Innovation in the aviation industry has been a hot topic for years, with a particular focus on reducing emissions and increasing efficiency. However, one major obstacle for electric planes has been their limited range due to the low energy density of batteries. This has prevented them from being used in commercial airline operations. But a California-based start-up, Magpie Aviation, has come up with an innovative solution to this problem.
Magpie Aviation has developed a towing concept that aims to increase the range of electric planes significantly. The concept involves using one or more electric planes as towing aircraft, pulling a passenger or cargo plane through the air using a long cable. The towed plane has enough battery power for takeoff, landing, and short flights to nearby airports, but not for the entire journey. According to Damon Vander Lind, the CEO of Magpie, the concept could increase the range of the towed plane by several hundred kilometers.
The start-up plans to gradually expand its tests for the innovative towing concept. While it may still be considered a utopian approach for long-haul or international flights, it could be feasible for shorter trips, such as from San Francisco to Seattle. The range would exceed what a battery-powered passenger plane could achieve alone. Magpie Aviation expects the system to be commercially available by 2030, with the commercial version equipped with a cable almost one kilometer long. The towing concept could revolutionize the aviation industry, making electric planes a viable option for commercial airline operations.
