{"id":13914,"date":"2021-01-25T15:01:11","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T22:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=13914"},"modified":"2021-01-25T15:01:11","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T22:01:11","slug":"michael-friends-spark-solo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Friend&#8217;s Spark Solo"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><strong>&#8220;The Quest for a Truly Practical Electric Touring Motor-Glider&#8221;<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Mike Friend is not your typical retired aircraft executive.\u00a0 As Technical Director for Boeing, he oversaw \u201cthe first manned fixed wing aircraft powered by a hydrogen fuel cell\/lithium ion battery powerplant that first flew back in 2008.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019s been associated with green energy projects since then, including work on the Boeing-supported Zunum project, a set of 10- to 50-passenger electric hybrid airliners.\u00a0 On the personal front, he hopes to design and build the Spark Solo, a single-seat electric motorglider that will enable cross-country flights from his home base of Bremerton (Washington) Regional Airport.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15916\" style=\"width: 614px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Spark-Solo-Main-Image.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15916\" class=\"wp-image-15916\" src=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Spark-Solo-Main-Image-528x297.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"340\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-15916\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spark Solo in rendering by Shawn Cvetezar depicting a good soaring day<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><strong>Working with Gabriel DeVault<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Motorgliders make a good combination with battery power.\u00a0 Their clean lines enable using low power at cruise, and as this video from Gabriel DeVault shows, even a respectable takeoff and climb with power limited to 25 kilowatts (33.5 horsepower) in this instance.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Electric Sonex Xenos, 25kW takeoff\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VG9_l-QxtpA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Normally, DeVault\u2019s Sonex would make full use of its Zero Motorcycle motor\u2019s full 52 kilowatts (69.7 horsepower), but this self-limited output puts into perspective the importance a long wingspan\u2019s low span loading.\u00a0 Being able to fly safely in \u201cecono-mode\u201d would allow longer flights by limiting the battery drain during takeoff.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15917\" style=\"width: 614px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/spark-solo-Transparent-Front-Closeup.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15917\" class=\"wp-image-15917\" src=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/spark-solo-Transparent-Front-Closeup-528x297.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"340\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-15917\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shawn Cvetezar rendering shows general layout of motor, batteries. Spark Solo upholds Mike&#8217;s support of Stelio Frati&#8217;s dictum about beautiful airplanes<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mike was lucky enough to meet Gabriel on one of his outings, and that might have led to his choosing a Zero Motorcycle motor for his projected bird.\u00a0 Financial considerations play a part, too, with Pipistrel\u2019s 40 kilowatt package, batteries and all, totaling $27,000.\u00a0 Wrecked Zero Motorcycles can be found for $9,000 or less, giving a prospective builder motor, controller, batteries and even cabling and instrumentation.\u00a0 The only extra needed is a propeller speed reducer, a simple item designed by Mark Beirele for his Zero-powered eGull.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Airplane\u2019s Design<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Mike is a self-admitted \u201cfan\u201d of \u201ctouring motor-gliders,\u201d machines capable of self-launching and as implied \u2013 touring to distant places.\u00a0 He particularly likes the Schleicher ASK-14, a German craft that used the wings and tail surfaces from the popular KA-6 sailplane.\u00a0 It used a raspy little four-cylinder Hirth two-stroke engine, which thankfully went silent in soaring mode.\u00a0 The engine didn\u2019t have an electric starter, so the pilot had to yank on a pull-cord if he or she wanted to relight the motive power. \u00a0Two-strokes being what they are, the engine sometimes balked, and forced a landing.\u00a0 That is what makes electric motors so ideal for self-launching sailplanes or touring motor gliders.\u00a0 They rarely refuse to go when requested.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ASK14 Mai2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j2p3igendzs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Mike has a set of requirements for the craft.\u00a0 They start with having enough space inside to accommodate a 6-foot, 2-inch person like Mike.\u00a0 It should allow single-person operation \u2013 enabling rigging and de-rigging, and all operations by the owner\/operator alone.\u00a0 One of the off-putting aspects of sailplane operation is the large crew required to assemble, launch and retrieve an airplane.\u00a0 This would allow flights when the owner desired with no need to coordinate with others.<\/p>\n<p>Practicality reigns in most respects for the Spark Solo.\u00a0 It can be kept in a standard hangar and operated from a 1,500-foot grass strip.\u00a0 It will meet FAA glider requirements for maximum weight\/wing span squared of less than 3.0 Kg per meter squared, (0.62 pounds per foot squared).\u00a0 Spark Solo will be registered as an FAA Experimental Amateur-built Glider \u2013 Self Launching.<\/p>\n<p>The light wing and span loading will enable an initial rate of climb of at least 1,000 feet per minute, and the electric motor will produce quiet operation.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15914\" style=\"width: 614px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Friend-Spark-Solo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15914\" class=\"wp-image-15914\" src=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Friend-Spark-Solo-528x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"439\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-15914\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Base Spark Solo uses Pipistrel wings, tail, Zero motor, controller and batteries. Proposed flight would require recharging at KORS<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mike is adamant that, \u201cThe appearance of the aircraft shall comply with the dictates of my hero, Italian aircraft designer Stelio Frati who is rumored to have said \u2013 \u2018There is no use for an ugly aircraft when a few minutes of thought will produce a beautiful one.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mike is using the wings and tail section from a Pipistrel Sinus Flex, but it would seem that many other standard-class size flight surfaces would work, although they would take different approaches for their assembly into a completed airframe.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/wingsandwheels.com\/classifieds.html?cat=251%2C252&amp;marketplace_status=published\"><em>Wings and Wheels<\/em> has on-line classifieds<\/a> for used gliders and parts.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Economy of Operation<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Time and money are often conflated, and a small airplane can save time at a usually high cost.\u00a0 Electric aviation may help with that equation, however.\u00a0 The shortest car trip from Bremerton to Orcas Island, according to Google Maps, runs 118 miles on the most direct route and requires passage over one toll road and a ferry trip.\u00a0 The fastest automotive passage runs 167 miles, runs north on I-5, and still has toll roads and a ferry trip.\u00a0 Either takes about four hours.\u00a0 On the Anacortes to Orcas Island ferry, fees run from $14.50 for a single adult to $34.50 for a compact car and driver and $44.50 for a vehicle under 22 feet and its driver.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15915\" style=\"width: 614px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Friend-Spark-Solo-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15915\" class=\"wp-image-15915\" src=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Friend-Spark-Solo-2-528x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"439\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-15915\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alternative configuration would employ e-Genius approach, probably require different motor from base configuration<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Considering an average of $3.00 per gallon for automotive gas, and an average of 25 miles per gallon, a car would use a little over $28 worth of gasoline for the shorter trip and just over $40 for the longer route.\u00a0 It\u2019s impossible to avoid a ferry trip to the island, for a another $69 for the round trip.\u00a0 Even Mike\u2019s Aeronca Champion, average 5 gallons an hour, would take about an hour to make the trip and a round trip would consume about $55 in avgas.\u00a0 In the Spark Solo, with electricity costing about 9 cents per kilowatt hour in Washington (among the lowest rates in the world), the trip would cost around $3.14 for the round trip.<\/p>\n<p>A more shocking comparison comes from looking at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linearair.com\/flights\/Bremerton-National-in-Bremerton-WA-PWT\/Orcas-Island-Airport-in-Eastsound-WA-ESD\/2021-01-31\/2021-01-31\/3\/\">charter aircraft rates for the 73 mile trip<\/a> from KPWT to KORS.\u00a0 The trip for a single passenger in a chartered Cessna 172 is $1,264.\u00a0 The price for \u201cpremium air charter\u201d in a Cirrus SR22 climbs to $3,828!<\/p>\n<p>See the chart below for Mike\u2019s calculations based on energy usage for this clean single-seater.<\/p>\n<table width=\"593\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"7\" width=\"518\"><strong>Spark Solo Energy Usage &#8211; KPWT to KORS and return<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"11\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Mission Phase<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Power\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>Duration<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td width=\"64\"><strong>Energy Used This Segment<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"11\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"64\"><strong>Total Mission Energy<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>(kW)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>(Hours)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>(kW-hrs)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><strong>(kW-hrs)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\" width=\"279\">Taxi from hangar to end of runway at KPWT<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.1<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.05<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Takeoff and climb to 500 feet<\/td>\n<td>40<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.017<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.68<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.73<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Climb from 500 feet to 2000 feet<\/td>\n<td>30<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.25<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>7.5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>8.23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Cruise at 70 Knots &#8211; 73 Nautical miles<\/td>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>1.04<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>8.32<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>16.55<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Descent and Landing<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.15<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.15<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>16.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Taxi to parking at KORS<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.1<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>17.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Taxi from parking to runway at KORS<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.1<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>17.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Takeoff and climb to 500 feet<\/td>\n<td>40<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.017<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.68<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>18.38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Climb from 500 feet to 2000 feet<\/td>\n<td>30<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.25<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>7.5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>25.88<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Cruise at 70 Knots &#8211; 73 Nautical miles<\/td>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>1.04<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>8.32<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>34.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Descent and Landing<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.15<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.15<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>34.35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">Taxi to parking at KPWT<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.1<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>0.5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>34.85<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"7\" rowspan=\"2\" width=\"518\">NOTE: cruise power based on scaled Pipistrel Taurus data, maximum takeoff power limited to 1 mile<\/td>\n<td width=\"11\"><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"11\"><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Mike is currently working on articles about this promising aircraft.\u00a0 For the time being, we can see that a well-designed motor-glider can promise grand adventures and reasonable operating costs.<\/p>\n<div id=\"facebook_like\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fcafe.foundation%2Fblog%2Fmichael-friends-spark-solo%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=500&amp;action=like&amp;font=segoe+ui&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=80\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; 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Mike Friend is not your typical retired aircraft executive.\u00a0 As Technical Director for Boeing, he oversaw \u201cthe first manned fixed wing aircraft powered by a hydrogen fuel cell\/lithium ion battery powerplant that first flew back in 2008.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019s been associated with green energy projects since then, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CAFE Foundation Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-01-25T22:01:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Spark-Solo-Main-Image-528x297.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dean Sigler\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dean Sigler\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/\",\"name\":\"Michael Friend's Spark Solo - CAFE Foundation Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Spark-Solo-Main-Image-528x297.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-25T22:01:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e9c06a89f78d39fc03473ec90f4902a7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Spark-Solo-Main-Image-528x297.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/sustainableskies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Spark-Solo-Main-Image-528x297.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Michael Friend&#8217;s Spark Solo\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"CAFE Foundation Blog\",\"description\":\"Information and discussion from the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e9c06a89f78d39fc03473ec90f4902a7\",\"name\":\"Dean Sigler\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0da6e77f17fefcd82e6b725d7f52d2ee07f3aa62cd3699007b8af82a7b52dc23?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0da6e77f17fefcd82e6b725d7f52d2ee07f3aa62cd3699007b8af82a7b52dc23?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dean Sigler\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/cafefoundation.org\"],\"url\":\"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Michael Friend's Spark Solo - CAFE Foundation Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/michael-friends-spark-solo\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Michael Friend's Spark Solo - CAFE Foundation Blog","og_description":"&#8220;The Quest for a Truly Practical Electric Touring Motor-Glider&#8221; 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