Piper Germany and the MDA1 Electric Commuter

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

Flieger magazine reports, “Piper Deutschland AG has announced a strategic investment in MD Aircraft GmbH . The goal of the collaboration is to advance the development and production of the all-electric regional aircraft MDA1 eViator.” (Note: based on later reporting, the power bays may be incorporated into the lower part of the fuselage.  The blog will attempt to gain verification of this.) Signed on September 19, 2025, the agreement “is intended to mark the start of a new chapter in aviation for Piper – with a focus on innovation and environmental sustainabilit,” according to Flieger. Providing MD the financial stability of Piper’s funding and for Piper the planned design for a twin-motored commuter liner in the size and performance range familiar to established Piper customers, the compact should be beneficial to both companies. The MDA1 Aircraft An “all-electric short-haul aircraft with a range of up to 400 kilometers (248 miles),” The MDA1 should suit the needs of most regional commuter lines internationally. We wrote …

Cranfield: Hub of Electric Aviation

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Fuel Cells, hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Cranfield, England and its local university are hubs for electric aircraft development.  Dr. Guy Gratton is test flying The Light Aircraft Company’s eKub on 48-Volt battery power, ZeroAvia is crafting a Dornier 228 to run on hydrogen, and now Cranfied Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) is readying a Britten-Norman Islander for H2-powered flight in 2023. The Islander Living up to its name, Britten-Norman’s Islander seems to be busy worldwide island hopping.  The twin-engine plane ever makes the world’s shortest scheduled flights, including this between Juist to Norden across the Wadden See.  The 74-second flight is less than the time spent taxiing at the beginning and end of the hop. Designed and developed in the 1960s, 750 Islanders of the 1,280 built are in service with many small airlines and over 30 militaries.  Now, other enterprises are banding together with Britten-Norman and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) to bring hydrogen flight to the Isles of Scilly, a popular English vacation destination. Three companies signed …