New aircraft from the UK

Quote: Pacomartin

I'd rather have this Harrier. Forget hundreds of feet, I could take off from my yard. Neighbors might be pissed, but it's probably quieter than my race car XD

John Wayne airport has never had widebody service. It does have some international service to Canada and Mexico.Runways are only 5,701' and 2,887, Passengers are roughly 25K per day with an average of 109 passengers per aircraft operation (per takeoff and per landing). In addition there is a sizeable general aviation load.

John Wayne is about 9 air miles from the proposed terminus to a high speed train terminus for rail to Las Vegas (near Anaheim stadium). Maximum straight line distance near the stadium is 3000'.

Maybe 25% of this traffic is bound for the following 4 destinations, where presumably very little to none of the traffic is connecting to another flight.
San Jose, California
Oakland, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Sacramento, California

It says it uses the battery for takeoff. I would be concerned about the climb performance once the battery was flat, if you needed it.

For instance, if you are doing touch-and-gos, the battery might not be able to be recharged fully as you make your way around the circuit. Eventually, you might not have enough go after the touch to clear obstacles at the end of the runway.

Quote: Dalex64

It says it uses the battery for takeoff. I would be concerned about the climb performance once the battery was flat, if you needed it.

For instance, if you are doing touch-and-gos, the battery might not be able to be recharged fully as you make your way around the circuit. Eventually, you might not have enough go after the touch to clear obstacles at the end of the runway.

That's a valid concern. You could build an induction track on the runway with a pickup shoe on the nose wheel to transfer electricity to aid take off . That would preserve the battery charge, which could be charged from the grid while the plane is on the ground. The battery could be used for the first 20 miles to quietly leave the urban area, and then switch to the Wankel engine.

We've had five commercial crashes in this country where more than 150 people died.
273 American Airlines Flight 191- May 25, 1979 = shortly after takeoff
265 American Airlines Flight 587 - November 12, 2001 = shortly after takeoff
230 TWA Flight 800- 17 Jul 1996 = shortly after takeoff
217 EgyptAir Flight 990 -31 October 1999 = (once at full altitude within 30 minutes after takeoff)
153 Pan Am Flight 759 - 9 Jul 1982 = shortly after takeoff

I guess one big question, if these mini commuters were only 35 seat airplanes, would the public accept the kind of security check we use on trains as acceptable.

Quote: Pacomartin

I guess one big question, if these mini commuters were only 35 seat airplanes, would the public accept the kind of security check we use on trains as acceptable.

Why not? The TSA security checks are more "theater" than anything else. Bus passengers can go bonkers, train passengers can go bonkers and so can plane passengers... and screening them ain't gonna do a whole lot to change anything anyway.

Think of people who share NYC taxis with people they've just met on the street. Its not much different with an air taxi service and if we institute free floating inventory then we will be even closer to Travel on Demand rather than by fixed schedule and that will be most efficient because by definiition it meets the traveler's timetable.