Electric

On October 14, 1947, the Bell X-1 “Glamorous Glennis” launched from the bomb bay of a Boeing B-29 at 7,000 feet, piloted by Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, to become the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound. As we mark the 72nd anniversary of that flight today, NASA adds another “X-plane” to […]

Most folks are quickly gaining familiarity with lithium-ion batteries as they play an ever-increasing part in our lives. However, when it comes to delivering power for an airplane, where weight is critical, they reach a limit to their utility. That’s why George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, is excited to share the company’s latest partnership […]

No matter your perspective about the integration of drones into the national airspace system (NAS), Skyfront’s recent flight of its Perimeter 4 hybrid gas-electric drone beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) of the operator looks like nothing other than a complete success. Conducted over a rugged, four-mile stretch of mountainous terrain along the Trans-Alaska pipeline, the unmanned aerial vehicle […]

Texas Aircraft Manufacturing showed off its certified Colt S-LSA for the first time at this year’s AirVenture in Oshkosh. As if that weren’t enough of a success, the Hondo-Texas company also announced it’s working closely with Siemens eAircraft to create an electric version of the new light-sport aircraft. Siemens was recently acquired by Rolls-Royce, so […]

Continental Aerospace Technologies announced a partnership with VerdeGo Aero Inc. on the opening day of EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to develop Integrated Distributed Electric Propulsion (IDEP) systems for future urban air mobility and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The hybrid electric technology will be based on Continental’s diesel piston aircraft engines tied to […]

Electric propulsion systems continue to make strides forward in light aircraft, following the successful first flights of a new version from Flight Design and Siemens’ eAircraft division. A version of the Flight Design F2e made its first public flight on June 5 in Strausberg, Germany, powered by a Siemens SP55D-driven electric propulsion system, in partnership […]

In a move that leaves no question as to how it feels about the promise of electric propulsion, Rolls-Royce has entered into an agreement to acquire Siemens’ eAircraft business, the company announced during the Paris Air Show 2019. Siemens’ significant work in electric and hybrid-electric propulsion development began to take shape several years ago under […]

Eviation unveiled its proposition to the turboprop-commuter airline market at the Paris Air Show with Alice, its all-electric, 9-passenger prototype airplane, and announced Cape Air as its first fleet partner. Slated as the latest entrant in a host of urban mobility vehicles aimed at advancing the quest towards a cleaner future, Eviation’s Alice looks like […]

With a hybrid-electrically powered propulsion system, Ampaire’s twin-engine Cessna 337 Skymaster successfully completed the first public flight from Camarillo Airport in Southern California. The original Skymaster included an engine in front and one in the rear providing a push-pull thrust arrangement. The 337 also offered six seats and weighed approximately 4,700 pounds. Ampaire replaced the […]

BlackBird, an online air charter broker that has visions of becoming an “Uber for the skies,” has placed an order with Bye Aerospace for more than 100 electric airplanes that it says will one day make flying more affordable than driving for trips up to about 300 miles. Bye Aerospace announced that BlackBird has agreed […]