Diamond Aircraft of Austria gave Flying magazine news of its hybrid-electric tiltrotor project – something not announced on Diamond’s own web site. According to Flying, Diamond will partner with an unnamed “major industrial partner.” The airplane could become certified within seven years, enabling customers to own a six-passenger vertical takeoff and landing vehicle with ostensibly high speed and the ability to set down virtually anywhere. Diamond founder and CEO Christian Dries says the craft will be powered by two high-output Siemens electric motors with power to recharge the batteries in flight supplied by a pair of Austro diesel engines. Since there are four propellers, the motors’ outputs would probably be split fore and aft to a pair of rotors. The unnamed concept would have a maximum takeoff weight of 6,600 pounds. To test the concept, Diamond will build a 725-pound unpiloted prototype starting next month. That will be followed by a 2,800-pound prototype, with the full, fly-by-wire production version coming …
World’s First Electric Tilt-Rotor Aircraft
AugustaWestland, after keeping the world’s first electric tilt-rotor aircraft under wraps for nearly two years, is letting the public in on its exciting new design. According to the company, “The tilt rotor technology demonstrator is completely electric powered; designed to hover like a helicopter and convert to a fixed wing aircraft in forward flight thanks to its two integrated rotors which can be tilted through more than 90 degrees. The demonstrator performed its first unmanned tethered flight in June 2011 at AgustaWestland’s Cascina Costa facility in Italy and has since performed untethered hovering flights inside a secured area.” Emulating Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey flight characteristics, Project Zero affirms that AugustaWestland thinks tilt-rotor technology is “the best layout for the future of fast vertical lift aircraft.” VerticalMag.com explains the aerodynamics and controls of the new vehicle: “During cruise, the wings will provide most of the lift, with the blended fuselage and shroud also making a contribution. ‘Project Zero’ has been designed …