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Message: [QUOTE="FSIGRAD, post: 2112, member: 159"] The way it was explained to me is like this (I am also a pilot- not an electrician so please correct me if I'm wrong) Newer Aircraft use alternators to supply electrical power over generators for the above mentioned reasons concerning rpm's. The alternators produce AC (alternating current-hence the name alternator) Yet there is no way to ground an aircraft so the power needs to be converted to DC (direct current) DC current flows in one direction you either use at the end or it dissipates and is lost. It also requires no ground-it travels direct. To use DC current in something like your wall socket in your house would be extremely wasteful, so AC is used. It will provide power on demand, but inorder to use AC it has to be grounded (somewhere in every building a large metal spike is stuck into the ground which provides the ground) Its not very practical to fly around with a cable trailling along behind us connected to a metal spike in the ground, so converting the AC power (more stable power to produce) to DC (power that can actually be used by the plane) is required. Your car works the same way. Kind of confusing! [/QUOTE]