Not Logged In Log In   Sign Up   Points Leaders
Follow Us    2:21 AM

GasBuddy News Article

44
votes
Electric Airplane Maker Unveils Solar-Charging Trailer

Wired -- The German electric airplane maker PC-Aero is at the Berlin Air Show this week unveiling its latest effort towards making sport flying not only solar powered, but mobile as well. The company’s Elektra One is a single-seat electric airplane that uses both batteries and solar cells to increase the endurance during flight and is capable of flying more than 100 miles per hour.

The airplane made its first flight in 2011 in the hands of veteran test pilot Jon Karkow. Designed by Calin Gologan, the Elektra One is part of a bigger package Gologan imagines will one day lead to pilots being able to fly without needing an external power source.

PC-Aero has been touting the idea of a solar hangar that could be used to keep the Elektra One for a few years now.


Read the Full Article

Submitted Sep 13, 2012 By: Mudsprings
Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics Add to favorite topics  
Author Topic: Electric Airplane Maker Unveils Solar-Charging Trailer Post a Reply Back to Topics
REPLIES (newest first)
Profile Pic
NedW
Champion Author Indianapolis

Posts:5,750
Points:1,167,995
Joined:Mar 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 11:07:37 PM

I wonder if in-flight recharging has been explored?
Profile Pic
my2002m
Champion Author Tulsa

Posts:6,208
Points:1,697,005
Joined:Jul 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:22:10 PM

And this has what to do with gas prices?
Profile Pic
PDQBlues
Champion Author San Diego

Posts:7,209
Points:1,475,050
Joined:Jan 2009
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 3:58:41 PM

Cool. When do we get one? ;-)
Profile Pic
livedream
Champion Author Michigan

Posts:3,840
Points:781,785
Joined:Mar 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 1:15:17 PM

Encouraging progress -- Interesting article.
Profile Pic
sydb7
Champion Author Atlanta

Posts:3,656
Points:1,941,820
Joined:Mar 2003
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 12:22:38 PM

Ok
Profile Pic
melvindale
Champion Author Michigan

Posts:1,438
Points:351,230
Joined:Jun 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 12:15:15 PM

This is too cool!
Profile Pic
sts808
Veteran Author Honolulu

Posts:361
Points:51,890
Joined:Jun 2012
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 11:28:24 AM

ok
Profile Pic
dieselgus1
All-Star Author Montana

Posts:558
Points:488,450
Joined:Oct 2009
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 11:13:44 AM

point man...dead on. all good ideas have to start somewhere and this is just one of them. may take some time, but it will get there.
Profile Pic
Point__man
Champion Author Raleigh

Posts:4,473
Points:905,315
Joined:Oct 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:57:18 AM

lots of ideas in progress these days, some will succeed ;)
Profile Pic
packards42
Champion Author Washington

Posts:6,535
Points:1,147,920
Joined:Feb 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:30:54 AM

Now for car that can go 100 miles on solar
Profile Pic
sramroop
Champion Author Birmingham

Posts:3,437
Points:765,905
Joined:Jul 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:25:17 AM

good
Profile Pic
HEBster
Champion Author Kentucky

Posts:8,922
Points:2,400,630
Joined:May 2006
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:15:13 AM

Cool!
Profile Pic
Mariuxus
Champion Author Chicago

Posts:3,887
Points:1,898,280
Joined:May 2007
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:09:58 AM

Wow...
Profile Pic
must87searcher
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:9,117
Points:1,807,175
Joined:Apr 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:04:49 AM

This is another advancement too conditions of today.
Profile Pic
Cheepo
Champion Author Tampa

Posts:9,989
Points:3,147,905
Joined:Apr 2003
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:01:22 AM

Put a monkey into that seat!!!!!!!! Not me!!!!!!!
Profile Pic
stopforgas
All-Star Author Mississippi

Posts:996
Points:495,480
Joined:Jun 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 10:00:14 AM

Why the complaints? If someone wants to build or buy a solar powered plane for recreational purposes, let them.
Profile Pic
puinsai808
Champion Author Honolulu

Posts:3,697
Points:754,030
Joined:May 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:59:02 AM

hhmmmmm??
Profile Pic
dougtaylor1
Champion Author Phoenix

Posts:1,781
Points:457,150
Joined:Jun 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:33:48 AM

Without subsidies, this dog don't hunt. That Montana governor is an @$$.
Profile Pic
zaq001
Champion Author Atlanta

Posts:4,114
Points:1,499,780
Joined:Oct 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:28:58 AM

ok
Profile Pic
BudsterMO
Champion Author Kansas City

Posts:3,845
Points:730,655
Joined:Aug 2009
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:27:09 AM

For me, just say no to the solar powered airplane. The same problems that are causing Electric Vehicles to fail apply to Electric Planes.
Profile Pic
BEngr
Champion Author Illinois

Posts:6,848
Points:1,607,055
Joined:May 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:26:22 AM

Glad they said sport flying, I wouldn't want to count on recharging the plane wherever it lands.
Profile Pic
alwaysridin88
Champion Author Ohio

Posts:1,527
Points:590,120
Joined:Jul 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:21:33 AM

More stress on our already critically maxed out electric grid. When will people see that we are going to have black outs and pay tons more for electricity due to all of this? Also, Obummer and the EPA want to cut out coal, so how are we going to generate this electricity?
Profile Pic
hallows
Champion Author St. Louis

Posts:4,833
Points:2,831,345
Joined:Jun 2004
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:19:14 AM

Good point, jpgilmor!
Profile Pic
Wolfwings
Champion Author Delaware

Posts:8,876
Points:1,803,190
Joined:May 2004
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:19:09 AM

I wonder why no one thought of this before.
Profile Pic
PittSlovak
Champion Author Pittsburgh

Posts:2,499
Points:1,931,460
Joined:Sep 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:17:11 AM

What about flying at night?
Profile Pic
MrLuigi
Champion Author Massachusetts

Posts:4,908
Points:993,410
Joined:Jun 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:15:53 AM

relevance to gas prices??
Profile Pic
DexLucas
Champion Author South Carolina

Posts:1,376
Points:369,780
Joined:Feb 2012
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:15:50 AM

ok
Profile Pic
VernonOR
Champion Author Oregon

Posts:3,013
Points:758,005
Joined:Aug 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:15:46 AM

Hope it has great gliding capability.
Profile Pic
crmedic
Champion Author Arkansas

Posts:2,909
Points:248,475
Joined:Jul 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:15:41 AM

This site is about gas prices and it is about reducing the cost of travel by automobile, I think.
Profile Pic
momof5MN
Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:4,189
Points:221,335
Joined:Feb 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:14:08 AM

Hmmm... who's running the asylum?
Profile Pic
Insuremn
Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:5,087
Points:1,057,435
Joined:May 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:14:03 AM

Ok.
Profile Pic
nomad228
Champion Author Columbus

Posts:3,143
Points:580,215
Joined:Feb 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:13:51 AM

what i want to know is when are they going to put a solar cell skin on these electric toy cars so they don't need any charging stations at all.
Profile Pic
techque
Champion Author St. Louis

Posts:8,790
Points:2,444,405
Joined:Apr 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:11:24 AM

I can't conceive of anything less practical . . .
Profile Pic
knutzAL
Champion Author Alabama

Posts:2,248
Points:372,680
Joined:Feb 2012
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:10:43 AM

I'm convenced the progressive's have taken over this site. The focus has gotten so far from gas prices that I usually just "k" rather than comment.
Profile Pic
CorvairHaven
Champion Author Cleveland

Posts:4,470
Points:1,479,765
Joined:Sep 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:09:55 AM

This would work really well in cloudy Cleveland... right.
Profile Pic
mberg
Champion Author Houston

Posts:3,943
Points:986,805
Joined:Aug 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:09:31 AM

The rich need to spend their wealth on SOMETHING.
Profile Pic
1958tomg
Champion Author Kansas

Posts:2,276
Points:572,815
Joined:Oct 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:08:41 AM

ok
Profile Pic
Don20
Champion Author Oklahoma City

Posts:9,809
Points:2,646,355
Joined:Mar 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:08:37 AM

At this point its a toy, for local area flying. Not a bad weather airplane..
Profile Pic
jpgilmor
Champion Author Houston

Posts:2,296
Points:630,450
Joined:Feb 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:07:54 AM

Hate to land somewhere were the plane could not be charged. Seeing that problem with electric cars.
Profile Pic
gasman50
Champion Author Portland

Posts:8,978
Points:2,436,190
Joined:Nov 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:07:42 AM

Gas Prices?
Profile Pic
rippertoo
Champion Author Tacoma

Posts:5,890
Points:1,168,560
Joined:Jan 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:07:41 AM

Whatever.
Profile Pic
cheli2010
All-Star Author Twin Cities

Posts:705
Points:303,220
Joined:Mar 2010
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:06:41 AM

way cool
Profile Pic
tribill
Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:3,342
Points:2,360,360
Joined:Feb 2006
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:04:32 AM

Whatever...
Profile Pic
Somis1
Champion Author Ventura

Posts:13,825
Points:2,641,500
Joined:Jul 2005
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:03:04 AM

Not sure what applicability to ground transport is in this article.
Profile Pic
madison8359
Champion Author Cleveland

Posts:9,317
Points:1,620,020
Joined:Apr 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:02:26 AM

There has to be a first before the many.
Profile Pic
treehood
Champion Author San Diego

Posts:2,179
Points:423,485
Joined:May 2011
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:02:21 AM

Any research is good research. Most times.
Profile Pic
rcohan2
Champion Author South Carolina

Posts:2,022
Points:1,280,765
Joined:Oct 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:01:45 AM

More pork.
Profile Pic
Diesel_Ram
Champion Author Dallas

Posts:6,634
Points:1,545,125
Joined:Jan 2009
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:01:21 AM

Nice
Profile Pic
96sc1
Champion Author El Paso

Posts:8,517
Points:1,367,440
Joined:Mar 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:01:12 AM

I guess that would be helpful for gliders
Profile Pic
BrucePen
Champion Author Ontario

Posts:6,732
Points:1,387,590
Joined:Sep 2008
Message Posted: Sep 13, 2012 9:00:21 AM

Doesn't seem very practical.
This something OBummer will spend millions on.
Post a reply Back to Topics