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https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/air/an-airplane-with-no-moving-parts
MIT researchers have flown the first airplane that has no moving parts. The aircraft, packed with lithium-ion batteries, used an ion thruster to fly the 60 meters that were available in the indoor flight area.
“This was the simplest possible plane we could design that could prove the concept that an ion plane could fly,” said Steven Barrett, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. “It's still some way away from an aircraft that could perform a useful mission. It needs to be more efficient, fly for longer, and fly outside.”
The plane weighs a little over 2 kilograms (5 pounds), and its engine has a thrust-to-weight ratio roughly comparable to that of a jet engine. Its lithium-ion batteries put out about 500 watts.
edit: SInce reading this, I've come across this, which is also relevant:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/aviation/nasa-remakes-the-airplane-wing-with-electric-propulsion-and-a-whole-lot-of-propellers
Here they use a series of small propellers to blow air faster over the wing, and increase lift, instead of just moving the plane faster. This seems to connect nicely with how the ion drive works, as the ion drive creates an electrode at the front of the wing, causing ions to be accelerated backwards towards another electrode at the rear of the wing, ramming air molecules backwards along the way.
MIT researchers have flown the first airplane that has no moving parts. The aircraft, packed with lithium-ion batteries, used an ion thruster to fly the 60 meters that were available in the indoor flight area.
“This was the simplest possible plane we could design that could prove the concept that an ion plane could fly,” said Steven Barrett, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. “It's still some way away from an aircraft that could perform a useful mission. It needs to be more efficient, fly for longer, and fly outside.”
The plane weighs a little over 2 kilograms (5 pounds), and its engine has a thrust-to-weight ratio roughly comparable to that of a jet engine. Its lithium-ion batteries put out about 500 watts.
edit: SInce reading this, I've come across this, which is also relevant:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/aviation/nasa-remakes-the-airplane-wing-with-electric-propulsion-and-a-whole-lot-of-propellers
Here they use a series of small propellers to blow air faster over the wing, and increase lift, instead of just moving the plane faster. This seems to connect nicely with how the ion drive works, as the ion drive creates an electrode at the front of the wing, causing ions to be accelerated backwards towards another electrode at the rear of the wing, ramming air molecules backwards along the way.
