Click for Daher-Socata Click for Bombardier Click for Gulfstream Click for Gulfstream Click for Embraer

EADS E-Fan Electric Jet - Light Sport Aircraft

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. EADS E-Fan Electric Jet
    The Electric Jet On the Leading Edge of Reduced CO2 Emissions

    The brainchild of Didier Esteyen, the man behind the record-setting, electric powered Cri-Cri, the E-Fan got the green light in October 2012 with a plan to unveil at the 2013 Paris Airshow just 8 months later, an intense schedule for any aircraft development, let alone one with an all-new propulsion technology.

    EADS, in cooperation with Aero Composites Saintonge (ACS), has developed and built an electric general aviation training aircraft called the E-Fan as part of their continuing research and development into innovative propulsion concepts for future air vehicle applications as part of their effort to the European Commission's “Flightpath 2050” report – a roadmap that sets a target of reducing aircraft CO2 emissions by 75%, Nitrogen Oxide emissions (NOx) by 90% and noise levels by 65%, compared to standards in the year 2000.

    The two-seat E-Fan features a pair of electric motors with a combined output of 60 kW (80 hp) driving variable pitch ducted fans to reduce noise and increase safety. Total static engine thrust is about 1.5 kN (337 pounds). The energy to power these motors comes from two multi-cell lithium ion polymer battery packs located in the wings which can power the E-Fan for up to 60 minutes of conventional flight at 110 mph, or 30 minutes of acrobatic maneuvers.
  2. Unlike most electric planes, which mimic conventionally-powered craft or are in fact converted airframes, the E-Fan design was engineered from the ground up. “I designed the original structure of the aircraft from scratch and did the first calculations before approaching EADS and ACS’ owners,” says Esteyne, technical director at ACS.

    “The lowest possible airframe weight is of critical importance for an all-electric aircraft,” says Esteyne. “And using carbon fiber composites was an obvious choice because of its better strength-to-weight ratio compared to aluminum alloys.” The entire fuselage, including the fin and empennage, as well as the wings and main spar were made from composites resulting in a total weight of just 1212 pounds. The length of the aircraft is 6.7 meters (21.98 feet) with a wingspan of 9.5 meters (31.17 feet).
  3. Another innovation is the landing gear. Instead of the usual tricycle gear often seen on aircraft of this size it consists of two electrically-actuated retractable wheels – one in the front and one near the rear under the fuselage – and two small wheels under the wings. The main wheel at the rear of the fuselage is driven by a six kilowatt electric motor providing power to taxi and accelerate up to 60 km/h during take-off, which reduces the electrical power consumption in daily flight operations.
  4. Once the first flight is successfully completed EADS goal is the commercialization and certification of the E-Fan for general aviation as well as for aerospace training facilities to use the aircraft as an LSA type trainer. The company expects this to take up to three years however, as current certification rules don’t cover electric propulsion.

    For more information:
    http://www.eads.com

    ***​
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.