VoltAero is a small French company that might succeed in electric flight where bigger firms have failed. Its hybrid-electric system marks an innovative path to quiet flight. Airbus ventured into electric aviation with a four-motor conversion of the Colomban cri-Cri in 2010 and a clean-sheet craft, the E-Fan, a sleek, essentially ducted fan two-seater in 2015. Initially big plans for production of two and four seat variants bloomed – then withered. Airbus dropped plans for the personal electric airplane market and instead concentrated on at least three versions of Urban Air Mobility devices and a hybrid-electric demonstrator based on a BAE 146 airliner. This last project, the E-Fan X, was canceled recently. Jean Botti was Chief Technology Officer for Airbus, and Didier Esteyne a test pilot for the Cri-Cri and E-Fan. Botti is now CEO of VoltAero: Esteyne its Technical Officer. VoltAero has ambitious plans for its hybrid electric future, and management experience to pull them off. Flying VoltAero’s unique …
UAM Realization May be Closer than We Think
We are on the verge of big happenings in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) world. Large amounts of money are flowing into the coffers of those companies which dared to pioneer in the area. Large firms are partnering with these aerial startups. And the Federal Aeronautics Administration is paying attention while actively pursuing certification for the new machines headed our way. Jay Merkle, FAA Certification and Airspace Integration At the Transportation Review Board’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, Jay Merkle, head of the FAA’s UAS integration office, told attendees that six (Urban Air Mobility) UAM vehicles are “well along,” according to a report in Aviation Today. He held that the growing market is ““more than just hype … this is more than just promotional videos.” Merkle apparently feels current regulations such as FAR Part 23 are adequate to help these new electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) machines be certified. Merkle feels the machines in progress can provide service …
Rolls-Royce Rolls a Few New Approaches
Rolls-Royce, famous for building engines such as the WWII Merlin that powered Spitfires, Mustangs, Mosquitos and Lancaster bombers, is engaged on three (or four) fronts currently, bringing hybrid electric transport to the skies. Hybrid Electric VTOL for Commuting Rolls is jumping into this crowded market segment with its concept for an electric VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) machine, powered by four electric motors on the wings and two on the tail. With over 100 machines of varying configurations that might be the Uber rides of the future – according to Electric VTOL News, Rolls, normally a conservative company, is planning something a bit radical – even in this field. Rolls’ headline for this craft indicates a new direction for the firm: “Quieter, cleaner and potentially disruptive: EVTOLs prepare for take-off.” Launching at Farnborough this month, Rolls’ machine and its goals are best described in their launch publicity. “Rolls-Royce’s hybrid EVTOL concept is based around the M250, the engine of choice …
Sikorsky’s Project Firefly™ Electric Helicopter Demonstrator
Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development arm of Sikorsky Aircraft, revealed last week at the Farnborough International Air show and this week at AirVenture 2010, the Firefly™ Technology Demonstration Aircraft, the first all-electric helicopter. Based on an S-300C, the electrified version replaces the original Lycoming drive train with a U.S. Hybrid power package consisting of a 200 horsepower electric motor, motor controller, and 1,100-pound lithium- battery from Gaia. To monitor operations and “the health” of the craft, Sikorsky has installed an LCD display in the modified center console. One benefit of electrified helicopters would be the discarding of the traditional complex series of mechanical links between the main rotor power takeoff and the tail rotor. The tail rotor on Firefly can be powered by small electric motor linked to the main rotor’s speed output signal. The battery pack’s high weight will allow only 15 minutes of flight at first. “Our objectives with Project Firefly are to provide a proof of principle …