An Understandable Passion

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants 1 Comment

IPSA, the Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Advancees, headquartered in Paris and Toulouse, France, has a “Green” program associated with its aeronautical engineering program. Its students have designed Buselec 2, a 14.6 meter (47 feet) span, two-seater, electric-powered airplane, which will be constructed with assistance from Daniel Dalby, the originator of the Pouchelec, an electric-powered outgrowth of the Mignet tandem-wing ultralight, and Bela Nogrady, director of the Protoplane company. (More about both of these gentlemen and their creations in near-future posts.) Motor choices have not been made at this point, but Michael Dalby, head of the Mecadalby company, explains that, “One of our partners is working on a [brushless motor] especially planned for aviation.” This motor will produce at least 20 kiloWatts (27 horsepower) continuously, and 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of 120 Watt hours per kilogram, lithium-polymer batteries will allow 30 minutes of flight, and a height gain of 1,000 meters (about 3,200 feet). Charles Donnefort, the President of IPSA Green, …