Anne Lavrand, founder and President of Electravia, continues to find ways to expand her company’s product offerings while offering well-integrated packages of reasonably-priced electric aircraft and components.
Electravia's Fauconnet motorglider at Aero Expo
At this year’s Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany, her firm displayed the fuselage of the Electrolight 2, a modified Fauconnet sailplane, fitted with a 30-hp Lynch-type motor, controller, and batteries. It is the least expensive electric motorglider on the market at only 30,000 Euros ($39,600), and allows powered flight for recharging costs of about 0.65 Euros per hour (86 cents). The motor, normally graced by one of Anne’s wooden e-Props, had a forward-folding “clap propeller” or “bec de canard” (literally, the beak of the duck), a variant on the light carbon fiber propellers that e-Props also produces. This should reduce drag and help improve the performance of the Fauconnet, a French version of the popular Scheibe L-Spatz, which Anne notes was flown by every young German learning to fly sailplanes a few years back.
Electravia restores old airframes, installs the power system and sells the “new” motorglider to the public. Even multi-record-holding Klaus Ohlmann has endorsed the airplane as a “great operational motor glider.”
Forward-folding "beak of the duck" e-Prop
Whether it kindles nostalgia or seems a reasonable way to own a motorglider, Electravia sold three Electrolight 2s during the Expo, as well as two motor systems.
Electravia also showed a range of motors from 15 to 80 horsepower, and participated in the Flieger magazine display of innovative powerplants.
To enable pilots to monitor their flight and motor operation, Electravia produces custom-made E-screens, electronic instruments readable in bright sunlight.
Stepping it up one level, Anne has also introduced a fourth arm of Electravia, e-Strat, making high-performance composite parts.
Electravia's motor pod at Aero Expo
Anne presented a company overview during the event, emphasizing the breadth of her company and the practical approach she brings to her enterprise. She explained that electric aircraft can be prototypes, proof-of-concept, demonstrators, or real, operational flying machines. Electravia obviously adheres to producing the latter, using proven components and assembling them into affordable packages.