The planes of the future are hybrid
Added on Wed October 20th, 2021
The topic of energy is a key issue for the aviation of the future. Some time ago the European aviation authority, Easa, presented its energy plan: to eliminate carbon monoxide emissions by 2050. If the market is not yet ready for 100% electric, the hybrid can be an answer to reach the European goals faster.
U.S. company Ampaire is working on a hybrid-powered model. The model is called EEL and was created with the aim of reducing CO2 consumption by 50-70% and the cost of maintenance by 25-50%. It was born with two engines (one on the nose and the other on the tail): in the first one the propeller is mounted in front of the engine, pulling the aircraft behind it. In the second one, the propeller is mounted behind the engine, pushing the plane forward. The rear engine is traditional, while the front one is electric. A hybrid aircraft in the true sense of the word.
After several experiments in the United States, the aircraft was disassembled and re-assembled in the United Kingdom, where it participated in further test flights.
Ampaire has thus proven that hybrid flight is possible and is a solid step towards 100% electric. Of course, we are no longer talking about general aviation aircraft, but “regional” ones. The target is between 9 and 19 passengers, contributing to “scheduled” aviation.
Read more here.
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