing, then fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and then fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed. Normally, other aircraft are required to have 45 minutes. <<<
http://www.cfidarren.com/hpart91.htm
Long story short, batteries are heavy, heavy beasts. Generally available electric vehicles have trouble going much over 300 miles on a single charge; aircraft are going to have even more problems.