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by abakker 2387 days ago
I think "Electric Jet" is like saying "Electric Internal Combustion Engine" - A Jet is a type of engine, so an electric aircraft wouldn't be a jet.

I know people call Jet-powered aircraft "jets" but, that's really an abbreviation.

I think what you're asking though, is whether there are any electric propulsion systems with the same characteristics as jets - i.e. more thrust relative to speed. AFAIK, there are not, because a characteristic of chemical fuels is that increased compression and airflow can increase the efficiency of the reaction. Electric motors have a (relatively) fixed efficiency due to the battery.

1 comments

The jet in jet-engine refers to the fact it uses jet propulsion - i.e. producing movement in one direction by ejecting a fluid in the opposite direction. This means that lots of things are actually jet engines - rocket engines and water jets being two common ones.

The propulsion of a 'jet engine' is normally through a gas turbine, which is a type of internal combustion engine, so you wouldn't get an electric gas turbine.

Replacing the gas turbine with an electric motor would in this case produce an electric jet engine.