One possible step in the direction of reducing that risk -
https://www.zeiss.com/microscopy/int/cm ... video.html
Doesn't fix the impracticality.

Looks like L-3 Harris will be a partner with Bye Aerospace to help develop this aircraft. With the resources of L-3 Harris behind this, they might be able to build quite a few! This might be the role where it could have an application.

https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/trade ... l-electric

You have the relationship backwards.

L-3 Harris will happily take Bye's money to perform engineering services and supply materials.

You can be very sure the money will not flow the other way.

If I was L-3 Harris, I'd ask for deposits up front on any significant order, too.

Bye is also using the L-3 Harris to buy some credibility. That tactic seems to have worked in your case.

Mike C.

I agree.
particularly true for a company (L3) struggling to strengthen and better define their foothold in the avionics and defense industry.

They are quite established already. Their GA presence is light, but huge in military and air transport

You are assuming that all stations can simultaneously charge at the max rate.

Do you have a source that confirms your assumption?

You are assuming that all stations can simultaneously charge at the max rate.

Do you have a source that confirms your assumption?

That will charge one eFlyer 800 and take about 2 hours to do it.

Odds this level of infrastructure exists at your destination airport in your lifetime?

Zero.

Too expensive.

Mike C.

That will charge one eFlyer 800 and take about 2 hours to do it.

Odds this level of infrastructure exists at your destination airport in your lifetime?

Zero.

Too expensive.

Mike C.

That will charge one eFlyer 800 and take about 2 hours to do it.

Odds this level of infrastructure exists at your destination airport in your lifetime?

Zero.

Too expensive.

Mike C.

Can only serve one airplane at a time, so not great for a busy airport.

You will have o tow the airplane to the charge stand and back again (can't use "truck service", more like "fuel island").


Correct.

So you are perpetually stick in the chicken and egg problem. Nobody buys the airplanes due to no charging infrastructure, nobody puts in the charging infrastructure due to no airplanes.


A 200 mile FedEx run is a 400 miles round trip. Not clear they have time to charge it slowly between hops.

You may be surprised how often the C208s fly between cities with not much time between hops.

This could be a good launch application for electric planes, a short routine run with time at each end to recharge. Not going to be a huge market, but it is a start. The PNW seaplane taxi business might work, as I said earlier.

Mike C.

Agreed. I was envisioning something like 'x number of designated gates with capability to recharge, that would be used by feeder airlines doing small hops infrequently.

Yes this is classic chicken and egg scenario. Looking at Tesla vs. national charging networks, I'm unfortunately leaning towards Tesla's model which means that it would need to be done by Airbus or Boeing or there will be constant blaming game. I don't trust any of the charging networks to have spot available when they say they do, and it's always somebody else's fault (utility, land owner, operator, network). Only Tesla's charging stations are somewhat immune and always work (or if they don't my car tells me so and I don't even go there)

And that makes it precisely 0% easier to solve.

All of aviation is time and money.

Heck, so is living on Mars.

Current charging industry economics do not (yet) involve making money by delivering electrons. Some of the players see it as a real estate play. Others are simply selling the gear, project mgt, installation, support and billing to enable others to play. I imagine that Siggy’s infrastructure fee for electric airplanes will be eye watering.

“I wouldn’t want a driver as a customer, because I think I’d starve to death,” said Pasquale Romano, ChargePoint’s chief executive officer, in an interview. “There’s not a lot of money in electricity.”

Not related to Bye Aerospace specifically, but this construction that I saw today at my local airport is to install a Beta Aviation aircraft charger (it will also work for cars). The aircraft is flying but far from being for sale, so they are addressing the chicken and egg problem. In the case of my airport it might be related to some of the people involved in the airport are investors in Beta.

Specs:


Is there a thread dedicated to general electric aircraft discussion?