Electric Aircraft

The Belgian nuclear research centre, SCK CEN, and the Belgian aeronautical specialist, Sabca, have developed an innovative technology that enables drones to be used to carry out radiological measurements.

Volocopter has unveiled its newest aircraft, VoloConnect. This electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft is designed to connect suburbs to cities and complements the company's existing family of aircraft for the intra-city mission. VoloConnect's distinctive hybrid lift and push design is expected to achieve certification within the next 5 years.

The Alice all-electric aircraft, which can fly nine passengers for up to 440 nautical miles, will be powered exclusively by magniX propulsion systems.

The replacement of aircraft makers will be brutal - no not Airbus and Boeing, the other big names, starting with those making light aircraft, then those making regional aircraft. Stuck in the past, these cannot make what is now needed.

Wednesday 19 May 2021 - The webinar looks at everything manned going electric from piloted freight to passengers flown without a pilot. From conventional takeoff and landing eCTOL to the glamorous eVTOL projects awash with billions of dollars of investment, there are hybrid, fuel cell and retrofit opportunities.

Bye Aerospace has announced an eight-seat all-electric twin turbo-prop class airplane, the eFlyer 800, in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility.

The global aviation sector, estimated to account for around 2 to 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is under increasing pressure to decarbonize, but faces significant financial headwinds in the immediate term from the devastation wrought by COVID-19.

Ten years ago, IDTechEx correctly predicted that fuel cell cars would be a failure. Fuel cells are more promising for aircraft compared to cars because aircraft, particularly eVTOL, have severe safety issues caused by cold, old or faulty batteries, the longer ranges being currently impossible.

It is large single aisle aircraft that guzzle the most fuel, creating the most pollution. They are therefore the big win for future electrification but to get there we have to do the much easier electrification of small aircraft to battery electric motive power and do what electrification we can, short of motive power, to the largest aircraft. We come at it from both ends. The gains will benefit flier health as well as reduce local pollution and global warming.