The primary (but not the only) reason is similar as to why we migrated from 6-volt automotive systems to 12-volt automotive systems-weight savings, and a need to supply more power for ever-increasing electronic devices. This meant more copper wiring and a bigger battery if we had stayed with 6 volts. As it has turned out in aviation, the change to 24 volts from 12 volts, circa 1976 was, in 20/20 hindsight, a mistake, based on huge sales projections that never materialized, as the costs (literally) and inconveniences outweigh the benefits in my opinion, but more on that in the last section of this column.
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