Electra.aero
I have signed up to FutureFlight‘s weekly newsletter and this week it gave two articles about a new nine-seat airliner called an Electra.aero.
It must be the first airliner named after its web site or vice-versa.
The first article is entitled Electra.aero Gives A Glimpse If Its eSTOL Technology Development Aircraft.
It says this about the aircraft and the company.
As it works on plans for a nine-passenger eSTOL blown-wing aircraft, Electra.aero has posted a short video teasing followers with a glimpse of what it describes as a technology demonstrator. The video shows what appears to be a subscale model of the larger hybrid-electric design, but the Virginia-based company is giving very little away for now.
This week, the U.S. start-up announced the appointment of former Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO James Albaugh to its board of advisors, along with the former Airbus America CEO and FAA Administrator Allan McArtor, and aircraft finance expert Kristen Bartok Touw.
You can also watch a video.
The second article is entitled Electra.aero Uses Truck To Test Gives A Glimpse If Its eSTOL Aircraft Propulsion System And Wing.
It says about more the aircraft.
Electra.aero’s planned nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft is expected to be able to operate from landing strips as short as 300 feet. The company’s blown-wing design and hybrid-electric propulsion system will be key factors in achieving this breakthrough performance for regional air services. At its base in Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia, the company is using a technology demonstrator and a truck to conduct ground testing key systems in preparation for anticipated test flights later this year.
You can also watch a video.
The home page also shows a visualisation of a flight between Washington DC and New York.
Note.
- Blown-wing and blown flaps have been used before on aircraft like the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster and the Blackburn Buccaneer.
- Blown flaps’ use on the Electra.aero, seems to be the first application on a small propeller-driver airliner.
- Electra.aero seems well-connected, which helps in the aviation industry.
- Power seems to come from a hybrid-electric design.
- Being able to operate from landing strips as short as a football field is a unique characteristic.
- Pictures on the web site show the aircraft has eight propellers, with those close to the fuselage being larger.
- A 400 nautical mile range with a 45 minute reserve, a cruise speed of 175 knots and a quiet take-off are claimed.
As someone, who has over a thousand hours in command of a twin-engined Cessna 340A, this aircraft could be the real deal.
- The field performance is sensational.
- The range is excellent.
- Except for the number of electric engines, it looks like an aircraft and won’t put off the passengers.
- It could fly between Washington DC and New York or London and Paris.
According to their web site, they already have a $3 billion order-book.
Subsea 7 To Explore Pairing Floating Offshore Hydrogen With Floating Wind Farm Off Scotland
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Subsea 7, in collaboration with OneSea Energy, has secured GBP 150,000 (around USD 187,000) in funding from the Scottish government to investigate pairing a large-scale floating hydrogen production system with a floating wind farm offshore Scotland.
Looking at the home page of the OneSea Energy web site, these statements can be read.
- Large scale floating green hydrogen solutions
- OneSea build, lease and operate floating hydrogen production solutions.
- OneSea developed concepts to produce floating green hydrogen in shallow and deep waters.
- These concepts integrate decades of experience in designing, delivering and operating offshore energy production units worldwide.
- OneSea provides full turnkey floating hydrogen production solutions.
- The OneSea business model de-risks client’s financial exposure and offers a fixed rate solution that guarantees the delivery of the committed product output.
- The fast-track and plug-and-play nature of our design allows quick deployment of the units with minimum impact to an existing offshore energy generation project.
- OneSea appear to be a company based in the Netherlands.
Note.
- I like the build, lease and operate concept.
- Pictures indicate that their production units are based on ships.
- There appear to be three different sizes of production units.
Their production units seem to serve a similar purpose as a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit does in the offshore oil and gas industry.
OneSea seems to have thought deeply about how to satisfy the offshore hydrogen production market as widely as possibly.
I could see this concept being employed in several places around the UK.
SWR Complete Major Refurbishment On 85-Year-Old Malden Manor Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Global Railway Review.
So I thought I’d go and take a look at Malden Manor station.
Note.
- The station was built in the 1930s.
- It will be part of Crossrail 2, if it’s ever built.
- The cafe is worth a visit.
The station certainly seems to have benefitted from a deep clean up and a new coat of paint.
The Anonymous Widower 