Today is not 2 April, but there was a piece last night on the Beeb which referred to electric powered commercial aircraft within the next few years. Is the energy density of batteries sufficient?
Electric doesn't necessarily mean batteries. The energy density of hydrogen is much greater than batteries. The prototype hydrogen fueled cars that are already on the road are 'electric' in the sense that a hydrogen fuel cell is used to drive electric motors on the wheels - fuel cells being more efficient than internal combustion engines. So a hydrogen fueled plane where the fuel cell drives electric fans is a possibility.
Electric doesn't necessarily mean batteries. The energy density of hydrogen is much greater than batteries. The prototype hydrogen fueled cars that are already on the road are 'electric' in the sense that a hydrogen fuel cell is used to drive electric motors on the wheels - fuel cells being more efficient than internal combustion engines. So a hydrogen fueled plane where the fuel cell drives electric fans is a possibility.
