Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Whisper Aero Ultraquiet Electric Aviation
Whisper Aero's amazing 55-lb. ISR drone has a single top-mounted 10-lb.-thrust electric ducted fan.
But Whisper’s ambitions go far beyond powering small drones, to encompass air taxis and transonic aircraft and even consumer and industrial applications from leaf blowers to compressors. “This is going to touch everything that wants to move air quietly and efficiently,” says co-founder and CEO Mark Moore.“We’ve flown a drone that weighed 55 lb. but for another customer we’re looking at vehicles in the tens of thousands of pounds, with propulsion systems in the thousands of pounds and able to exceed the current capability of other solutions like propellers and even turbofans,” says Chief Engineer Devon Jedamski. “We’ve already been paid by the government to see how this scales up and show that this can achieve up to transonic speeds for newer applications.”
Electric aviation is getting started with propellers and rotors because the speeds are modest and noise, efficiency and time-to-market are priorities. “Electric aircraft developers are in a race to get things flying and certified as quickly as possible. That’s great, but they are in the Model T era of electric flight,” says Moore, a former NASA engineer and co-founder of the Uber Elevate aerial ride-sharing initiative.
(Via aviationweek)
The earliest reference in science fiction to the idea of an electric airplane is the electric plane from Synthetic, a short story by Charles Cloukey published by Amazing Stories in 1930:
(Electric plane from 'Synthetic' by Charles Cloukey)A white electric plane approached at great speed, high above the course. It flipped over on one wing, turned, dove, and passed over the cabin-plane where the other members of our party had been watching the race through the binocular telescopes...
(Read more about the electric plane)
And I can't resist this earlier reference to a whisper quiet method of flight than "whisper mode" from Blue Thunder (1983):
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 4/23/2023)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Engineering ")
Biomimetic Tendons From Rochu Robotics
'... the curious parallelism to animal motions.' - HG Wells, 1898.
You Will Eat The Cookies Made From Plastic...
'Our planes are going to start bringing in bales of discarded plastics...' - Rick Shelley, 1989.
ICE Buys Shock Gloves Like Batman's
What else is the Caped Crusader using?
When Colds Threaten You Can't Do This - Or Can You?
'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.' - FL Wallace, 1955.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
'If Anyone Is Watching Earth...'
'Our study of your race has convinced us that you are not fitted to leave your planet in the present state of your civilization.'
Epirus High-Power Microwave Defeats Drones
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.'
Cloud Of Space Rubbish From China's Long March Rocket
'Within seconds the material was spread out over fifty yards, in a matter of hours it might occupy several cubic miles of space...'
Biomimetic Tendons From Rochu Robotics
'... the curious parallelism to animal motions.'
Living Human Neuron Biological Compute Rack
'And the lifter was being piloted by a large pizza with extra cheese...'
Martha Stewart Approves Ojai 'Living Room On Wheels'
'Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting.'
ESA's Draco To Study Heat Of Reentry
'...a synthetic which air-friction would erode.'
Buy A Galaxy? Maybe Start Smaller
'The sky is the limit' just got higher.
The United States Space Academy Is Official
'Is our orbit to Space Academy clear?'
Is There A Global Problem With Who Is Having Children?
'After twenty generations of shillyshallying...'
You Will Eat The Cookies Made From Plastic...
'Our planes are going to start bringing in bales of discarded plastics...'
It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned!
'... completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gaut...'
Birds Learn To Sing Pictures ala Frank Herbert's Distrans
'We will fight in the time of fighting.'
ElectionSim: China's 'Ender's Game' Battle Sim, Or Lem's 'Kingdom In A Box'?
'So, Ender, we will now begin your education.'
Tactile Skin Supplier Map
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!'
Flock Stymied By 'Adversarial Fashion'
'Forget the head atop it, the legs below, feet, arms, hands. It compels erasure.'
