Are there any hybrid airplanes?

Question

Are there any hybrid airplanes?

Answer 1

Not that i know of.

Who knows they're probably working on one right now...

It could save us a lot of money on ticket prices.

Answer 2

Not likely, because Hybrids really get their power by storing the braking energy and re-using it again.

So when a car is moving at 40miles per hour it has a lot of stored

energy. Think: 40mph x 2500lbs!

This energy is usually disipated (wasted) as heat when you brake.

Hybrids engage a generator when they brake to create electricity that is stored in batteries. They do this in addition to using regular friction-type brakes.

The batteries are used to power electric motors to supplement the car's gasoline motor.

It's really just a recycling system.

Now an Airplane has A LOT of potential energy. Think 600mph x 30,000 lbs x 30,000 feet (altitude is a store of energy too if you drop a rock from a tall building, more energy is released than if you drop it from a foot above the ground, right?)

But how would you capture it?

An airplane disipates it's energy through friction with the air. The pilot turns down the engines, and angles the plane in such a way that the wings act more like a parachute than a plane (a simple explanation).

If you can think of a way to capture this energy and store it, then yes, you'll have a hybrid plane. But chances are it would be impractical.

but we have something like hybird fule plan

Experimental flights have been made using biofuels. Biojet fuel will become widely available, and it will solve availability problems for a while, but it will be expensive.

Hybrid technology as in hybrid automobiles is not suited for use in airplanes. The components are too heavy

Answer 3

Yeah...

they are called "gliders".

Answer 4

Sorry.  Hybrid technology as used in automobiles is not suitable for airplanes, for several reasons.

Batteries are too heavy to carry in an airplane, and there is no way to recapture the kinetic energy that the motor/generator can recapture in a hybrid car.

Answer 5

Yes, Richard Branson just flew one of his on biofuel.

Answer 6

there are some private aircraft that have a hybrid system. These are extremely small, and light single or dual seaters. They have a gas piston engine and a battery for cruise.

hybrid commercial aircraft will probably never be a reality.

There are commercial aircraft running on biofuel and Jet A blends however. (because biofuel alone is not liquid enough and will freeze easily at high altitude)

Virgin airlines just flew a cross atlantic flight with a 747 running on ethanol and Jet A

There are also experimental aircraft that is powered by solar energy and batteries only but they do not carry passengers.