MANUFACTURING INNOVATIONS
8 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
a few, and some universities presented
various electrically powered aircraft and
(near) serial ripeness hybrid propulsion
systems. The overall trend goes toward
less noisy and more ecological drivetrain
solutions and these were even seen at the
last Paris Airshow.
This process is in reality a process
which was initiated some 10 years ago and
has its roots in the "small," experimental
aviation world. Few visionary entrepre-
neurs and aviators on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean broke ground for today's
electric revolution. That this development
originates in the experimental/LSA yard is
based on less restrictive rules in those cat-
egories and on the fact that many visionar-
ies in that world had excellent ideas, were
driven by emotions and were not really
the best accounting specialists.
This trend has gained momentum in
the last few years, especially in Europe
where environmental awareness and noise
restrictions together with much higher
fuel prices fostered development. A spe-
cial boost to this electric-powered flight
came from China where ideas translate
much faster to production.
Some two years ago, Airbus reached
a milestone when its two-seater, battery-
powered E-Fan crossed the British chan-
nel in just 40 minutes in a purely elec-
tric-powered aircraft trainer. A few days
earlier French amateurs with the electric
Cri-Cri, an amateur built, micro aircraft,
did the same thing. The Slovenian UL/LSA
manufacturer Pipistrel crossed the chan-
nel days later in an all-electric two-seat
Alpha Trainer.
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