First Polish Electric Motorglider

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

Michael Friend, Boeing Technology Director, met Maciej Kalwara a faculty member in mechanical engineering and aerodynamics from Rzeszow University, Poland at the 2012 ILA Berlin,  or Berlin Air Show.  Maciej showed him the AOS-71 electric motorglider – a first in Poland.  The airplane made its initial test flights just weeks ago, perfectly according to the test pilot. A joint project between Rzeszow and Warsaw Universities of Technology and a derivation of the PW-6 tandem sailplane, the AOS-71 has a Sineton A30K016, 30 kilowatt (continuous power) motor. As shown in the video and pictures from Maciej, the flight looked smooth, lasted 20 minutes and achieved an altitude of 250 meters (820 feet).  The airplane landed with 30 percent of its battery’s energy still available despite the climb and -17° C/-14° F temperature. Wind chill factor on wing runner must have been numbing An outgrowth of the Universities’ ultralight glider program, the 16.6 meter span sailplane has an empty weight of 385 …