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Commentary

Soarer on Electric

This segment is absolutely prime for electric power, which is attractive for several reasons. It eliminates the terrible reliability factor and is independent of density altitude. The mission only requires a 10- to 15-minute initial burn to climb to 3000 feet and begin the soaring day. If battery capacity is one hour, this is easily adequate to serve the mission needs for a backup to get home. If far out on course and low in altitude, the regime is to climb under power for another 10 minutes and then glide for around 30 miles (50:1 glide ratio), and then another 10-minute climb (if necessary) to get home.

Aviation Consumer Staff
Verified

Larry Anglisano’s commentary on electric motorgliders (April 2016, Aviation Consumer) delivers a message that electric motor power is just as unattractive for gliders as it is for traditional powered airplanes. Allow me to give the other side of that coin.

The folks quoted in the commentary are accomplished touring motorglider pilots. Touring motorgliders (for sport soaring and transportation) do an admirable job for long cross-country flying missions—both in powered mode and in soaring flight—when conditions allow. Very significant here is that these aircraft use conventional small aircraft engines (often Rotax), which are proven reliable.

Aviation Consumer Staff