[cah197]

This light aircraft is about to set some world records:

This electric airplane is setting out to break 7 world records in one flight

Electric flight has progressed in leaps and bounds over the last few years as motors and batteries have become better optimized for flight. And now a team of five electric flight enthusiasts is setting out in the electric Pipistrel Velis Electro plane to show just how far the technology has...

electrek.co

What is interesting is the consumption per 100 km is not that far off that of my Zoe at 80 mph. But I bet the aircraft is much faster even at cruise...

 

[Hermit Dave]

Looking good though they could really improved the range. 100 miles for an aircraft seems small no matter what sized plane

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[cah197]

Looking good though they could really improved the range. 100 miles for an aircraft seems small no matter what sized plane

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It’s perfect for PPL training.

What do you think the cost per flight hour is?

 

[AndrewC]

Looking good though they could really improved the range. 100 miles for an aircraft seems small no matter what sized plane

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Let alone the 100 kms of this plane...

 

[Hermit Dave]

It’s perfect for PPL training.

What do you think the cost per flight hour is?

The same as before

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[cah197]

The same as before

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Nope. Not even close.

 

[Hermit Dave]

Nope. Not even close.

More expensive?

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[dk6780]

Costs are always dependant on what's included, and what assumptions you make about final value.
In car terms this strikes me as somewhere equivalent to a Twizzy or 22kW Zoë. The latter was very expensive compared to a comparable Cloe, but the operating costs were lower (partly due to fuel duty which doesn't apply as much to AvGas), but the depreciation depends on when you sold it (very small to the current prices, much higher after the initial 2 years).
You are going to need a fleet twice the size for a flying school to overcome the refueling time. But you'll potentially be able to fly into areas banned under future environmental protection measures the equivalent of the ULEZ.
A good step forward but perhaps most will wait for the 50kWh Zoë equivalent with Rapid charging to arrive before making the leap.

 

[cah197]

You are going to need a fleet twice the size for a flying school to overcome the refueling time.

Really? You’ve done the utilisation calculations based on the reduced maintenance intervals?

I’d love to see them.

 

[dk6780]

Of course I have access to the unpublished data. And since when did routine maintenance have to subtract from flying time to the extent of twice the time spent airborne (excluding fast military jets) which is the claimed charging time?

 

[cah197]

Of course I have access to the unpublished data. And since when did routine maintenance have to subtract from flying time to the extent of twice the time spent airborne (excluding fast military jets) which is the claimed charging time?

Oh, sorry. You just made the claim that a flight school would need to buy twice as many aircraft to maintain the same operations.

I didn’t realise you made it without any basis in evidence. 🤪

 

[andrew*debbie]

The Velis Electro is EASA type certified. Unlike other electric passenger aircraft, the Velis is legal for commerical use in Europe.

This is a big step forward.

Pipistrel Receives First EASA Certification for an Electric Aircraft. Who's Next? - Aviation Today

On June 10, Pipistrel’s Velis Electro received the first type certification for an electric aircraft from EASA, a major milestone for electric aviation.

www.aviationtoday.com

 

[andrew*debbie]

Looking good though they could really improved the range. 100 miles for an aircraft seems small no matter what sized plane

50 + 10 minutes in-flight is about right for flight training, which is the target market.

Pipistril admit they aren't using state of the art batteries or anything close. Instead they went for easy to certify. They expect to have a certified 2 hour battery in 3 years.

 

[cah197]

50 + 10 minutes in-flight is about right for flight training, which is the target market.

Interestingly I saw a comment elsewhere that it was the reduced noise footprint which was the real differentiator here as it opened up new training sites.

 

[andrew*debbie]

About cost.

A new Velis Electro is 175.000€

A new Cessna 172 is $429,000 - $499,000

Of course flight schools usually don't have a brand new Cessna 172. A 30 year old one is about £50,000. Prices vary a lot because maintainace is expensive. A 172 with a fresh engine and annual is worth more than one 100 hours overdue for an engine rebuild.


For a small piston engine aircraft:

7-9 gallons-US 100LL av gas per hour - £45 / hour
Maintance:
£500 every 50 hours
£900 every 100 hours
£2000 every year.
Engine overhaul every 1800 hours: $21,000 for the engine plus labour to remove and refit. More if you get a zero time rebuilt from Lycoming.

https://www.acsengineering.co.uk/images/ACS-Engineering-Maintenance-Rates.pdf

A4Aviation - Pipistrel Andorra - Velis Electro - First Electric Certified Aircraft - A4 Aviation

The Pipistrel Velis Electro is the first EASA Certified electric aircraft and follows the Alpha electro as the second electric aircraft available to buy from Pipistrel Andorra / A4Aviation. Great for PPL training and flight schools, the future of aviation.

www.pipistrel.ad

https://www.trade-a-plane.com/search?category_level1=Single+Engine+Piston&make=CESSNA&model=172S+SKYHAWK+SP&listing_id=2387190&s-type=aircraft

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