Electric

JetBlue announced in January that it intended to become a carbon-neutral airline. To reduce its net carbon footprint, it would begin purchasing carbon offsets—credits generated by sponsoring activities and investments designed to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. Its flights originating in San Francisco would use a low-emissions substitute for jet-A refined from a mess of pottage that […]

As I taxi out, a crisp shadow follows on the taxiway beside me. I give a little burst of power, then pull the throttle lever back to idle. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the shadow of the prop stop. “Uh-oh,” I think. “The engine quit.” But no. The airplane is a […]

Norway’s Equator Aircraft has announced its intention to compete in the Air Race E, touted as the world’s first consisting of only electric aircraft. The inaugural Air Race E will be held in 2021, and it now lists 10 teams making their plans to participate. Equator Aircraft’s team will be led by founder, CEO, and […]

French airplane maker VoltAero has begun flight testing on a hybrid-electric-powered airplane series called Cassio. The Cassio 1 testbed is powered by two electric motors, mounted on the wings, and two piston engines—a pusher and a puller—on the fuselage. The testbed looks like a Cessna 337 Skymaster and has a seating configuration for six people. […]

Back in 1997, Steve Jobs challenged the world to “Think Different,” as he and his team of engineers invented a line of desktop computers that turned the industry on its head. Jobs was not only an engineer, he was a visionary, able to marry his intense quest for innovation with forward-thinking creativity. Great engineers can […]

Joby Aviation has earned its latest financial infusion from Toyota Motor Corporation in the development of its all-electric VTOL aircraft. Toyota plans to “share expertise in manufacturing, quality and cost controls” during the development of the “quiet” eVTOL aircraft, according to a company press release. Toyota has invested $394 million as a lead investor in […]

Rolls-Royce took a big step forward recently on their path to stay at the forefront of aviation electrification by unveiling their new all-electric, zero-emissions plane at Gloucestershire Airport in the United Kingdom. As part of their ACCEL initiative (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight), work is accelerating as they develop a ground-breaking electrical propulsion system to […]

Now that Harbour Air’s electric de Havilland Beaver has completed a full-power static runup, and installed all its battery management and other new systems, the crew needs little more than Transport Canada’s signature on the test flight permits in order to launch. The company expects the airplane to slip into the water at Vancouver Harbour […]

As race teams ramp up design and innovation ahead of the inaugural Air Race E all-electric air race series to debut in 2020, Condor Aviation of North Yorkshire, England, unveiled their “White Lightning” race plane, the world’s first air racing airplane powered solely by electricity. The announcement came as the team displayed their entry at […]

Ampaire has launched a NASA-funded feasibility study to learn if the venerable Twin Otter can be efficiently modified to use a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Ampaire and Ikhana are collaborating on the NASA project to evaluate various hybrid diesel/electric configurations for the aircraft, and to develop cost, schedule and risk mitigation plans for a further phase […]