Motor - 18 H.P. High Torque - 90% Efficient at Cruise Controller - Electronic, Pulse Width Modulation, For High Efficiency and Smooth Control Battery Packs - Custom Built, Lithium Ion Polymer, Super High Capacity Choose the Size You Want Voltmeter - To Monitor How Much Power Is Available Ammeter - To Monitor How Much Power You Are Using Thrust - With Folding Prop - 140 Pounds With Big, Ultra Quiet Prop - 155 Pounds Duration - Up to Two Hours Depending on Battery Pack Chosen, Total Weight and Efficiency of the Wing - 1 to 1.5 Hour Flights Most Common
While over at South Lakeland Airport doing a flight report on the G 700 lightsport aircraft from Gobosh Aviation I happened to come upon Randall Fishman getting ready to take off in his electric powered trike to head over to Sun n Fun about 5 miles away.
He invited me to come over to his booth to talk about his new entry into the battery powered aviation field - a Moni motor glider that he has converted from gas powered to battery powered.
Randy has been flying this battery powered trike now for over a year but wanted to do something electric powered that would go FAST!
He already had a MONI motorglider that he had built in the early 90's, but had reservations about flying it because of the power plant.
"Since it is an efficient little airplane, that requires very little power to fly" he decided to convert it over to electric power.
The MONI uses standard stick and rudder tail dragger controls, with the throttle located on the left hand side and the stick on the right. The plane is also equipped with spoilers with the spoiler control located in behind the throttle.
The plane's instrument panel is equipped with the standard aircraft instruments, like airspeed and altimeter, but has two additional gauges, an amp meter and volt meter. According to Randy "the volt meter is like your fuel gauge so that you know how much flight time you have left." "While the amp meter tells you how much power you are using."
Randy also had one other switch a "Regeneration Switch". When the engine is turned off, say in a long glide or while thermalling, the wind milling prop can be used to recharge the batteries but activating the "Regeneration Switch." The switch can also be used during soaring to slow the propeller down so that the prop brake can be applied to make the plane more efficient.
Randy expects the 18 HP direct drive Electric Powered MONI to cruise in the 100 mph hour range, and with the current battery pack system to have between 1.5 and 2 hours of run time.
The plane requires full power for take off but in flight is using about 6 horsepower. The total power plant with batteries, electric motor, prop etc. is 115 lbs. Which ended up being 10 lbs lighter than the original gas powered engine installation.
For more information on the electric powered propulsion packages offered contact.
Electric Aircraft Corporation 561-351-1190 www.electraflyer.com
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