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 the new alliance could mean great things down the road for both companies.
Colt’s founding partner Matheus Grande said, “The availability to offer a version of our new Colt LSA powered by a new-generation Siemens eAircraft electric motor will give both private owners and flight schools the option of having an airplane that’s not only fun to fly but will also be extremely environmentally friendly.” Present plans call for Colt to install a Siemens SP55D electric motor that Grande says will give the eAircraft performance that’s essentially the same as the Rotax-powered aircraft.
In addition to the SP55D, Siemens eAircraft will provide the system’s inverter and auxiliary control components. The SP55D direct-drive motor produces a maximum takeoff power with a two-minute limit of 72kW at 3,000 rpm. An engineering prototype of the Siemens eAircraft SP55D motor mounted on a Colt airframe is on display at the Texas Aircraft exhibit booths 355, 356, 361 and 362.
