For the first time in the history of aviation, a certification authority has issued a permit to fly to an aircraft electrical. The EASA (european Agency for aviation safety) has given its green light to the Pipistrel Velis Electro, a two-seater in slovenia, which can be now marketed and licensed.
The output of four devices for months, slowed by the pandemic, should rise rapidly to the twelve, expected by many flight schools. The autonomy modest 90-minute (safety margins included), is perfectly compatible with the basic training of pilots. The training sessions rarely exceed 45 minutes, with many laps of the track with the laid-off. Maneuvers repetitive noisy for the local residents who are delighted to see the arrival of the aircraft to electric power.
The flying clubs in the starting blocks
For the pilot, the aircraft power is more simple to handle with only one lever of power to adjust. Instead of monitoring the pressure and temperature of the oil as well as fuel flow, it is necessary to check the condition of batteries (load and temperatures), helped in this by a calculator that generates possibly alarms. If the electric motor itself is infinitely more reliable than a propeller with a thermal overheating of the batteries can be a problem and requires a system of sophisticated monitoring.
The cockpit of a Pipistrel Alpha Electro. © DR
In France, the Fédération française aéronautique (FFA) has a passion for this folder, and actually flying for the past eighteen months to Toussus-le-Noble a Pipistrel Alpha Electro (cousin of Velis), joined this summer by two other devices of the same manufacturer. Four drivers referents are authorized to train instructors, who will be able to teach the flying electric in the schools of the 600 flying clubs French. Aircraft-electric are expected in the flying clubs in Lyon-Bron, Chambery, Grenoble, Toulouse, etc
The zero carbon is possible when the charging point of the plane is powered by solar panels placed on the roof of the hangars. The first pilots ab initio and all-electric could be released in flight by the end of the year. But they will have to fly then a conventional airplane to qualify for the full patent, one that allows for long navigations.
bush Plane and shuttle
in Addition to-Atlantic, another page opens with the first flight of the largest commercial aircraft electrical. In Moses Lake (east of Seattle in the State of Washington), a Cessna 208 Grand Caravan has made a flight of 28 minutes at the end of the month of may. Normally equipped with a turbine Pratt & Whitney, the aircraft was flying that day with an electric motor MagniX of 750 horsepower at a speed of 100 knots (180 km/h).
The passenger version of the Cessna 208 Grand Caravan account for up to 14 seats, divided by a central aisle. This capacity is reduced to four passengers when it is necessary to integrate the mass of the batteries, but the power to weight ratio of these is improving every month.
FedEx is also a major customer of this device built to close to 3 000 copies and assembled also in China. Bush plane, landing short with train sets rustic, it is appreciated by the armed forces for special operations. It also flies in Africa in the colors of the NGO Aviation without borders.
Of Brest, Finist’Air dessert Ushant, and soon Nantes. © DR
In the commercial transportation of passengers, it can be found under the French flag in a few companies. As well Finist’Air serves the island of Ouessant with this device. The electric version would be perfectly suited for these jumps of chip than 25 minutes. Other user of the Cessna 208 Grand Caravan, St Barth Commuter provides shuttles to fifteen minutes at the start of the island of St. Barts to St. Martin (flights to Grand-Case, or Juliana). The Cessna 208 Grand Caravan turbine classic can travel nearly 2,000 kilometers. It is still ten times more than the battery range, but the potential is enormous.
