Flynano Flies Electrically, Close to a Calm Lake

Dean Sigler Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Flynano is a Finnish aircraft design and manufacturing team, working since 2011 to achieve a first electrified flight of their appropriately named craft. First, the 70 kilogram empty weight is notable.  It includes battery weight, but only for 1.7 kilowatt-hour power source that allows a 15-minute dash across the surface of a fairly calm lake.  Its up to 100 kilogram (220 pound) pilot is snugly fitted within its 3.8 meter (12.47 feet) length, and carried aloft on a pair of joined wings a mere 4.8 meters (15.75 feet) in span. Most videos show the craft flying in or very near ground effect, and the company seems to think customers will be happier zooming around just above the water.  In response to the “frequently asked question,” they respond, “For some reason this is the most frequently asked question. Even if technically FlyNanos could be flown up to around 5 000 meters (16 000 feet), the use case for the FlyNanos is …