https://www.euroga.org/forums/aircraft/13686-elfin-a-hybrid-motor-glider?page=1
Last thing I heard was that the maiden flight is delayed and proposed for autumn now. The project has a history of delays, unfortunately.
This twin-engined electric aircraft seating 9 pax and two pilots just made it’s maiden flight.
Once again, no useful range and no useful payload. The article says it ‘awaits further advances in battery technology’ before entering service, but of course doesn’t say that these advances need to be 5-10 fold and are incredibly unlikely in the foreseeable future.
These sorts of flights do not represent an achievement. The technology to send an electric aeroplane round the overhead for 10 minutes carry a single person has existed for a long time.
Supposedly there will be a part 2 with more details about the plane itself
Which will say that it expects to enter service in ~2026, “subject to advances in battery technology”.
Those six little words. So little meaning beyond “the usual caveats” to a venture capitalist with no scientific education. Such a yawning chasm in the real world.
Every single time there is an advance in electric flight we get to hear “well, it will still never work because of…”
I’m sure that when the first electric aircraft enters commercial service, we’ll still hear that it’s just a pipe dream.
That is a valid observation on human nature, but does not address the real issues of physics and engineering 
@Airborne_Again the “because of…” is always exactly the same thing – energy density – because they’re no closer to solving it.
This isn’t an advance in electric flight, and nor is anything else similar. This is sending an electric aeroplane with no useful range and no useful payload round the overhead for a few minutes, just to demonstrate it’ll fly. We all know it’ll fly because the principles are well established. What it won’t do is carry anything useful over any useful distance.
It’s a battery issue, not an aircraft issue. If a battery with 10x current best energy density suddenly became available, a team of schoolboys could design an viable electric airliner.
I’ll be the first to buy you a beer when the first one enters service. Or when one flies for a useful amount of time carrying a useful load!
dublinpilot wrote:
And is it really safe to send a student solo in an aircraft with just 30 mins reserve? While it’s rare, I’m sure we’ve heard stories about a student doing their solo circuits only for someone to block the runway with a burst tyre etc.
Glider student pilots fly solo with 0 min reserve
Supposedly there will be a part 2 with more details about the plane itself
I guess the key thing here is “buying” vs “ordering”, I think American Airliners did also “order” 20 supersonic Mach 1.7 passenger jets (even if Overture Boom is not yet available for “buying”)
On electrical technology, it will happen on GA aircraft and even it seems one can easily transpose car technology into aircraft as the whole action happens in the battery, I just drove with a friend in his electric car, I did not know that Mercedes make consumer electric cars and that they are north of 400nm range, the price is not cheap though (120k€)
