Electric Planes Have Landed!
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- čas přidán 26. 08. 2024
- In Vancouver, Canada, the team at Harbour Air are on a mission to electrify their fleet of 40 seaplanes starting with the 62 year old, Beaver DHC2. Imogen visited the team to find out how they're getting on with the electric makeover of this Canadian icon and see what challenges they've encountered along the way. Harbour Air has been connecting coastal communities with tiny planes since 1982 and is determined to storm ahead in the race to electrify aviation and give old planes new leases of electric life!
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#electric #electricplane #seaplane #beaverDHC2 #harbourair #vancouver #britishcolumbia #sustainability #electricaviation #electricflight
A Beaver float plane will never die, they started out with radial engine’s then turboprop’s. The short range needed around the Vancouver islands makes this plane ideal.
@Chris Barnes.
Weight vs energy density is very big issue with a plane vs say a car. But that being said, where there is a will there will be a way. Should be interesting to see how some try to make it work
Ideal: so long as there is no significant weight to carry. Or Mandatory "Fuel Reserve"
- I remember doing the numbers on this plane when first announced, the problem with commercial operations isn't "can it fly the route", it is more - "can it fly the routes with useful payload, plus mandatory reserves" (being a floatplane doesn't eliminate "mandatory" reserve energy (fuel proxy) needed in an E-Plane that costs a LOT more in payload than conventionally)...
Love electric planes - Incidentally I have been flying e-RC planes (big ones) for "a long time" - how long - "long" (jk)
- flown Fuel powered GA - on and off for a while too.
@@kadmow Really gotta get Transport Canada on board with relaxing that mandatory reserve somewhat for these types of runs. Carrying a 45 min reserve for a 20 minute flight seems a bit overkill. He did mention they were getting a 20 minute reserve power on a 20 minute flight so maybe they have a special flight operation certificate or some such.
@@grejen711 . Minimum reserve practically (safe not necessarily legal) needs to be at least back to base, functionally Vancouver to (say) Victoria, return with ( 30min reserve to allow for an INTER but not a TEMPO) margins for SAFETY - Who cares if one's energy source of choice isn't economically viable - one doesn't "PLAN" to be on the edge of safety - busting mins means "MAYDAY Fuel" that is a serious breach when the public rely on you and trust you with their lives. -Phone tower after landing to "Please explain",
Necessitating Recharging after only one leg would make the setup nonviable commercially - any twin otter with volume and range to spare will eat any eBeaver operator. Lol...
Also would be ideal in the Maldives.
Enjoying watching Imogen's reports. She's a great addition to the Fully Charged team!
True ...and much better to look at and listen to than Jack! IMO of course :-)
@@FishplateFilms yeah her Indian husband breeds with her
Ah of course, two thirsty males have to comment about her looks and 'breeding'. Welcome to the 21st century lads.
@@Degartuo no he wouldn't, but remember not to feed the trolls 🧌
@@avatr7109 It is our custom here on Earth for husbands to ahem..."breed" with wives, no need to be alarmed.
a facinating episode. I love the idea of retro fitting old planes. and it also shows that small scale commercial flying is both possible and going to be common place.
a great presenter too. has really hit the ground running.
No it'll literally never take off because at best all it can manage is a couple of tens of minutes of flight. It also only is relevant to smaller lightweight 'no frills' airframes.
Unfortunately those old retrofits aren’t going to be super common tbh! Electric cars/ aircrafts….. needs significantly more modern/lightest materials like composite materials….. to even Maximize in the range….
@@alanmay7929 Cars aren't really a problem. Their weight is entirely acceptable and they roll on the ground on wheels. Weight is EVERYTHING with flight however and batteries just don't hold enough energy for much more than tens of minutes of it. It seems everyone these days thinks anything can fly if it bolt a propeller onto it. Not so actually. Drones fly because they're super lightweight.
Hurrah! You actually listened to my suggestion. As a Vancouverite I love what these guys are trying to do.
As someone who lives directly under their flight path into Victoria harbour? I can hardly wait for these to take over.
Great to see the harbour planes going electric in beautiful British Columbia. Love that place.
@Harry Groundwater I'm British, but spent a year working in Whistler way back in 04/05. Best year of my life!
Always happy to see Canada featured on the channel.
It would be great to see a show from my city, Kingston, Ontario.
We have 2 new electric car ferries coming that will transport people to and from Wolfe Island and Amherst Island in Lake Ontario. Both of which are dotted with wind turbines, 112 in total.
The Wolfe Island Ferry will carry 80 vehicles and 400 passengers. The Amherst Island Ferry will carry 42 vehicles and 300 passengers. These will serve people in their daily commute as well as tourists who travel to the islands in the summer months.
We will also be home to a brand new battery recycling facility which will supply materials to the new battery manufacturing facility being built down the 401 (big highway) in Windsor.
No kidding! That would beat the tar over the present Wolfe Islander running it's diesel 24/7.
Went from Vancouver to Victoria 15 years ago. Great experience and surprised at how smooth the take-off and landing were.
Took a flight with Harbour Air on holiday in Vancouver years ago. Got the T shirt! Great to see them going strong and innovating with the Beaver.
I would love to see the evolution expand to Cessna single engines. A ready electrification modification for a 172/182 would truly awaken the aviation community. I agree, it’s coming, it’s just a matter of letting battery technology and innovation catching up with our dreams.
A C152/172/182 would be far too heavy for 'conversion'.
Finding a electric conversion kit for the VW Beetle is so easy now, so just like that the 172/182 series could be a perfect candidate for a company that is brave enough to get busy with that. 🙂
@@Noukz37 As long as you don't expect to carry ant passengers maybe ! That Beaver was just stuffed with batteries and carried niopassengers either,
The problem is that fossil planes are designed the way they are for a reason, which is inefficient for electric planes. Electric planes should be designed around the fact that they are electric. For fun, though, retrofitting is nice.
HA also flys 180 on floats. The reason they chose the beaver is there are 3 gas tanks in the belly (95 gallons US) and 2 wing tip tanks.(20 gallons each). They could replace the belly tanks with 600 lbs of batteries with out changing the CG.
The 180 has the tanks inboard in the wings, this is not usable space for batteries in a retro fit.
Imogen's presentation gesture style is holding an invisible football.
hahaha - this really made me chuckle. I'll go for an invisible rugby ball next time
I love how they were pioneers and get to be pioneers again. So cool. There’s something so cool about propeller aircraft, especially when electric.
I just love Imogen's commentary. Far be it from irritating - which is what so many presenters suffer from (why? - be yourself), Imogen's lovely accent and voice combination is a pleasure to listen to. And how ironic I should come across this video - I lived in Maple Bay just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island and saw these beavers operating every day from '94 to '99. Retired in the UK now.
This video makes me so happy as a Canadian, a greenie and an aviation fan! Well done!
Nice review. Nice to see Harbour Air moving things along with their partners.
The general message of the video is well done, acknowledging the real issues of electrically-powered flight.
Yeah! I am happy to see my province showing up in your show.
The 1884 electric “flight” was performed on an airship. I’m writing this because I remembered that the first controlled, sustained flight (the one performed by Wright brothers) was not earlier than 1903 (for 6km). But the thing is in fact correct if you consider airships in the story.
(Wright bros "event" - was specifically in the category of - "heavier than air" craft... no probs there, it is clearly recorded in historical annals.)
Well I mean hot air balloon also beat airships, 1783 so 101 years earlier. And as someone else pointed out heavier than air travel is the wright brothers and the others
The fuel bill must be a big percentage for their overheads, and at todays inflated prices, it must be huge. For their type of flying electric motors just make sense!
Thing is, electricity isn't free either ... and since a lot of it comes from fossil fuels, the price of electricity is a function of the price of energy as a whole. Still, in this use case, it makes a lot of sense!
I've owned cars that I have jokingly said the value of doubles if I had a full tank of gas. I wonder if there is something similar for aircraft.
@@Alessandro--- it's not free but you can fix your electricity costs , with oil power thats all at the mercy of the next potential war 👍
@@Alessandro--- If it is anything like battery electric cars, the fuel costs drop by about 80% (note that is not zero..), plus a massive reduction in maintenance costs. Would guess that the installation costs would not take long to cover?
@@Alessandro--- Electricity is relative cheap in BC and fuel costs are some of the worst in North America. 95% of the electricity in BC is produced by Hydro dams rather than fossil fuels. It costs me about $8 Canadian (about $6.20 USD) to drive 400km in my Kona. To use gasoline in a similar car would cost about $75 CDN for 400km.
Maintenance costs for electric cars is much cheaper. That is especially true for airplanes.
Thanks for featuring my city. We have plenty of EV users here, specially Tesla.
Nice beaver (to quote Leslie Nielson)
Love your work 👍
More of this young lady and aeroplanes please!
Beautiful video. When she said they were pioneers and will be pioneers again, that almost made me cry.
I am really excited for electric flight, as I no longer take pleasure trips on planes as it's not good for my conscience. I live in Nanaimo BC, and Harbour Air has a base operating out of the Harbour where it will be so much nicer to walk when there fleet is fully charged and we no longer have to breath in the diesel fumes and listen to the din of their current fleet. I am so happy with what they are trying to do and wish them every success! Thanks for another great video!!
Excited to see more on electric plane conversions.
Quite agree, maybe look at the Pipistrel Panthera Electro that was hinted at when the Pipistrel flight trainer was covered?
This presenter is new to me, but I'm a fan already! Well shot as well.
For those, like me, who are probably a little confused:
Yes Charles Reynard had electric flight in 1884, and the Wright brothers flew in 1903. Reynard was a dirigible engineer (airships/blimps etc.)
Don't think that contradicts anything - those concerned, please stand down :-)
The first time I started up a radial engined Otter is forever etched in my mind. The sound. The power. The smell. The feeling. It makes my heart race to this day just thinking about it. The "romance" of flight will never be electric. It may be "practical"....some day.. but it will always be like comparing a house painter to Rembrandt.
I'm so excited for this to become the new norm!
What a beautiful adorable presenter and an interesting topic! Thanks 👍
Surprised we couldn't see/hear a take off sequence with the sound of that electric powered prop.
Man I wish I was in BC. I'd work for these guys in a heartbeat.
Viking Air need to start making new Beavers, Otters, etc, with electric versions!
Only the Twin Otter is still (or rather, again) in production. They are considering electric options for something, but not sharing any details.
@@brianb-p6586 well that's promising at least.
I flew Vancouver to Victoria a few years ago on Harbour Air, and it was quietly one of the most fun things I've ever done - I'd love to be able to go back in a few years and do it again in an electric plane!
Amazing! All beginnings are weak; but well begun is half done. I love this clip.
Really enjoying the electric aviation series from Imogen. Thanks!
The point about propeller design not having the old requirement is interesting. Never thought about that part before.
The moment Harbour Air can service Vancouver to Victoria on an electric plane I will be booking copiously. I'll hinge my visit to my aunt and uncle in Victoria on this!
The Beaver is not just an iconic sight around here, it's an iconic sound. Are they going to play tapes of that wonderful P-W ridial?
If you have ever traveled to remote places in Canada you probably have flown in a Beaver. They are the best workhorse floatplane on the planet. I hope they continue to convert them to electric.
This is really fantastic, thanks so much for sharing!
I must say that Imogen is B-E-A-utiful! 😍
Looking forward to lots more episodes from Vancouver. Imogen is a great presenter and your production team really impressive - thank you 🙏
Finally seeing activity in the superfast CharIn Megawatt Charging Standard MCS
Good job, keep moving forward.
More electric aviation please!
Great one fully charged! Thanks
Canada was opened, by the small plane, since they were invented. Wop May, that’s a read. Thanks for showing this.
Great stuff, nice to see these companies taking such bold and encouraging steps on sustainability.
Lots of walking around the outside of the plane. How about a look at the inside and the batteries and even a flight in an almost vibration free plane!
It's just like flying in the engine version of the plane - but less noisy.......a bit like a glider, I expect!!
Not difficult to imagine.....
It won't be like a glider, as at least half the noise of a plane is the props beating the air.
... not sure a glider has props
Some gliders have props to get them off the ground
@@floatymcboat2885 That's the point: the noise in this aircraft is not like that in a glider, because this aircraft will have substantial prop noise. The prop noise is apparent in videos of its first flight, last year.
I've followed this since 2019. I rely on text and static imagery, but this video is next level.
Good to see the advert at the beginning encouraging people to travel thousands of miles to 'save the planet'!!
That was great,thanks 😃✌
Excellent episode
Love it, I wish you showed the setup under the hood
Watched from Old Harbour Jamaica
The next decades will be so exciting for aviation. (I still think future is trains, but aviation will be always necesary)
BTW. Listening to Imogen is pure joy. Maybe the accent. She could be announcing my death sentence and I think I would still smile.
Greetings from Colombia
Oh boy could we use one around here! Copenhagen inner city has a one seaplane terminal, which is used by a 1978 De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, with two giant turboprops. And the smoke and noise is immense!
Yes, it is cool to se the short take off and landing right beside you between the ships, but I sure would love less smoke and noise. It's usual route is 160 km / 100 miles, so it could be done in an electric plane I think.
Very cool to see this, I live in Nanaimo and actually took a flight with Harbour Air from Vancouver on my return journey from the UK in April
Brilliant! As some1 who grew up in Vancity, I'm looking forward to the 2023 FC Live event 😃 I definitely want to try flying in an electric Harbour Air seaplane. I've only ever used the ferry boats & it's pretty easy to imagine our network of islands being more integrated with this type of travel. Way-to-go, Harbour Air for this wonderful mission y'all are on & thanks Fully Charged for covering this 🙏🏽
Thanks for filming the PNW and doing more episodes on electric flight!
That's what we call the west coast - it's not north to Canadians.
Great project and interesting video
I always wanted a filet in a seaplane. You have just upped the anti - it needs to be electric!
Gee...an electric Beaver....well I never?? A terrific episode and what a refreshing change to see Imogen again on screen. This is what I look for as a long time patreon member...professional presentation and interesting topics !
Thanks team.
GRegg.
it's quite a nice looking thing
Great episode. As a pilot I am super excited about this new era. Loving the channels new presenter too!
Love the aviation info
Another great episode! I hope we get to see even more companies following suit and going electric.
I bet those people hating the electric motor in a DHC-2 because it violated the classic configuration didn't have huge problem with those in the video that have had the original radial engines replaced with turboprops.
Excellent episode, covering the advantages and the challenges of electrification. Retrofitting must be supported so it can grow from a cottage industry to a normal thing for normal cars.
Using a DeHavilland Beaver as a platform to test electric flight is very fitting. They just keep on keeping on. No better aircraft.
I just cant be the only one so excited for more electrified beavers?
Enjoyed this video.
What a great time to be an engineer. I wish I had paid more attention to my science lessons at school. 😄
Brilliant to see, I've been flying rc planes for 40 years and moving to electric was a godsend.
Battery tech will get better and motors more efficient , that doesn't happen on it's own though, people actually need to DO it.
I would love to see cost of it, projected cost of the next, fuel cost comparisons, battery sizes.
Well done
Great to see this industry being electrified as well, and your coverage of it. BTW, _kilometres_ rhymes with "nanometres", not with "thermometers" (because it's a unit, not a device). You should hang out with Jack more for this to rub off on you ;)
Oooh - excited that there will be a show(?) in Vancouver in 2023!
Wonderful to see a retrofit/reuse idea like this. Not everything has to be brand new, designed from the ground up.
If you do a follow-up I'd love to hear about the difference in noise - piston to turboprop to electric.
Thank you, I just had it stuffed.
Great stuff! I have flown all over the world in big and little planes, liked the little ones the most, and occasonally fantasise about owning a seaplane. Now I know they can be electrified and retain all that is beautiful and elegant about them, I am going to have to buy more lottery tickets. Thanks for this, nicely done.
Spreading the batteries out should help slightly with cooling. Maybe props with smaller diameter and more blades, more of a fan design, maybe a jet-like design with many small blades and a duct. It'd be easy to have many small motors, for redundancy & maybe efficiency.
Pretty cool project I like that they know there are limitations but they can work with them and still make the concept work for their purposes. Yeah we’re going to fly hours and hours but it’s an awesome concept for short trips!
Nice beaver.
The 5 star hotels right next to where Harbour Air operates will appreciate the noise reduction.
Great video 👌
It's so beautiful. How amazing. Great video!
It is true. Just the fact that an old plane can more or less easily be given a second lease of life through an electric drivetrain illustrates how much more sustainable electric is. Even apart from the move away from IC engine emissions that is an inherent sustainability win.
Prop plane engines are after all amazing machines which cannot just be built on a whim. Big names like Rolls Royce are the companies to do so. After a massive engineering effort. Often custom made for the plane. It is not always an option to just simply replace such an engine with a new duplicate engine when it reaches the end of its life. Though the rest of the plane may still be fine, or much simpler to repair and maintain.
5:07 Why are there people who think nostalgia has a greater value than the environment, performance, and cost?
cool piece. unique content
Great episode, wonderful pictures - what I would have loved to see: An impression of how it feels to fly in the electric plane. How loud is it for passengers compared to traditional airplanes of the same type?
Just because there is no tailpipe doesn’t mean there are no emissions - (the ongoing manufacture and supply). Further the payload and costs are likely negative factors
Very brilliant, thank you for another magnificent video!
Love this, the future is going to be good.
This channel is so positive. The world is In a pretty awful place but innovations & belief by those innovators show what we humans can do for the better not worse.
Always entertaining, informative, leading the field and with the Fully Charged 'je ne sais quoi'.
Excellent presentation Imogen. Very slick production values too. I'm here in Vancouver and want to help. Please reply about how we might be able to meet. Thanks a lot.
YES, this is my passion 😂😂😂👍🏼❤️
🤗👍😎IT IS THE FUTURE AND WE LOOK 👀 FORWARD TO IT 💚💚💚
I guess cold weather or high altitudes out of the question - something that Canada has a lot of.