Earthstar Forums

Mark –

I had the EXACT same conversation with him as well. It was the day after I met him and it was already too late. At the time I thought that he was going to be the one to pilot it, and while he has lots of aeronautics and RC experience, he is not a pilot.



His plan is to have “someone else” fly it, maybe his son or grandson who is a pilot. He is not planning on ever flying it himself, or becoming a pilot, he is just doing the project for his own interests and because he can. I figure that pilot, whoever it is, should get some time in a conventional Aerolite 103 prior to being the electric test pilot.



I’m trying to get Bob to come up to Oshkosh to see the spectacle. Hope you can meet him there.



Regards

Bruce

Given a change in technology, it certainly may be possible to approach the high specific powers (8 KW/Kg) below and still be reliable. Time will tell, will see what their hardware can do. The problem currently (with the high specific power motors) is really getting the heat out, and if the Halbach magnets can improve motor efficiency and therefore keep the heat from happening, it’s a double win – more efficient AND higher power density.

Yes; i was touched by the query of an electromagnetics teacher on another forum, trying to get to the rule of thumbs/experiments for his students to actually make and appreciate motors better; then i remembered my elec courses and understood what's missing, and then we found Bruce :)

Bob, who created the Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (ECO)? (he really ought to stay away from small planes with painful histories..)