The Anonymous Widower

Will A British Bioelectric Hybrid Plane Really Take Off?

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Guardian.

The article is a serious look from a serious newspaper at the Faradair BEHA.

• It will have a capacity of 18 passengers.
• It will have a cruising speed of 230 mph
• It will have a service ceiling of 14,000 feet.

The aircraft is a tri-plane based on a lightweight carbon-composite structure like many current Airbus designs and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

This image is copyright Faradair.

Note.

1. The triple wing with the winglets.
2. The conventional fuselage.
3. The pusher fans at the rear of the fuselage.

It is not conventional.

Power

Power comes from a hybrid power unit consisting of a battery and the auxiliary power unit (APU) of an Airbus A 350 XWB. I wrote about the hybrid power unit in Honeywell Introduces Power Source For Hybrid-Electric Aircraft.

The power unit will run on sustainable aviation fuel produced from something like food, household or industrial waste.

As an experienced pilot and an experienced engineer and taking a few clues from the Guardian article, I believe the aircraft will fly a unique, but very sensible flight profile.

Many years ago, I wanted to fly my Cessna 340 A from Southend Airport to Naples Airport.

• I loaded as much fuel, as the tanks would take.
• I taxied to the runway,
• A fuel bowser followed me down and added extra fuel to make up what I’d used in taxiing.
• Take-off was on full power and I climbed at maximum rate to as high as I was allowed.
• Once over France, I climbed to Flight Level 195 (19,500 ft), which was the highest level allowed in a light aircraft in full visibility without a full instrument rating.
• The French Air Traffic Control handed me over to Italian Air Traffic Control at the same height.
• I flew down the West coast of Italy at around 200 mph.
• North of Naples, I descended slowly, trading height for speed and turned to come straight in to Naples airport.

Note.

1. It had taken me six hours and forty minutes to fly around 1350 miles.
2. What I had done in UK and French airspace was totally legal, but I suspect I broke the law in Italy.
3. But the French ATC felt I was competent, so they just handed me over.

Sadly, I didn’t have a camera with me, as the views of Rome and the Italian coast were spectacular.

I believe that the Faradair BEHA will use a similar flight profile to that, which I used between Southend and Naples.

• The plane will leave the terminal or apron with a full battery.
• Before take-off, the hybrid power unit will make sure that the battery is full.
• Take-off will be on full power and the lift of three wings will be used to lift off quickly and climb at maximum rate to the service ceiling of 14,000 feet.
• The aircraft will build up speed to 230 mph using power in the battery or some extra power from the hybrid power unit.
• The aircraft would execute a low power approach at the destination.

Note.

1. Unlike in my flight to Naples, an autopilot will probably fly the aircraft to the maximum range profile.
2. The plane will be very aerodynamically efficient and I suspect fuel consumption will be very low in the cruise.
3. The higher you go, the less the air resistance.
4. Fuel consumption would be almost nothing in the descent, as just as I did in my Cessna potential energy would be converted into kinetic energy to keep the plane at the necessary flying speed.

Faradair have not disclosed the range, but I feel with development, it could be a thousand miles.

Conclusion

By 2030, many of us will be flying around a thousand miles in weird looking airliners with up to twenty-five seats.

The 317 miles between Stansted and Edinburgh will be a piece of cake!

Everybody should read the excellent Guardian article.

March 19, 2021 - Posted by AnonW | Transport | cessna 340, Faradair BEHA, Flying, Global Warming/Zero-Carbon, Innovation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel