I thought I would set this up as a starting position - to be picked up in 10 years... 1:16 in. Key points: VTOL Supersonic Re-gen Very high altitude High density batt required Not required yet - I think Elon meant that the battery is not ready rather than the world being ready. Questions: Would this be Tesla building upon the battery tech, SpaceX or another company? Suitable only for long range flight due to high altitude? Competes with BFR? Non VTOL, short range and subsonic might be a tad simpler starting position.
Electric airliners are at least two decades away. Energy density in batteries is just not where it has to be to sustain even regional airliners, much less the long haul voyages that Airbus and Boeing are chasing after in their newest jets, the 787 and A350. Aircraft design and certification is a slow and expensive process, a process I see Musk getting bored and/or irritated at. Moreover, they'd have to get airlines to bite. This is where the tricky part is. Whichever of Musk's companies builds this electric airliner has to match the reliability and service of Boeing and Airbus, whose newest planes have a dispatch reliability of >99.5%
I've been watching battery technology for almost 30 years and there isn't anything, even at the lab stage, that provides the energy density needed for long-range planes. More likely are hybrid planes that take advantage of batteries' power density and the low noise profile of electric drives for takeoff and landing, with fuel-driven turbine-generators for cruising.
What would the VTOL aspect make this look like? This? The props would be good for re-gen but not supersonic. So the moveable engines become: Which contains: Which looks like: Except it needs to be sleeker like: Not this: I don't see how significant re-gen is compatible with supersonic engines. Aircraft have a back-up RAT that look like this: (Elon will hate it)
Nothing new here - just the sheer number of times Elon has raised his idea for VTOL supersonic aircraft:
Tagging @MESM here because they have a really good handle on the physics of gas thrusters. Is there some practicality in using compressed air for added additional altitude, and regenerate compressed gas on the way down? Wish I had the math/physics skills you have.
Yup, Elon said in a recent interview if ~85% of the airframe's mass could be batteries, then 400 whr/kg allows intercontinental flight, though not trans-oceanic (presumably BFR / Starship forfills that role). For Elon's boy's sake, I hope the airframe mass needs to be more like 50% batteries, and that the Maxcell tech gets there by about College age. Wot, 10 years? How old are the boys? Cheers!
Elon Musk and the electric (VTOL supersonic jet) plane that could Some of the comments are interesting. Importance of avoiding sonic boom - see below: Also, detachable drones that get the aircraft to atmosphere. Maybe then you could configure your engine intakes for supersonic flight only?
Even with a conventional gas turbine engine, supersonic VSTOL aircraft were not practical for the first fifty years of jet flight. With significantly less power density, and considering conventionally-configured, battery-powered aircraft are not even close to being a thing, yet, I'd say an electric Harrier is way, way down the road.
Ok just discovered Wright Electric - which is working on a fully electric 188 person airliner with 500km range, enough for Europe shorthaul traffic, for initial launch customer EasyJet. Designed to have swappable batteries. Initial product will be a ten seater hybrid. Targeting 2027 (but I’m dubious on that given the company seeks to be more in concept/Very early development stage). Home - Wright Electric If Tesla has a major breakthrough with Maxwell tech in terms of energy density, would be good to see them working with aircraft manufacturers as a supplier.
Anyone think Elon could use stainless steel exoskeleton (as per Cybertruck & Starship) for some of the supersonic fuselage?
I’m not expecting a big breakthrough in power to weight ratio, but if there is one it would be appropriate to bring up in context of electric aircraft.
Elon has named his son after the A-12 Archangel - a supersonic aircraft. This could be that Elon is designing the aircraft at home and has pictures out for inspiration. He posted this on Twitter: And has now made this his Twitter handle picture:
This would seem the quickest to get started with electrification for larger long range planes. Hybrid My personal opinion only: 1. combustion engines for take off (the highest power requirement, right?) 2. electric motor for cruise [During landing probably start combustion engine for emergency go around if landing aborted] Reminder that we already have start for all electric planes: Harbour Air and magniX Announce Successful Flight of World’s First Commercial Electric Airplane – Harbour Air: North America's Largest Seaplane Airline – Since 1982 Short range only solution, 2020.