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Engineering360: "Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind"

11/30/2018 11:38 AM

Read Engineering360 article: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind.

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#1

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

11/30/2018 12:40 PM

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

11/30/2018 5:17 PM

Seems steady enough in the still air of a gym, but how much of a cross-wind could it resist?

How much electrostatic discharge from a lightning strike in an electrical storm could it withstand?

5-pounds of weight over a 5-foot wingspan sounds interesting all by itself, though maybe a little flimsy...

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#3

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/03/2018 2:06 PM

I am not sure how this would work in condeensing conditions or rain.

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#4

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/07/2018 10:59 AM

Bottom line will be efficiency: How much thrust power do you get for a watt of electrical power? If that can even come close to the efficiency of an ICE or turbine, then they have something.

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#9
In reply to #4

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/11/2018 5:08 PM

Electrical power generation could be accomplished using 30 yo LFTR salt reactor feeding electric turbofans and ionic tech.

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#11
In reply to #4

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

04/08/2019 10:40 PM

Please see US Patent 10,119,527 and flight videos on Google.

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Anonymous Poster #1
#5

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/10/2018 7:47 PM

How much energy did the bungee cord impart when launched? Could it take off on its own? Looks like most impetus for flight came from the bungee.

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/11/2018 5:29 AM

Propulsion systems for aircraft without takeoff assistance (e.g. a catapult) are all sized for the takeoff and climb power condition. The power requirement for this phase of flight is nearly always much greater than at cruise, meaning the engines have to be big enough to get you airborne but then at cruise they're not working flat out.

What the team have done here is sized their propulsion system for cruise (making it lighter), just to prove they can stay afloat. They have then used a catapult to get airborne.

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#7

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/11/2018 11:03 AM

Cheaters using a catapult

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Anonymous Poster #1
#8
In reply to #7

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/11/2018 11:46 AM

A good point, but they were outside in the prevailing wind at Kitty Hawk.

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#10

Re: Video: MIT Develops a Solid-State Plane Powered by Ionic Wind

12/29/2018 3:15 AM

Surprisingly, the MIT ion propelled glider was NOT "the first ion propelled aircraft of any kind to carry its power supply," as Barrett claims in his paper and video. The real first such device to carry its power supply is called the "Self Contained Ion Propelled Aircraft." It is protected by US Patent 10,119,527, that has been in effect since 2014. It has a far higher power to weight ratio and efficiency level, than the MIT glider. You will find more than adequate substantiation for these facts online. www.electronairllc.org

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