After Only Four Years It’s hard to believe that H3X is only four years old, has only 18 employees (so far) and is already creating multi-megawatt motors. A little over a decade ago, by contrast, a 50 kilowatt aircraft motor was about the largest available, with 100 kilowatts a high-end luxury. By 2011, the Pipistrel G4 showed up at the Green Flight Challenge with 145 kilowatts (195 horsepower), the record at the time. It was much heavier than any equivalent motor today. Until recently, most air-cooled internal combustion aircraft engines carried about two pounds of weight for each horsepower they could generate. Current electric motors have turned that formula on its head, and H3X is even more disruptive, claiming 12 kilowatts (16 horsepower) per kilogram, or about 7.27 pounds per horsepower. Sweetening that, most motor makers count their three to four kilowatts per kilogram output at peak power. The firm calculates their performance at continuous power. Further enhancing their claims, …
