Cool of Jeremy to let you fly his unit and good overview. We are the manufacturer of the SP140 so if you have any questions you can reply here. Also another note the SP140 V2 is now out. A lot of changes to the frame but overall most stuff is similar so this will be informative vid for people so great vid.
@@PDWhite Why don't you fix the over sensitive throttle button? Almost everyone complains about it. Can't it be made a bit tight to avoid any accidental prop over spinning?
The throttle has different levels of sensitivity and very easy to get used to it ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-731HBV152FA.html @@MahaBali7975
"The community is very divided on electric technology." As someone who flies R/C planes, that sounds very similar to our community 20 years ago. Now IC powered models are rarely seen. I expect PPG will go that way too, like you said, once the battery technology gets a bit better.
I'm thinking about getting into paramotoring. You'll never see me in an electric car but for a paramotor it just makes sense to be battery powered. If I could get around 45 minutes of flight time that would be absolutely perfect
@@licencetoswill I see what you're saying but for my lifestyle it's just not practical. Mostly because I live up North and it's winter here 7 months out of the year haha. I've heard the range is absolutely horrible when it's really cold out. That and I need a pickup as a daily and for a fun car I have a boosted 2020 mustang 😎
That's true, in my opinion is the future. I made my own eppg project. Im also waiting for good weather to try for first time e-props but dual blade, much more efficient. New supporter here. Have a great flights
Lighter, less fuel spill/ignition concerns (except overcharging), and overall quieter tech.. but with an average flight time charge of 30-40mins.. this is still a technology in its infancy and is not replacing gas motors any time soon.
Great flying and spot on impressions! I've started right with eppg after three years of pg, been enjoying mine a lot! What camera did you use? It has a great image. Microphone seems oversensitive at times..
It's all about the battery tech. Once they can charge faster, hold more power, and are cheaper, it's game over. We're right at that threshold too and there's a bunch of interesting stuff happening in labs that is super promising for achieving these improvements.
After accounting for efficiency differences, gasoline still has about 50x the energy density of batteries. Batteries won't catch up without some miracle breakthrough that might not even exist.
@@geniusiknowitSure, and the pursuit of solidstate batteries means instantly doubling the capacity of batteries, and that might be enough to make it worth switching over with paramotors because you'll also be able to charge way faster by just dumping tons of energy into a battery without the possibility of it blowing up. Aside from low energy-to-weight ratio and the charge time, electric paramotors are ideal because there are less things that can go wrong. Your mechanical throttle cable won't rust and snap inside the sleeve, your carb won't clog up, nothing will rattle loose in flight, etc... So a proper solidstate battery at least doubling flight time and reducing charge time to minutes, that's all that I myself need to go electric w/ PPGing.
@@freddymax5256 That's not going to work. A propeller isn't like a wheel on the ground where it rotates the same amount whether you're going uphill or downhill. The air is slippery. A propeller also does not have the same aerodynamic characteristics as a turbine that's designed for being rotated by the air flowing through it. This is why wind turbines are HUGE. It's a silly idea, sir.
When I was a kid, driving a car was all about transferring as much power to the road as possible, monitoring revs by sound, feel, and tach. “Efficiency” was represented by that thin line between maximum power, and breaking the tires loose upon acceleration, turns, and braking. The skilled driver could maintain that equilibrium, while the unskilled driver merely sought to leave as much rubber in the road. Displaying noise and smoke was the very point of the neophyte. Having “evolved” through the passage of time, and gaining familiarity with hybrid and electric vehicles, efficiency means something very different, but no less enjoyable. Wringing as much from a vehicle now means achieving as much as possible while preserving resources to apply as long as possible. Leaving a gasser at the line is a lot of fun, but so is realizing that you just “banked” resources in the battery by efficiently getting off the power whenever possible. Think crop duster vs motor glider. Both fly - but differently. A crop duster never cores a thermal. ICE aficionados always equate electric propulsion with “range anxiety”, whether distance or duration. It’s a mindset. Once familiarity is gained with electric storage and application, range anxiety begins to fade away for a truly holistic appreciation of the benefits. Thanks for the video!
One thing the GROSE never changes with Charge state Like Gas @ 6 Lbs/Gal. Replacable Battries would make it even more Practical. We in the R/C Plane Hobby all have Multiple LIPOLY Battries Not LION.
I watched these grow from version one. I almost brought one. I'm holding out until either I can literally swap a "bolt-on " batt/motor unit onto my macfly or the batteries get more refined where you can discharge some how. What if you end up not flying now you got a full battery to deal with.
I love this! but like the man said, 30-45min flight time just isn't enough to justify the price. I say they need to get to 5-7kWh of battery pack to make them really come alive in the markets.
@@KHos73 Amprius silicon anode batteries are the batteries we've been waiting for! exicted to find out when OpenPPG will make packs using these new improved batteries!? 6 minutes to 80% charge times, for instance!!
I can fly 30mn on a 2.7Kwh battery at sea level. We have quite a fair number of pilots around here. Most of them use two stroke motors but they are beginning to eyeball the SP140 as the numbers are growing. The average cruising time for the locals is 20 to 40mn before landing, spending a bit of time on the ground with buddies and taking another flight. More pilots are turning electric here. My charging time after a flight is less than an hour. We even have two car electric charging stations on the parking lot if desperate. It is a bit slow because it is free and with a two hour limit, but hey, what do you want for nothing?!😄Plus you can unplug and re-plug the battery immediately after two hours if not in a hurry😆. Amazon sells an adapter for the PPG battery cable to the charging station cable plug. The machine in this video above was an older version. The 2024 version is out now and had a ton of updates. There is also an App one can use to modify settings from your phone if you wish to,... different power modes, etc... I am not representing OpenPPG but have been flying them from start about four years and so far it has been a great experience. Easy does it flying with friends is all I want. The motor is powerful and virtually maintenance free. The battery safe if you take care of it. BMS and each cell also has its own safety feature. I can also do ridge soaring free-flying motor off and bridge the gaps on the ridge where low and paragliders can't fly because too wide a distance to bridge. I had over one hour flights and landed with the battery nearly full since it only takes about fifteen seconds to reach the lift band before turning the motor off. Really quiet at cruising speeds for sure. I understand the resistance to change by gas powered pilots but it is only a matter of time before battery capacity gets better with safer chemistry and lower prices the way things are going these days. If the conditions are really great for the day, I will grab two half hour batteries but most of the time only one will fit the bill. I fly a few times a week weather depending. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t64tRdxlkhQ.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aU_ciyhIfJg.html Cheers!
@@sandiago7564 i didnt get any notifications! sorry guys. total costs were around 5000$. but you cant calculate like that. i am currently working on 4 different protoypes. each is very different in performance, flight time, weight and price. i think the best unit i am working on is a step down for power from the SP140 because 99%% of all pilots i know here said its massively overpowered and way too much for them. they can take off with 40% throttle and even thats alot. my goal is a lightweight version with modular battery slots. wanna fly around 30 min but have it extreme light around 18kg take off weight for the whole unit? or wanna fly longer around 70 to 80 min with 29kg total weight? or wanna fly 2 hours plus for cross country? all possible right now. we planned to test a week ago but weather sucks so we gotta wait until spring. just finished lots of new features in the display. altitude, face plant protection, motor temperature gauge with overheating protection blablabla. is all coming! if you need parts let me know.
@@mythoti sorry i didnt get notified. thanks youtube... i am working on a modular version as well which should fit on most normal PPG frames. less power and flight time. but everything integrated. engine, gastank off. 4 bolts on, charge it up and ready to fly. also read my answer i just send
After 18 minutes you only had 55% battery life. Thats pretty short flight time. Kinda like a Tesla. Great for short trips but not flights over 40 minutes. I often fly at full throttle to get high. Based on that battery drain that’d be less than a half hour flight.
With my 26 square meter wing, I should get close to 1 hour in the air. And the battery can only get better in the conning years...Li-Ion is old technology! By 2027 we should have Li-Sulfur batteries. 300Wh/Kg versus 600Wh/Kg #BigDifference
If you had two or three battery packs for a few flights it would be ok but how much would that cost???? Shouldn’t be that much because they are probably made from 18650 batteries. Then again, people are charging $18 for a $2 hamburger….
We've got a few guys with OpenPPG electric units here in the Bay. The reviews are mixed. Originally I wanted one but in hindsight I am glad I didn't. Cons weve seen. 1) Very long delivery times.. up to a year for one guy. 2) Very delicate frame. To compensate for the heavy battery pack they made the frame just a bit too delicate for every day knocks and bumps. Definitely not for newbies, ive seen too many frames wrecked. 3) The weight of a gas engine unit gets lighter as you fly so comparing it to a full tank of fuel gas engine isnt necessarily accurate. 4) Almost everyone agrees the throttle is too sensitive, this should be an easy fix though with just reprogramming the chip. 5) Not as quiet as you would think. While its quieter than a ICE engine its still got an annoying high pitched sound which would spook animals / annoy people just as much. 6) Not as reliable as believed. We've seen overheating issues melt the entire battery pack as well as other little issues. 7) Too short duration.. everyone I know is waiting til they gave a real life 1.5hr time frame. 8) Too long recharge time. Pros: 1) Quieter, instant off and on for gliding down in peace. 2)Tons of power. 3) No fuel fumes, can be stored inside a apartment or even better a travel van. Ultimately everyone agrees we will all be on one eventually however we are thinking its 10yrs away for the battery density to get to a good enough level and even then it really needs to be significantly better to make the switch. Wish them all the best.
Hate to say this but I know lithium batteries and this is a disaster waiting to happen at 1000 feet when the battery decides to explode into hot torching flames on your back... not a great position to be in when it does and will happen.
Lithium ion cells are pretty reliable and stable, especially if they are sourced from the top 5 manufacturers. The trouble is more down to the fact the general public understands engines better than they do batteries. As long as the BMS is properly monitoring and reporting the voltage and internal resistance it is very safe.
The down side is the probability of fire is higher. Fabrics burn like crazy and adding airspeed makes it worse. A real nightmare if you burn out a speed controller or something and have a short circuit battery. I have seen plenty of such troubles while messing with high discharge lipo hauling large RC gliders aloft for soaring.
I know a guy who lost his house few months ago because of his electric paramotror got fire at night... to me this is still a dead end. With my two strokes I can fly for aprox 4h. Nothing electric can beat that.
@@philsgreenice Tbh, I have no idea. There was a crowd funding for purchasing a new PPG (this time not electric) on our Polish PPG google group. As I know the reason of fire was a long term storage of the battery (for the winter). Quote (google translated) from the forum: "On behalf of myself and my friend Tomek, I would like to thank the Polish paragliding company PowAir (Dudek Paragliders) for their empathy and consideration of the situation Tomek found himself in when he lost all his PPG equipment in a fire in his house, i.e. a wing, a drive, a helmet, a radio, a rescue parachute and even documents from permissions. The remaining losses are much greater, so I decided, as a representative of PowAir, to ask the company for help in rebuilding new paragliding equipment for Tomek. We received help from PowAir, for which we thank you again!!! Our friend Tomek will want to buy a new drive (probably not an electric one), so if a Polish manufacturer takes care of Tomek's situation, we will all be grateful and we will also thank him in the paragliding media. By the way, I would like to advise the owners of "electric PPG" (the fire was caused by the battery in the drive) to dismantle the batteries during the "non-season" period and place them in a case made of asbestos blanket, which, as my friend suggested, can be purchased in model stores (more knowledgeable in this matter lease give me some tips so that EVERYONE! owners of electric PPG can protect themselves) Thank you once again for your support and I will introduce myself at the end so that any sponsors can contact me about helping to rebuild Tomek's equipment."
What about instead of having to wait for the battery to recharge, ya could change the batteries over so one is charging whilst ya in the air ?! ......like ya would with a Drone for example! 🫶🫡
