About
What
Build electric airplanes. Not flying cars. Not ultralight toys. Real airplanes that can travel reasonably fast and carry cargo and passengers.
Why
There’s a ton to say here. But I’ll keep it brief.
The commercial aviation industry is on the precipice of a major disruption. Airlines currently use a hub and spoke system, flying big jets to big airports. Those of you who fly commercial already know the pains and problems with this system; long lines, delays, checking luggage, getting to/from the airport, …
Those of you who have flown GA (General Aviation) can appreciate the stark contrast; no security lines, travel on your own schedule, get the plane all to yourself, fly in and out of airports that are much closer to where you need to be.
The future of commercial air travel will resemble the GA model. A distributed system that is more efficient, more enjoyable, and more resilient. The major barrier is cost. Airplanes are expensive in the first place and much of that cost is in the jet engines or antiquated piston engines. But the majority of costs are in the expensive aviation fuel and maintenance. The price of hiring your own plane is prohibitive for most people.
Electric planes are the key. Electricity costs a fraction of what fuel costs, and electric motors require almost no maintenance. It’ll cost 70% less to fly electric, making it affordable for almost everyone. Traveling will become faster and more pleasant for all.
How
Software is my craft, not aeronautical engineering or electrical engineering. How am I going to develop electric planes. Well I could go back to school…, but on second thought, no. Instead I’ll develop my own educational curriculum and seek knowledge and experience from where ever I can get it. In fact it’s already begun. During the year of 2017 I built a plane and documented the adventure here, and pictured below. But there’s much more to learn.
In this eflight blog I aim to document my journey in learning everything I need to know to build an original electric airplane.
