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Subject: Re: Ion drive for aircraft imminent.
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2016 21:09:09 -0000
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In sci.physics Robert Clark <rgregoryclark@gmspambloackail.com> wrote:

<snip>

> It's analogous to ion drive in that it ionizes a gas then uses electric 
> fields to direct the charged gas molecules backwards to provide thrust.
> 
> For ion space drives you want the propellant to accelerate to high speed to 
> achieve high exhaust velocity. This means you can achieve high speed for the 
> spacecraft with a small amount of propellant according to the rocket 
> equation. This requires though a high amount of power to generate those high 
> exhaust speeds.
> 
> For the corresponding air vehicle propulsion you don't want the air 
> accelerated speeds to be high because you would be going at slow speed for 
> the vehicle or just hovering. This can generate higher thrust with a reduced 
> exhaust velocity.

The power required to fly by aircraft is the same no matter the motive
source.

A small 4 place aircraft typically has about a 140 kW engine, a small
2 place helicopter double that.

-- 
Jim Pennino