http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1091998_electric-aircraft-are-on-the-way-stylish-e-fan-makes-first-flight Electric Aircraft Are On The Way, Stylish E-FAN Makes First Flight By Antony Ingram May 9, 2014
[video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qfBfZJBQH_I Airbus Group Innovations - E-Fan Airbus Group· Apr 25, 2014 The electric E-Fan training aircraft is a highly innovative technology experimental demonstrator based on an all-composite construction. Airbus Group and its partners are aiming to perform research and development to construct a series version of the E-Fan and propose an industrial plan for a production facility close to Bordeaux Airport. images http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/airbus-e-fan-electric-aircraft_100466602_l.jpg Airbus E-FAN electric aircraft http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/airbus-e-fan-electric-aircraft_100466604_l.jpg http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/airbus-e-fan-electric-aircraft_100466601_l.jpg http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/airbus-e-fan-electric-aircraft_100466603_l.jpg ] While electric vehicles are gaining popularity in the automotive world, the aviation industry is also looking into ways to clean up its act. French firm Airbus is best known for its large passenger jets--including the double-deck Airbus A380--but its latest project is rather smaller. The E-FAN is a small experimental aircraft, powered entirely by electricity. It's small, much quieter than a typical combustion-engined light aircraft, and could cut the cost of an hour-long flight from around $55 to just $16--so it has the same economic benefits as its electric road-going cousins. According to Inhabitat, it uses 120 lithium-ion polymer battery cells. These are stored in the wings, freeing up space in the cabin, while propulsion is handled by two electric ducted fans mounted either side of the tail. Each of these develops around 30 kilowatts, so the aircraft's combined power output is around 80 horsepower--enough for a 136 mph top speed. Endurance is currently around 30 minutes, but Airbus hopes to extend that to over an hour. That will limit it to shorter flights for the time being, but even light aircraft can cover quite a distance without traffic to encumber them, so that's not as bad as it sounds. Airbus intends to expand the E-FAN's development into 2.0 and 4.0-generation aircraft, the latter using a hybrid system. The eventual aim is to expand electric power into wider commercial flight--curtailing the sector's sizeable emissions contribution. Airbus has released a video detailing some of the aircraft's design and construction. It's certainly an interesting development and a striking aircraft, but we've already discovered one problem with future electric aviation. With aircraft so quiet, companies insist on overlaying the wonderful silence of electric flight videos with annoying background music... [© greencarreports.com] For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date http://gas2.org/2014/05/05/video-don-garlits-sets-new-ev-drag-racing-record-at-184-mph/ Video: Don Garlits Takes EV Dragster To 184 MPH http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/16/renting-ev-china-can-really-cheap-easy/ Renting An Electric Car In China Can Be Cheap & Easy Jersey-Island.uk Utility calls for EV purchase incentives http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-27250328 http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/258305281.html Minneapolis adds 36 new electric vehicle charging stations + EVLN: Southeast MO SU Students Build An Electric Dune Buggy {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-E-FAN-Electric-Aircraft-s-First-Flight-tp4669561.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
