Another electric plane that is presented

I have the feeling that every few weeks a new electric plane is presented, and the presentations are very similar: they all have a website and a video of the project; and most of them little more.

I have worked for more than 20 years in the aeronautical world and have manufactured more than 1,000 airplane wings (in addition to other aeronautical surfaces and parts), and I know first-hand how serious and professional that world is.

No one can appear overnight and start to build an airplane.

An airplane is a very serious device where people’s lives cannot be put at risk. If the plane falls to the ground, the passengers are killed. And both certifying and manufacturing an aircraft is a very complex activity that takes not a few years.

I am surprised by the “joy” with which many speak of flying taxis and new planes, each more surprising, as if that were going to happen tomorrow. And it is not like that, but ignorance is very daring, and it is very tempting to publish news in the media.

Today I am going to comment on the case of Kelekona, which is a start-up that has presented its new electric plane (of course) and has the shape of a flying wing with motors that rotate to raise it or make it progress forward, and they say that it will carry 40 passengers.

I have entered their WEB and I see that they want to offer flights of 1h. to unite large cities like Los Angeles with San Francisco, and others like it.

I have delved a bit to see what people are behind this project, and I have only seen a few names of engineers and researchers, and not many; so I don’t know what’s behind it, but I have many doubts about the seriousness of the project.

A video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/dV91vXU4YHk

But we have to remember that paper and videos can admit everything, but then the reality is quite different and very complicated.