A former president of Cessna Aircraft is working on a project to use electric hybrid propulsion instead of aviation fuel to power GA aircraft, according to a story in The Wichita Eagle.
Charlie Johnson, the former Cessna leader, is chief operating officer and one of the founders of Bye Aerospace, and its subsidiary Bye Energy, the company heading the effort. The project — called the Green Flight Project — was officially launched last week. The story notes:
“Bye Energy will use a light aircraft as a proof-of-concept development airplane to prove that electric hybrid propulsion can power aircraft safely and economically, the company said. Preliminary engineering is complete. The next step is the detail engineering and modification of the airplane, Johnson said.
“Electric propulsion is mature enough, we want to study it on a real airplane now,” said George Bye, president and CEO of Bye Aerospace in Greenwood Village, Colo.
The aircraft is expected to fly for the first time in late fall or early next winter.”
