I was just thinking, what is the max speed and acceleration an electric jet could reach if it didn't have to carry any batteries. Imagine a jet flying just a few feet off the ground pulling power from a live and earth strip it is just touching lightly via some conductive pole or even perhaps via an electric arch if that is possible
You would still need a massive length to get upto any usable speed but at least the track just becomes two conductive plates
The highest thrust jet engine seems to be 500KN for a 7.5T engine, and the max speed a jet has reached seems to be just shy of 1km/s so an electric engine not carrying fuel should surely best this but by how much?
Two ideas
1: If very fast speeds can be achieved could it help get things into orbit. I think this would be a no and difficult as you would need to get towards 10km/s
2: Could air planes of the future use such a system and just use their momentum as "fuel" and maybe a small battery pack for small backup etc.
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would an electric jet going through the sound barrier create much of a sonic boom?
You would still need a massive length to get upto any usable speed but at least the track just becomes two conductive plates
The highest thrust jet engine seems to be 500KN for a 7.5T engine, and the max speed a jet has reached seems to be just shy of 1km/s so an electric engine not carrying fuel should surely best this but by how much?
Two ideas
1: If very fast speeds can be achieved could it help get things into orbit. I think this would be a no and difficult as you would need to get towards 10km/s
2: Could air planes of the future use such a system and just use their momentum as "fuel" and maybe a small battery pack for small backup etc.
- - - Updated - - -
would an electric jet going through the sound barrier create much of a sonic boom?