Ten times the capcity of a Lithium Ion cell!!!

[asperkins]

This appears to be the "next big thing" in electric power, and has been talked about for a very long time. I don't think it will be here as soon as they predict though.

"These devices, designed to last as much as 10 times longer than a standard lithium-ion battery, should hit the market by 2004."

Can you imagine flying your small plane for 10 hours on a charge!?!?

"MTI this month unveiled its latest prototype fuel cell, which runs on methanol. About the size of a deck of cards, the prototype includes a replaceable fuel cartridge. "

http://www.eweek.com/print_article/0,3668,a=30408,00.asp

[e-sailpilot86]

I'm the first one up for doing the ten hour flight! :D

[Feodosia Flyer]

10 hour flight... let's see, staring up at the sky for10 hours straight, hhmm...

last time I done something like that I was surf fishing and looking up at the tip of my pole for hours on end.... it's not fun... it's a pain in the neck :D

[bjsiegel@texas.net]

S&E once had a picture of a guy kicking back in a yard lounge chair with a small sunshade and a big coll drink at hand. He was flying a large electric glider and having a ball.

Only drawback to a 10 hour flight is the need to install a clear dome roof on the porta-john.

[boomerace]

God I would be sooooo bored!!!!!:rolleyes:
boomer

[sguty]

Here's a link to the conference in Boston at the end of the week:
http://www.eyeforfuelcells.com/events/boston2002/
most of the methanol research seems to be focused on <<100 watt devices; there are , apparently, some heat issues for scaling up. But hey, the typical app doesn't have our potential cooling airstream, right?

[mumblety-peg]

10 straight hours of flight? Nah... Even 30 minutes is too much for me. But a weeks flying on one charge is an interesting thought.

[e-sailpilot86]

I've flown nearly nine hours straight. This second time would be less difficult, if I could go for 13+, I would. ;)

Strange things happen while flying! You stare at your plane so long your eyes do this funny dominance switching thing while staring straight, It looks like the plane is flying left/right/left/right/left/right...goes on from seconds to minutes, switching like 6 times a second. You have to lay down in a lounge chair, and get up to walk once in a while. If you plan to fly into the night, you need retro reflective tape on your plane, truckers supply stores will have it. You also need a portable light, a 3,000,000 candle power hand-held is necessary, but you really need a large super high power illuminator with about 4 spot lights. You also need lots of people with cars, using highbeam to help for landing. A bunch of C or D cells (alkaline) for the transmitter and AA alks. for the receiver at least. At about 7 hours through the flight I said, "gee, my voltage is down to 100%..." :D

It's a bunch of fun!

[rclark]

Would be nice. More convienent. The battery can always be in the plane. Get to the field, pull out the plane, turn on TX , flip battery enable switch on plane, pre-flight and your off! Fly as long as you wish then land.... Let your son fly for a while, etc. . No switching out batteries........ Like to see it my lifetime.....

At that point, you'd have to watch your TX battery :) or have the 'new' battery in it as well?