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posted by martyb on Friday March 24 2017, @03:57AM   Printer-friendly
from the solar-cells+dirigible+batteries+propellers dept.

A new start-up says it intends to offer an electric-powered commercial flight from London to Paris in 10 years.

Its plane, yet to go into development, would carry 150 people on journeys of less than 300 miles.

Wright Electric said by removing the need for jet fuel, the price of travel could drop dramatically.

British low-cost airline Easyjet has expressed its interest in the technology.

"Easyjet has had discussions with Wright Electric and is actively providing an airline operator's perspective on the development of this exciting technology," the airline told the BBC.

Vaporware, but the expression of intent is interesting.


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  • (Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Friday March 24 2017, @04:29AM (12 children)

    by nitehawk214 (1304) on Friday March 24 2017, @04:29AM (#483501)

    Well I will have electric flights going to the moon in 10 years.

    The thing that is the same is that they are equally likely.

    Seriously, take a look at the website for Wright Electric [weflywright.com]. Completely devoid of content. I have seen Kickstarter scams that have looked more viable.

    --
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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday March 24 2017, @04:40AM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday March 24 2017, @04:40AM (#483504) Journal

    They're emerging from stealth mode!

    Seriously though, companies that get venture capital funding but aren't widely known tend to have very sparse info on their websites.

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    • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Friday March 24 2017, @11:51AM

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 24 2017, @11:51AM (#483601) Journal
      You aren't disagreeing with nitehawk214. Existence of VC funding doesn't mean that the company isn't vaporware or a scam. The VC could be in on it or a patsy.
  • (Score: 1) by DoctorVoodoo on Friday March 24 2017, @04:47AM (3 children)

    by DoctorVoodoo (6498) on Friday March 24 2017, @04:47AM (#483510)

    I reckon it would take a strong swimmer/walker 5-6 days. But train is quicker.

    I could live with 10 days to moon. But I'd be wanting Uranus, if not interstellar, for 10 year journey.

    • (Score: 1) by tftp on Friday March 24 2017, @05:13AM (1 child)

      by tftp (806) on Friday March 24 2017, @05:13AM (#483520) Homepage

      I wouldn't want a 10 year journey anywhere - unless I get to live at least 1 million years. There is [realistically] nothing on the other end that is worth 10 years of life to me.

      • (Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Friday March 24 2017, @07:12AM

        by maxwell demon (1608) on Friday March 24 2017, @07:12AM (#483550) Journal

        I wouldn't want a 10 year journey anywhere - unless I get to live at least 1 million years.

        One million? I'd take a one-year journey already if in return I'd get one hundred extra years of life. That would most probably more than double my total lifetime; one year of travel wouldn't be too much of a price for that, don't you think?

        Indeed, I'm not sure that living a million years would be desirable. Probably you'd end up spending most of your life in isolation, as the rest of humanity is either already extinct, or evolved to a higher form that won't be interested in sharing their time with such a primitive life form as you are in their eyes.

        --
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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @05:44PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @05:44PM (#483762)

      But I'd be wanting Uranus

      Sorry, Dr. Voodoo, but I don't go in for these backdoor shenanigans. Sure, I'm flattered, maybe even a little curious, but the answer is no!

  • (Score: 1) by tftp on Friday March 24 2017, @05:21AM (5 children)

    by tftp (806) on Friday March 24 2017, @05:21AM (#483522) Homepage

    The thing that is the same is that they are equally likely.

    Don't be such a naysayer. Helium balloons are well known. Add a modern LED flashlight, and here you are - electrically flying! Can even get from London to Paris, if you are lucky and don't die for one of many possible reasons (including an attack of violent avians, if you believe Jules Verne.)

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by TheRaven on Friday March 24 2017, @08:25AM (4 children)

      by TheRaven (270) on Friday March 24 2017, @08:25AM (#483568) Journal
      London and Paris are well connected by trains and flying between the two is annoying because of the distance between the city centre and the airports. It doesn't sound like a great place for a startup to trial these flights. London to Edinburgh is a lot more annoying by train and might be a better idea.
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      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 24 2017, @09:18AM (3 children)

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 24 2017, @09:18AM (#483572) Journal

        London to Edinburgh

        Not to mention that, by the time electric flight becomes reality, the London to Edinburgh travel will be international - London, the capital of Small Britain and Edinburgh an European capital.

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        • (Score: 2) by TheRaven on Friday March 24 2017, @10:21AM (2 children)

          by TheRaven (270) on Friday March 24 2017, @10:21AM (#483580) Journal
          There's some talk in the press at the moment about London becoming an independent city-state, and it's currently polling higher among Londoners than independence is in Scotland, so it might be the other way around. That said, the simplest solution to the whole mess would be for all of the leave-voting areas to leave the UK and the EU and have their own little kingdom.
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          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday March 24 2017, @11:57AM

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 24 2017, @11:57AM (#483603) Journal
            And they're going to break up California into five pieces of nirvana - well four pieces of nirvana and Los Angeles.
          • (Score: 2) by gidds on Sunday March 26 2017, @08:23PM

            by gidds (589) on Sunday March 26 2017, @08:23PM (#484429)

            Hmmm, not heard that.

            I suspect that an independent London might suddenly become rather less wealthy and important without the vast armies of people who commute in to work thereā€¦

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