A windmilling propeller trickle charging batteries is
going to cost you reduced L/D performance, and would
require a Controller that supported battery recharge.
However, if thermals were close enough together to be
reached with a lower Glide Angle, this might be quite a
practical way to recharge the batteries, sufficient to get
one home after lift dies (every soaring pilots concern
who leaves gliding range of the home airport).
Retrieves are no fun, even with the benefit of cell phones
these days.
From: Michael McKeown <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 3:29 PM
Subject: [Carbondragonbuildersandpilots] Electric power
On one of the lists recently, or maybe it was a product I read about, anyway the point that stuck with me is the concept of turning the motor over slowly in flight so that the prop is moving through the air without drag. That allows one to use regenerative 'braking' in a way a folding prop would not allow.
M.
