This is the second time in this discussion someone mentions electric planes being viable and you respond with electric airliners not being viable.
Those are (in most peoples terminology) entirely different things.
Having viable light electric aircraft could revolutionize flight even if every aircraft for more than 20 people would run on kerosene for the next century.
I don’t think anyone is expecting a battery powered 737 any time soon. But a battery powered Cessna 172 with a 30 minute range would be huge.
This. Enhancing drone flight times, or other automated/semi-automated airborne machinery would be an absolutely huge win for industry and commerce as a whole.
I can state from experience that you're mistaken in what you think people expect. I work in a field very closely aligned with electric aircraft, and people who say "electric planes" without further qualification virtually always mean "electric 737s".
I also strongly question your assertion that viable light electric aircraft could "revolutionize flight". What exactly would the revolutionize? 2 seat electric trainers already exist, but the niche they fill is tiny. You're not going to move the needle on aircraft emissions with anything short of electric airliners. The rest of it is just a way to keep the research funded until we get there.
Those are (in most peoples terminology) entirely different things.
Having viable light electric aircraft could revolutionize flight even if every aircraft for more than 20 people would run on kerosene for the next century.
I don’t think anyone is expecting a battery powered 737 any time soon. But a battery powered Cessna 172 with a 30 minute range would be huge.