How do electric plane motors work?

Instead of fuel, plasma jet engines use electricity to generate electromagnetic fields. These compress and excite a gas, such as air or argon, into a plasma – a hot, dense ionised state similar to that inside a fusion reactor or star.

Which engines are suitable for supersonic flight?

NASA73 investigated six potential propulsion systems for use on supersonic civil aircraft: turbojet, turbine bypass, mixed flow turbofan, variable cycle, Flade (Fan-on-blade is a modified turbofan engine that introduces an additional airstream up front in the engine fan) and the inverting.

Is it possible to have a supersonic propeller plane?

So getting back to your question, it is probably NOT possible for a typical propeller-driven plane such as the P-47, F8F, or Spitfire to become supersonic, even in a dive, because of these shock waves that form when parts of the plane and propeller exceed Mach 1.

Can planes be powered by electricity?

Advancements keep continuing, as a wide range of companies have shown interest in electric planes. In 2017, Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel introduced one of the first all-electric airplanes – including an electric propulsion system – that has been certified for use in flying schools.

What jet engine has the most thrust?

GE9X engine
The GE9X engine for the Boeing 777X has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the the most powerful commercial aircraft jet engine (test performance) after reaching 134,300 lbs of thrust.

How does a supersonic aircraft work?

Supersonic flights are so called because they travel faster than the speed of sound. To do this, the aircraft must break through the sound barrier, which requires an efficient aerodynamic design to reduce drag, and considerable thrust from powerful engines to overcome the turbulence caused by shock waves.

How does the sr71 engines work?

The SR-71 Blackbird, a now-retired twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft, has an inlet design based on a cone-shaped body, or spike, that generates an oblique-angled, cone-shaped shock wave at the inlet’s entrance and a normal shock wave—one rising at a right angle from the direction of air flow—just aft of the internal …

What object can travel at supersonic speed?

A bullet fired from a gun is an example of an object that flies at supersonic speeds. Military fighter aircraft also fly this fast. The space shuttle orbiter flies at supersonic speeds during portions of its mission. An airplane called the Concorde was the most notable passenger airplane to travel at supersonic speeds.

How high do supersonic jets fly?

What is supersonic flight? Supersonic flight is when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound. At an altitude of 60,000ft (18,300m), that means flying faster than 660mph (1,060km/h).

Is it possible to make a supersonic electric plane?

There is battery technology which would greatly increase the energy density (watt hours per kilogram) of batteries. This will make the supersonic electric passenger plane feasible. Patent 8636241 – A fixed-wing VTOL aircraft features an array of electric lift fans distributed over the surface of the aircraft.

Could a supersonic vertical take-off passenger jet be coming?

Elon Musk, the billionaire behind PayPal and SpaceX, has suggested that his next big project could be a supersonic vertical take-off passenger jet. There is battery technology which would greatly increase the energy density (watt hours per kilogram) of batteries. This will make the supersonic electric passenger plane feasible.

Is a VTOL supersonic plane possible?

Aviation talks about a patent for a VTOL supersonic plane. Richard Lugg is the man behind the HyperMach [Mach 4 cruise] SonicStar supersonic business jet concept. HyperMach’s design has supersonic laminar flow, plasma drag and boom reduction, and superconducting electric propulsion.