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Environmentally Friendly Hybrid Six-Seater In the Works

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Faradair is developing a six-occupant Bio Electric Hybrid Aircraft (BEHA) featuring a tri-box wing designed for maximized lift, intended to outperform existing light twin aircraft.
  • The BEHA's hybrid propulsion system combines electric fan motors with a bio-diesel generator that also recharges batteries, supplemented by solar skin panels and wind turbines for onboard power.
  • The company is seeking funding through a Kickstarter campaign and government grants, partnering with Cranfield University for technology development, aiming for a prototype by 2016 and a production flight by 2020.
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A company out of Cotswold, England, called Faradair, which also has roots in the United States, is in the process of developing an airplane that incorporates environmentally friendly propulsion methods melded into what it calls a Bio Electric Hybrid Aircraft, or BEHA for short.

The hybrid airplane is designed for six occupants and features a tri-box wing that Faradair says maximizes lift rather than speed. However, the company claims the airplane will still outperform light twins currently on the market. Propulsion will be achieved through two electric fan motors producing the equivalent of 200 horsepower each, which will power the airplane during all phases of flight. In addition, a 200 horsepower bio-diesel generator will drive a ducted pusher propeller, which the company says will add to the performance in flight and also recharge the batteries.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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