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A comment on U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe. Parent comment

Re:U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe by robin_reala on Thursday May 11, 2017 @03:35AM (#14314399)
The problem with electric aircraft is a bit like a mini Tsiolkovsky rocket equation. In a conventional aircraft fuel is burnt off as it flies causing it to lighten and become more fuel efficient as it travels. With battery aircraft this doesn’t happen so you need more batteries upfront to travel the distance.
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Re:U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe by lordelph on Thursday May 11, 2017 @04:27AM (#14314592)
Captain: "Scotty, we need more lift!"

Scotty: "We're giving it all she's got. If I eject the empty batteries we might just lose enough mass, but I cannae guarantee it"

Captain: "Do it, do it, do it!"

Scotty: "Aye, captain!"

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Re:U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe by sangnoir on Thursday May 11, 2017 @03:56AM (#14314470)
Additionally, the energy density of batteries is nowhere near that of Jet A/A-1.
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Re:U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe by mathw on Thursday May 11, 2017 @03:50AM (#14314453)
Batteries do get lighter as they discharge!

Just not by enough to matter.

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Re:U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe by robin_reala on Thursday May 11, 2017 @04:15AM (#14314538)
OK, if we’re being pedantic ;) This SE answer puts the difference between a fully charged and fully discharged Chevy Volt at half a microgram: https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/34424/134467
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