Continuing our tour of the Top 50 videos from Videoman Dave’s popular YouTube channel, we come to Earthstar Aircraft’s Thundergull. My interview with Mark about his electric project garnered 236,000 views and ranks at #11 among the Top 50 of Dave’s more than 1,500 videos.
This remarkable small aircraft, a single seater until their Odyssey model came out, was ahead of its time. Over a successful run dating back into the 1990s, Thunder Gull evolved into several variations and developer Mark Beierle experimented with various propulsion systems. A gifted designer, Mark pursued development more than production so the total number of ‘Gulls has never become large.
If you are looking to buy, getting a current owner to part with their pride and joy could be challenging. The Earthstar website is functional but does not appear to have been updated in some time.
Thunder Gull owners or pilots may be purists insisting nothing compares to their Gull, yet some interested buyers are aware Titan Aircraft makes a very similar aircraft.
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Ahead of Its Time, Rainbow’s EMG — Electric Motor Glider — Proved Idea of Electric Part 103
Nine years ago, in 2014, electric aircraft were mostly experiments and the beginning was challenging. Several ill-fated projects attempted to electrically power airplanes that were inappropriate for such a powerplant. Batteries of the day had lousy power-to-weight ratios. Enough juice to lift and fly a two seater, much less a four seater, by an electric motor made for very short duration flights, measured in minutes not hours. An electric Cessna 172 project never succeeded; hardly a wonder.
Similar challenges face more than 350 air taxi start-up businesses. Sure, someday you might zip around big cities using UberAir but I think that remains years in the future. Range anxiety felt in electric cars becomes much more intense in an aircraft.
On the other hand, electric Part 103 aircraft enjoy two enormous advantages: (1) they only need to fly 30 minutes to an hour to deliver all the fun their owners have in mind; and (2) since Part 103 aircraft are the lightest in powered aviation, lifting them by electric power and batteries is far more achievable with today’s technology.
More than Spinning Multicopters, Here’s an In-the-Wing Electric Idea that Recently Won a Patent
Naturally, sharp-eyed ByDanJohnson.com readers already know about Chip’s big idea. See this article; scroll down.
What you didn’t know is that this idea was unique enough to win a patent. That’s uncommon in recreational aviation, though, of course, an idea like this may go far beyond sport flying.
Chip Erwin is one of those restless people who probably lays awake night cooking multiple ideas in his brain at the same time. Many industries have their “Elon Musk” type who moves forward on several fronts despite plenty of people telling him he can’t do what he does every day.
As the mainstream media hyperfocuses on multicopter air taxi ideas consuming vast amounts of money (why media pays attention in the first place), people like Chip have different thoughts about using electric power on aircraft. Depod is one of those concepts.
Depod is not intended for Merlin Lite.
Super-Efficient Electric Flight — Ego Trike with ATOS Wing Shows How E-Propulsion Works Today!
From dawn to dusk, we hear how electric propulsion is going to save the Earth. Whatever your belief about the hazards of fossil fuel, electric propulsion is coming. When is another matter.
Air taxi ventures based on multicopter designs are drinking up funds by the tens or hundreds millions of dollars, probably billions by now. I don’t have a shred of doubt that these will lead to genuine changes in transportation… but I would not hold my breath until such services become common. I suspect it will be many years yet.
However, today, electric propulsion for ultralight aircraft works quite well, especially when it serves a purpose. For soaring pilots, power is about getting to altitude where they can explore ridge, thermal, or wave lift. Those who love such flying, like me, seek out the best machine that might deliver that capability. Ultralight Design’s Ego trike can.
High-Tech Composite
Anyone who knows hang glider wings will admire both the construction and substantially higher performance of what’s called a rigid wing — more common hang gliders are called flex wings.
Magical Merlin Motorglider Goes Both Ways: Part 103 or Motorglider; Gas or Electric
Regular readers know I have closely followed the Merlin developments. I use plural because developer Chip Erwin has steadily built this single seat flying machine into a whole fleet of its own. At Sun ‘n Fun we saw a display of three airplanes in different variations.
Let’s begin with a focus on the modest cost of Merlin. I promote affordable aviation all day long. That word “affordable” means something different to every single pilot so every time I use the word someone is going to tell me, “It’s still too expensive.”
Look I get it. I’m a consumer, too. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a deal? So here’s the short answer: “Finished Price: $34,000.” That’s a direct quote from Aeromarine-LSA. I know some may say that doesn’t work for them but in this day and age, that is a bargain for a ready-to-fly aircraft. When that buys an airplane built like Merlin Lite, one equipped the way Chip has configured it, I consider that one of the great values in aviation.
Should Your Out-Back, Off-Airport “Sky Jeep” Go Electric? Here’s One Answer…
Zenith’s headline read: “All-electric Zenith ‘Sky Jeep’ completes first flight, with plans to transport doctors and medical supplies in remote areas of the world.” Several aviation publishers jumped on the news* from light kit-built market leader, Zenith Aircraft.
I’m curious what you think of (1) electric propulsion on any aircraft and (2) electric power for an aircraft used, let’s say, for exploring. If you have an opinion and care to share it, use the comment feature.
To date, most electric-propulsion entries have been sleeker designs. Pipistrel has been a leader in this class; they got their start building sailplanes and motorgliders and never lost their preference for clean, smooth shapes. Many others also participated (nearby images).
Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer continues its long path toward the market. This development company based its aircraft on Arion’s Lightning airframe, a smart choice as Lightning is so smoothly constructed. This article describes what was then called Sun Flyer.
Montaer Scores Major Flight School Order; Announces 915 Model for USA plus Electric Project
We leave the grounds of Oshkosh ghosted with images of planes that attracted major interest. From Wisconsin we fly far south to Brazil, home to Montaer and its MC-01, number 154 on our Special Light-Sport Aircraft List.
Montaer will now be represented in the USA by a new group, Aero Affinity, whose ambitions are impressive and pilots may love all the services and choices they are proposing to deliver. Actually, they’re already delivering because the entities making up Aero Affinity are free-standing groups, each functioning in the industry today. Collaborating is a way to offer even more while spreading some of the cost among the group.
This same team made a splash at AirVenture with their matching Aero Showcase logowear. Here’s their website about the inaugural event scheduled for October 21-22, 2022.
For now, however, we’re going to blast part-way around the globe to Brazil where Montaer Aircraft scored big with a large order.
Oshkosh 2022 – Day 2… Electric Helicopter from Composite FX is Lean, Green Machine
A year ago at Oshkosh, I became intrigued by the way Composite FX had developed the older Mosquito into their XE line; multiple models running from a legitimate Part 103 helicopter, their XEL model, to the turbine XET model. The company builds these handsome aircraft in Trenton, Florida after acquiring the design from Canadian John Uptigrove (see image of his original).
Vertical takeoff has a special appeal, even to those of us with little or no rotary experience. Setting aside the skills to fly such machines, the cost of a helicopter is usually so high that many don’t even consider it. Maybe they didn’t look far enough.
Composite FX and their $60,000 ready-to-fly XEL model (kit for $47,000) completely changes that thought experiment. Not only does this handsome aircraft perform impressively in experienced hands but many can afford it.
Yet this article is not about the product line the manufacturer is presently delivering.
AirVenture Day 4: Generation 3 Ultralight Electrics — Where Electric Propulsion Works Today
A mid-week demonstration featured Europe’s Volocopter and America’s Opener BlackFly. The two (three actually, a pair of BlackFlys flew) demonstrated their eVTOL flying capability. They could hardly have been more different.
Billionaires are investing in, uh, what to call them? …drones, multicopters, eVTOLs, UASs, UAVs, Powered Lift aircraft, the list literally goes on and on. The lack of a widely accepted generic name is one of several indications these air taxis of tomorrow are still in a fairly distant tomorrow.
Two industry experts gave me their judgment after viewing the Volocopter and BlackFly demonstrations. Both agreed the Volocopter presented better, performing a true demonstration of its vertical launch then transitioning to forward flight, manuevering, and then doing a landing. Both also said the BlackFly was much less impressive. “They just kind of bobbed and floated around, not doing any maneuvering or making a transition to forward flight,” each agreed. Both wanted to like each aircraft but one clearly won in their minds.
Electric Record UPDATE — Record Set, Trek Continues…
“WE DID IT!” boasted the team from down under!
“We are thrilled to announce that this afternoon we achieved a World Endurance Record for an electric aircraft, breaking the previous mark set in Germany last year.” (Note: Official recognition always takes more time.)
Pipistrel distributor Michael Coates, wrote, “South Australian-based Eyre to There Aviation … Flying a Pipistrel Alpha Electro plane, arrived in Port Augusta late yesterday (Friday June 25) after breaking the previous mark of 750 kilometers on the leg between Shoalwater Point Station and Whyalla.”
Lead by Eyre to There Aviation Managing Director, Barrie Rogers, the team will continue to Adelaide aiming to fly 1,350 kilometers by the end of the journey.
More than Distance
“Along the way, the team has also broken other world records for electric aircraft,” Coates reported, “including longest over-water flight (30.8 kilometers); furthest distance in a 24-hour period (330 kilometers); and fastest speed between waypoints (177 kilometers per hour ground speed).”
Barrie reported he and his team battled strong winds and rain as well as below zero morning temperatures to achieve the record.
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