The Cellsius AC4 Lightwing is a capable microlight aircraft popular in Europe. As part of a project to clean up aviation, it will fly on hydrogen, and for good distances if students at ETH Zurich* are successful in their project. Students are modifying a Lightwing to run on pressurized H2, and crafting motor, fuel system, tanks, power electronics, and battery backup system to make a coordinated, custom-fitted craft. It will stay aloft for two hours and emit nothing but water vapor. The project’s web site spells out the students’ ambitions. “Our powertrain consists of many components that together can get an aircraft into the air. “To make this a reality, we develop the majority of our components ourselves, tailored to our requirements.” Components include a radial-flux motor, unusual in that most electric aircraft motors are axial flux. Students worked with e+a (Elektromaschinen und Antriebe) AG to design and construct the unit. With that motor, students helped design a matching inverter …
