BAE To Produce Batteries For Electric Passenger Plane
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
BAE Systems is stepping back into the world of passenger aircraft manufacturing by partnering with a Swedish electric planemaker.
I must admit, that I’m not surprised about BAE Systems’s decision.
Aviation needs batteries for many purposes including drones, starting aircraft and auxiliary power sources, so I wouldn’t be surprised that BAE Systems know their batteries.
In The Big Beast In Your Electric Bus, I described the company’s involvement in providing batteries for electric buses in the United States.
As a former private pilot, I’m watching electric aviation with interest.
I am also an applied mathematician and control engineer and feel that electric aviation will always be playing catch up against planes powered by hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel.
Look at some of Airbus’s ZeroE designs, which use hydrogen fuel.
Discover the three zero-emission concept aircraft known as ZEROe in this infographic. These turbofan, turboprop, and blended-wing-body configurations are all hydrogen hybrid aircraft.
Although saying that there are large numbers of orders for electric airliners like this Swedish design and the Eviation Alice.
The Anonymous Widower 
Sadly I couldn’t read beyond the pay wall but I think it’s worth pointing out that this aircraft, Heart Aviation’s ES-30 and unlike Eviction Alice is built around the concept of a hybrid electric which will extend its range. This doesn’t detract from BAE’s work with battery packs but I did find it interesting that of the all up weight of 21t, the battery pack is expected to weigh around 5 tonnes.
Comment by fammorris | March 31, 2023 |