APUS Rolls Out Its i-2

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel Leave a Comment

A Grand Roll-Out APUS, the thirteen-year-old German aircraft firm specializing in design, maintenance, and repair, rolled out its i-2, a hydrogen-powered, twin electric motor craft filled with innovative ideas.  300 invited guests attended the sunny ceremony, presided over by Brandenburg’s Minister of Economic Affairs Prof. Dr. Jörg Steinbach, together with APUS CEO Phillip Scheffel. Scheffel spoke to the crowd, explaining how much his team contributed to the firm’s accomplishment.  “Without the great work and dedication of our team, this success would never have been possible. Together we have redefined the boundaries of modern aviation.” Your editor had the pleasure of interviewing Scheffel and his compatriots Laurent Altenberger and Dipl.-Ing. Robert Adam last year.  The discussion led to a blog entry as the group was beginning development of the i-2, and highlighted some of the boundaries Scheffel speaks of redefining. One boundary was the weight penalty traditionally imposed in using hydrogen as a fuel source.  Scheffel has an approach that addresses …

Loganair to Pioneer Island-Hopping Electric Flight

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

An Eccentric Problem It seems quaint and charming, typically British as we used to understand them from vintage films.  The idea of taking a 1.7 mile flight from Westray in the Orkney Islands to Papa Westray within visual range may seem a bit eccentric.  The landing on the beach at low tide seems even more so.  Loganair, which serves the Orkney Islands, experiences many ups and downs in a day, their longest flight taking a mere 15 minutes. Twice-a-day flights between the Westrays can be disrupted by North Sea weather, as can boat passages between the islands, which often take two turbulent hours.  Obligingly, the airline offers flex tickets good for essentially – whenever.  Fares seem reasonable, though, a one-way trip either way costing 7.25 Pounds ($8.72). Beyond the scheduling difficulties, operation of air-cooled engines for such short flights does not promote long periods between overhauls.  Electric motors are ideal for such duties. A Reasonable Solution Cranfield University in the …

Your Flying Car is on Its Way – How Soon?

Dean Sigler Announcements, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Uber is projecting real-world approaches to personal transport in urban environments.  Their work with Airbus affiliate A3 could help unlock gridlock for all of us.  Gridlock wastes millions of hours of otherwise productive time, a key measure of “the good life.”  With eVolo having demonstrated that 16 rotors can carry the weight of two people, and eHang showing a drone-like device that can carry one passenger on a 20-minute hop, urban mobility may soon become less depressing and more uplifting.  Other vehicles wait in the wings, so to speak, with the main impediment being regulatory gridlock. Uber Elevates the Discussion Uber Elevate, a project on which Uber and Airbus are collaborating, published a 98-page white paper last November, Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation.  Written with contributions from Uber personnel (including Airbus’ A3), NASA, and private individuals, the paper outlines the aerial possibilities Uber intends to follow.  In the meantime, Uber notes, “A study in the American …