In a historic day for aviation, Eviation Aircraft‘s all-electric, zero-emission Alice technical demonstrator aircraft had its first flight Sept. 28, 2022.
Powered by two magniX magni650 Electric Propulsion Units (EPUs), the aircraft lifted off at 7:10 a.m. from Grant County International Airport (KMWH) in Moses Lake, Washington, east of Seattle.
The maiden flight lasted just eight minutes, according to company officials, who note that Alice marks a new generation of aircraft, as the world’s first “clean-sheet design” all-electric passenger plane, built from the ground up around an electric propulsion system.
“This trailblazing flight of the technology demonstrator provided Eviation with invaluable data to further optimize the aircraft for commercial production,” company officials added.
magniX’s electric propulsion for aircraft also powered first flights of a retrofitted electrified de Havilland Beaver seaplane in 2019, a Cessna Grand Caravan in 2020, and a Robinson 44 helicopter in 2022, according to officials with magniX.
magniX is on the path to FAA Part 33 certification, working with the FAA, which has granted magniX the first, and currently only, Special Conditions for establishing full certification of electric propulsion for aircraft, company officials added.
In 2021, magniX was awarded funding from NASA to demonstrate the technology for its Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration program, a four-year venture accelerating the commercialization of electric aviation, according to magniX officials.
Now lets see a 3 hour IMC flight with a 45 minute reserve.
Isnt it ironic how people said the same kind of nonsense with the advent of the Car and the Aeroplane ,Sewing machine and many thousands of other new inventions
There seems to have been no evolution taken place amongst the Stupids of this world
The existing technology was developed using existing materials and the refinement of them.
Electric battery propulsion is at a technology limit. Lithium-ion batteries have 1/20th the net energy density of gasoline.
As an example, the Tesla 100 KWhr battery has the same energy as 3 gallons of gasoline. What make a Tesla Auto somewhat practical is the 95% efficient use of the battery energy, vs the 30% efficient auto gas engine.
So, from an efficiency standpoint, the Tesla battery 100 KWhr is equivalent to 9 gallons of gasoline….1,000 lb vs 54 lb for 9 gal. of gas.
So who are the ‘stupids’ ? Those of us in the engineering profession understand the existing limitations of the current technologies, be they electrical or petroleum fueled.
All of this development is because some folks in power think that small increases in atmospheric CO2 is/ will be a problem to humans. [ plants would be smiling if they could !].
From their website, the aircraft battery will be 1/2 the gross weight of 16,000 lb,
or 8,000 lb battery. Using the Tesla 100 kWhr battery weights about 1,000 lb,
The aircraft will have about 800 kWhr of battery power.
The 2 motors are rated at 560 kW, continuous. At that power of 1120 kw, the battery is good for about 43 minutes. Subtract the VFR 30 minutes minimum and you get a flight time of 13 minutes.
So, they will need a ‘miracle’ battery development, or much lower power needs.
I am wondering why the test flight was so short did it run out of battery power?
Great question. Yours is the most prescient comment. Surely the company had intended at least a twenty minute initial flight. Something did not go as planned on this maiden flight.
yes…see my comments above.