Fixing our Achilles heel(s)
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By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist
In the last month, I have written two technology columns. Early March, I was discussing the need for better highways to Hillsboro. Last week, I talked about the problems large aircraft have wrought for modern society.
Actually, airplanes have caused more expense than the identified flaws of last week. As a society, both here and abroad, we have built large airports to handle large airplanes. These airports cause traffic congestion, noise pollution and any number of other problems (for example, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is purported to be the largest human trafficking hub in the nation).
A solution for several problems with air travel have been in the works for many years. They may soon come to fruition.
All the big airplane manufacturers plus companies like Honda and others have been diligently working on small air taxis that can fly point to point with little or no runways.
Pilotless and electric, these planes will reduce the cost to the point that for many domestic trips, it will no longer be necessary to take a road trip to get to a large airport, for these new air taxis can land anywhere, carrying just a few passengers. Due to their cost structure, they can be profitable at a small size. Such airplanes will make Hillsboro as accessible as Chicago.
They will fix the Achilles heels of (a) being small enough that they cannot be used as a weapon (9/11) and (b) being small enough to isolate infectious diseases to just a few people.
Now, you may think this is a pipe dream from the days of George Jetson. After all, we have been hearing about this kind of flight option for at least the last 60 years.
Two breakthroughs make it real and imminent. First, the fuel issue. For an electric plane to be practical, battery storage density (the energy a battery can provide for a given size) must approach or exceed that supplied by the same density of jet fuel (which is nothing but kerosene). In other words, for the equivalent volume and weight of a gallon of kerosene, you must have a battery that has just as much energy in order to be competitive. Researchers are getting very close on this.
The other issue is control. This one is solved. The large airplanes today essentially operate on computer control all the time, including takeoff and landing. Pilots and copilots are really hands-off observers.
Scaling this to small plane size is a no-brainer. Autopilot airplanes are really easier to do that fully autopilot automobiles, for other than takeoff and landing (which have already been perfected), the balance of the trip is much simpler in the air with collision avoidance software (which already exists). Why? In the air, the craft has three dimensions to utilize to keep from hitting another craft.
Of course, there is one more problem, which may be the biggest one – getting people to fly without a pilot. They are essentially doing this in today’s planes, but the psychological comfort of having a pilot upfront means a lot to many people.
One company that intrigues me which is developing and getting ready to build these airplanes is Lilium (www.lilium.com). They project full commercial operation in five years. This will be a bit of technology answering society’s needs in a handsome way.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.
HCP columnist
In the last month, I have written two technology columns. Early March, I was discussing the need for better highways to Hillsboro. Last week, I talked about the problems large aircraft have wrought for modern society.
Actually, airplanes have caused more expense than the identified flaws of last week. As a society, both here and abroad, we have built large airports to handle large airplanes. These airports cause traffic congestion, noise pollution and any number of other problems (for example, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is purported to be the largest human trafficking hub in the nation).
A solution for several problems with air travel have been in the works for many years. They may soon come to fruition.
All the big airplane manufacturers plus companies like Honda and others have been diligently working on small air taxis that can fly point to point with little or no runways.
Pilotless and electric, these planes will reduce the cost to the point that for many domestic trips, it will no longer be necessary to take a road trip to get to a large airport, for these new air taxis can land anywhere, carrying just a few passengers. Due to their cost structure, they can be profitable at a small size. Such airplanes will make Hillsboro as accessible as Chicago.
They will fix the Achilles heels of (a) being small enough that they cannot be used as a weapon (9/11) and (b) being small enough to isolate infectious diseases to just a few people.
Now, you may think this is a pipe dream from the days of George Jetson. After all, we have been hearing about this kind of flight option for at least the last 60 years.
Two breakthroughs make it real and imminent. First, the fuel issue. For an electric plane to be practical, battery storage density (the energy a battery can provide for a given size) must approach or exceed that supplied by the same density of jet fuel (which is nothing but kerosene). In other words, for the equivalent volume and weight of a gallon of kerosene, you must have a battery that has just as much energy in order to be competitive. Researchers are getting very close on this.
The other issue is control. This one is solved. The large airplanes today essentially operate on computer control all the time, including takeoff and landing. Pilots and copilots are really hands-off observers.
Scaling this to small plane size is a no-brainer. Autopilot airplanes are really easier to do that fully autopilot automobiles, for other than takeoff and landing (which have already been perfected), the balance of the trip is much simpler in the air with collision avoidance software (which already exists). Why? In the air, the craft has three dimensions to utilize to keep from hitting another craft.
Of course, there is one more problem, which may be the biggest one – getting people to fly without a pilot. They are essentially doing this in today’s planes, but the psychological comfort of having a pilot upfront means a lot to many people.
One company that intrigues me which is developing and getting ready to build these airplanes is Lilium (www.lilium.com). They project full commercial operation in five years. This will be a bit of technology answering society’s needs in a handsome way.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.