Electric Aircraft in MSFS

Since I got flight simulator the thing I have most been after is a fully electric plane. I don’t fly in real life due to the carbon emissions as know flying is one of the worst things for our planet, but I am fascinated by the future of Electric Aircraft and genuinely believe it’s the only future aviation has. We see a huge push in the industry currently even trying to bring in electric aircraft where possible but also funding huge amounts of research into batteries, all because the main companies know regulation is coming that will cost a lot more than going green.

But for the industry to be going through such a green boom, there is 0 representation for this in game. The community should be getting behind Electric as it only will make aviation more accessible. Yet to my knowledge, only recently was an electric aircraft released, The Virtualcol FS Embraer 170/175. Which is great too see but also many people will want to fly light aircraft over an airliner.

Are there any plans for the Pipistrel Velis Electro or something like the MagniX variation on the Cessna 208 to come to the simulator?

I’d love to see an update once we move past the world updates all about electric aircraft.

What is everyone else’s thoughts?

I’m thinking:

  • Electric: E.g. Velis Electro
  • Hydrogen: E.g. ZeroAvia
  • Hybrid
2 Likes

yes, i dream about a C208 with 100nm of autonomy and wait 8H at the parking for charging battery :joy:

5 Likes

In one way or another every plane in MSFS is ‘fully electric’ :stuck_out_tongue:

But I get what you mean, would be nice. I would love to have the Pipistrel Velis Electro in sim

6 Likes

Thought about this recently as well. after seeing the video about it by Wendover Productions. Might also be great publicity for the electric plane companies as well. Personally I’d love to see the Eviation Alice as wel.

2 Likes

I think aircraft developer would be willing to create an electric aircraft as long as they have enough technical documentation to actually build a working simulated aircraft for MSFS. Without those actual technical and engineering documentation, it’s nearly impossible to create an accurate aircraft with a proper flight dynamics, otherwise, everything would be built based on speculations and not realistic data and model.

At the moment, it’s not just about cost that’s the problem. When it comes to airliners and heavy aircraft. technical limitation of the battery is the problem. Airliners consume a lot of energy to produce the thrust, and with that increase, means you need to store more energy and more energy means more battery, and more battery means more weight, which will mean it consumes more power to get airbourne, and this positive feedback loop is what’s limiting us to have a feasible electric aircraft for commercial airliners. Here’s the technical video that I found that details this limitations.

I am still hopeful for a green aviation too. Which is why I think the Hydrogen Fuel Cell like the Airbus Zero e concept is a much more feasible to have.

https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/09/airbus-reveals-new-zeroemission-concept-aircraft.html

2 Likes

What’ll be interesting in particular is modeling of the motor, and how torque on an electric motor as the battery slowly loses power is different from behavior of a combustion engine. :slight_smile:

4 Likes

That is true I guess though still, I agree the Velis Electro would be really cool. Fingers crossed a dev will make it one day. I’d genuinly pay more than reasonable for an electric plane :sweat_smile:

Yeah that same video is what made me decide to post. Though must say been a fan for years of the idea of environmentally friendly planes. Just am painfully educated on the issues with batteries (a friend of mine works in the EV industry so had lots of great conversations around this subject). There is progress being made but it’s still just too slow. I am hopeful with the news of Rolls Royce investing £80m in 10 years on electric aircraft research I think there may be good progress sooner than many expect!

I really hope someone does! Yeah all these problems are what meant about in my original post, in fact that video and a recent one by Wendover were going to be what I linked had got technical. I just know many people don’t know much so didn’t want to make inaccessible to everyone by risking getting technical :smiley: You are exactly right though, but this is all stuff that is being worked on as we speak in one way or another.

In terms of the needing flight data, I am not sure what is out there but I imagine the Electro Velis has a decent amount given it’s type certified and even if not, I don’t think they would pass on the option to help spread more awareness!

In terms of Hydrogen, I have been interested in that as long as Electric too as believe is more promising, the issue I see though is how flammable it is, a crash could have much worse consequences and that would then effect public relations. One way or another I can’t see any other future other than green aviation because ultimetly, our planet has no choice really.

I totally agree, my parents own an electric car (Nissan Leaf) and it’s really noticeable the difference in sound but also smoothness and how the car handles. The acceleration is so fast too it’s hard not to feel giddy at lights. So if a relatively stable car can be that noticeable, I can’t wait to feel what it’s like in an electric aircraft soaring through the sky! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

3 Likes

Agree with all these considerations and I’d be really happy to see a well-modeled electric aircraft in MSFS.

1 Like

Voted, thought I was the only one waiting for this. I would love the Velis Electro, it’s the first type certified electric trainer aircraft.

I saw Aerosoar was planning to model the discontinued Airbus E-Fan so I was very curious, but last I saw it wasn’t on their list of projects anymore.

I’ve been playing around retrofitting the Flight Design CTSL with Pipistrel’s electric engine, but I don’t know what I’m doing so the results are predictably dissapointing.

I’m sure there are skilled people that can somehow model an electric engine in an add-on - although I haven’t found much for the other sims, of which I know very little.

1 Like

The flight dynamics don‘t care whether there is a battery or fossile fuel tanks that make that fan in the front spin.

Noticable differences would be:

No loss of mass, you‘d land at the same weight as you took off. This also means no fuel penalty or savings due to fuel weight and burn.

Wind and propeller noise will become the dominant noise in opposite to the loud combustion engine in front of you (or next to you). Aircraft engines run pretty smooth, what‘s vibrating the airplane is the propeller and that won‘t change. Also the influence of gusts or thermals will of course not change.

Range will be reduced significantly, at least at first until technology evolves. As long as there‘s no way of comparably fast recharging regular commercial line service is at least questionable.

If you really want to fly quietly and smoothly I suggest sail planes. A modern composite airplane like a Ventus or a DG1000 is extremely silent and smooth.

4 Likes

@Monkfishman3086 thank you. You definitely aren’t alone and honestly I suspect more than say would want this. There’s still a ton of stigma around talking about green aviation both from environmentalists (who sadly often take a hard line, flying bad end of approach) and aviation fans (who can often feel attacked and uncomfortable having to discuss the reality of flying and the environment). Totally agree about the Velis, I think it symbolises the start of green aviation and would be amazing to have in the Simulator.

I saw a post from Ouroboros Jets ( www.ouroborosjets.com/index.html ) about them making a very high quality looking “Project E series” with E170/175 in progress for free. That was why they came together so even as someone who doesn’t fly airliners I’m very excited for that and I hope they will make some electric GA planes given they mention about a GA project! I also found the at simulations MC-15 Cri-Cri which is available as an electric home build kit from what I read. It’s $15 and I have a blast flying it but I’m not totally sure they have modeled it as electric and they ignored my message asking so :woman_shrugging:

It’s really cool you have tried messing about with the Virus. You got to start from somewhere I guess so it’s a cool place to start!

@Ephedrin87 Ah that’s interesting reguarding how would be different. I was more thinking that the take off would feel quite different with the engine change hence why gave example of going from a stop light but even in the air, I imagine it will still be noticeable the difference even if just the noise and other smaller things.

The sail plane is a good idea for quiet but that’s far from my reason. I am wanting an electric plane in my hanger as its aviations only option in reality moving forward during a climate crisis and being that I refuse to fly in real life due to the carbon emissions it would be nice to fly a plane I’d actually see myself in .

Quite a few airlines have signed deals for E-jets and work is being done to make Green Aviation possible from work on batteries to work on hydrogen I do believe we will see fast progress and I think that is something to celebrate.

3 Likes

Good for you Radical Cavy .I feel the same as you .

One day I hope to go aboard a Hydrogen fuel cell aircraft.I hope airbus can achieve this in the coming years, although they say 2050 is their goal ,I have an idea that this date will be brought forward.

We are going to see big changes in the aviation industry.They managed it with Concorde ,an amazing acheivment.This new aircraft will require just as much effort to become reality.

3 Likes

Yeah I would love to do that too. Though I must say I personally think it will be sooner we see the technology here. Its then how quick can get off production lines and approved.

I know the new Boom jet is claiming it is zero net carbon so I actually have very high hopes that even if we don’t fully get there, we may see an industry that isn’t any more harmful to the planet than your average industry rather than one up their with Animal Agriculture being responsible for a very high proportion of emissions. Plus the EU is getting very close to taxing jet fuel so the insensitive has never been stronger!

2 Likes

I came across this article late night reading and thought may interest you :slight_smile:

No idea if the source is credible but still, more deals agreed in principle the more money and motive to get the issues sorted. Given Boom’s progress with their version of the concord as a new player essentially, I have high hopes for aviation in the next 5 years!

2 Likes

Well thankyou for bringing this to my notice.A very big leap in aviation may be about to take place.I really am blown away by this article.
Two things spring to mind here.
Firstly these companies will be using green hydrogen?Who is going to pay for all the infrastructure and cost involved in delivering green hydrogen ?The bottom line cost will need to be competitive with jet a1
Secondly, certifying a new fuel technology will not be a matter of hanging a couple of high tech pods on a Dash 8.This will take a lot of investment and many hours of flight trials.
If UH can make a go of this and its a big if imho ,I would say they stand to revolutionise short haul air transport.

I would also love to see an electric aircraft in the sim. I understand full well the limitations of weight and range. I completely agree with the author that this is the only way forward and having an electric aircraft to fly would help introduce others to this technology and perhaps spark further interest.
It is a shame that the technology is often shunned, aviation is after all an industry born of innovation. Perhaps one day Jet-A will be priced at a point that includes the social cost of the carbon emissions that go with it. At that price point, innovation in replacement technologies would become a booming industry. The alternative, stagnation and tiny incremental increases in efficiency, leave us all without a future in the end. I would rather move forward boldly into what is possible and embrace the challenge of finding new ways to make aircraft fly without making our current situation worse. An electric aircraft in the sim would be most welcome, even if it is only simulated.

4 Likes


I would love to see this electric Beaver in MSFS.

4 Likes

Regarding your reply to the electric plane thread -

I wish our leaders and politicians thought like you, brother!

Cheers!

1 Like

Imagine if this sim could be a platform for engineers, inventors and visionaries (that’s us) to use to experiment and test out designs.

I hope ASOBO considers it’s role in the future of aviation and develops the SDK and “simulator fidelity” to the point it could be used to accurately test electric propulsion systems (not flight dynamics per se, but the mechanical and energy systems). ASOBO could get a lot of positive attention in this aspect.

Imagine if…fast forward 10 years…ASOBO is an integral part of getting new innovations to the public in real-world designs and aircraft production.

2 Likes