I currently own 2 motors. An ICE - Kangook with a PAP125 on it and OpenPPG.
I hate ICE motors. Dirty, noisy, smelly beasts that have no place in this world. However they still have one better aspect then electric – range!
With me still needing to complete my Canadian certification - I will need to do about 4hr 45m in flight time and 29 more take offs and landings. My understanding is wing goes completely to the ground to make this a fact! Might get away with a few touch and goes with my new instructor. With Electric at least I dont have to worry about idle time
So with the above tasks to complete – should I keep my ICE until that is completed. I could probably complete them on 2 tanks of fuel.
If I go just electric and try to make it work - say I even have 16 bats - i have 8 now and order 8 more. Doing 4 bats foot launching gives a 25 mins at best case - 20 safe side doing harder climbs acceleration…correct? So apprx 1hr 40 best or 1hr 20min safe. I have not figured out my charge time on 4 bats on my current charger – if I have 2 charges I might get 4 bats charged in time by the time I go through 3 sets bats(non balance charge)… maybe?
I had only wanted to get another 4 bats to try and get an an hour of trike flying - would rather spend money on a new wing.
I did my PPG training on an ICE PPG (internal combustion engine) and I purchased one right after successful training about two years ago.
While I love flying, I pretty quickly started to hate the combustion engine with all it’s problems (starting problems mainly), that’s when I discovered very quickly, in december 2017, the openPPG project.
I enjoyed another successful flight yesterday, an electric entry into thermalling and soaring with the OpenPPG.
I already thought a couple of times selling the ICE PPG, but decided to hold on to it for a little while, until I have more experience with the OpenPPG and my battery, which I am about to extend by 33% (from 15 parallel groups to 20, from 2,16kW to 2,88kW).
The demand that I have to myself is to ride thermals and stay up with the sun, and only use the OpenPPG for short evening flights or entry into thermalling - but I may want to go on a longer flight on summer evenings in smooth air, and for that I would need the ICE PPG…
As I said, I will see how it goes, what my personal liking is going to be
If you’re worried about range why not just plug in new batteries? Either that or have a wind powered generator. I built one with my grandson and it can power the water pump for his toilet.
More bats is an option for longer run time but cant carry the weight so would need to land, change to charged bats and take off again, and that is ok to.
I am thinking the best case scenario for foot launch is 16 bats,4 at a time(20min flight in a set area) with one pack set always charging. Can I charge 4 bats up in 1 hr?? My CQ3 charger will only do 10amps charging max with 4 bats so that wont cut it.
It is looking more and more like I will have keep the ICE for now, maybe do a trike with it as I dont like the weight of it. Get certified and than I can fly just with the E-Pusher not worrying about completion times.
Not sure where your going the the wind genny idea? Cant use it up in the air. Now if they get light weight solar charging fabric that could be used in the wing to extend range if you fly mid day.
Mr. E Pusher, a light weight solar charging fabric would be too heavy. That’s why you should use a wind powered generator. Wind is the best element to turn into electricity. ( Compared to the other three elements. Earth, Fire, and water). My grandson uses wind for his electric earth closet.
its Possible to get a slight increase in effeciancy using a turbine but only if you were to take off from a high enough altitude. If there was a way to use turbines for suplimental energy we’d all have them on our cars and airplanes.
That’s a very good point. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Aircraft manufacturers do lots of research and have smart boys. Nows mr. openppg’s chance to do something Boeing hasn’t even thought of. Yet alone implement. If theirs one thing my grandson has taught me it’s that the future is now!
with the OpenPPG.