My current issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology includes a fascinating article about NASA testing an aircraft to be powered by “distributed electric prop-ulsion.” NASA has a wing mounted on top of a truck. On the wing are eighteen—count ‘em, eighteen—propellers, all driven by electric motors. The power can be varied at each of the eighteen locations.

This is just one example of the testing of different ways to utilize electricity to power aircraft.

In the meantime, the current issue of AVweb Flash arrived this morning. One paragraph reported that “The front entry area at Aero Friedrichshafen—which calls itself The Global Show for General Aviation and is taking place in Germany right now—is filled with electric-powered airplanes, including some trikes, motorgliders, and a two-seat trainer from China.”

Meanwhile, as I write this the all-electric Solar Impulse is in the air in Asia attempting its round-the-world flight attempt.

Remember the first time you read something about an electric airplane? I do. It seems like it was just yesterday. I remember thinking, “That’s cute. It’ll probably never happen, but it is cute.” Don’t laugh—I’d bet a lot of you thought pretty much the same thing.

Now big bucks—really big bucks—are being invested in electric airliners, trainers, freighters—you name it and it’s going to become electric.

This reminds me of that old story of Benjamin Franklin, who saw one of the very first manned balloons take flight. Someone asked, “But of what use is it?” Franklin, it is reported, answered, “Of what use is a newborn babe?”