A 12 minute glimpse of the future in Full Size, all electric aviation...
A Harbour Air de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver seaplane lifted off the Fraser River near Vancouver on 10 December, marking what the company says was the first time an all-electric commercial passenger aircraft has taken flight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_dnAD5TD-E&feature=youtu.be
Amazing video. I am surprised they tried it on a floatplane first considering it takes so much more power to take off from water compared to land...plus the extra drag of the floats.
Notice the small flap setting at take-off.
I read a little further. The original Beaver had a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney gas engine. It was replaced by a 700 hp electric system, tuned down to about 450 hp. The project manager must have been an E-modeler. "Always overpower an airplane. You can always throttle back...if you have to!" ;D ;D
Frank
Yumm! Where can I get a kit for this?!!
This is the best video I have seen showing the fluid dynamics around the floats during taxi and take off. The low lighting angle during take-off is superb. You can see all the texture of the wing and control surfaces. I love the shadow of the GoPro moving from aft to fore across the bottom of the wing at 5:45-6:00!
Thanks so much for posting this
@RogMason.
Andy