Eviation Says Cape Air Will Take 75 Alice Aircraft
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Flight Global.
Orders in the Wikipedia entry for the Eviation Alice says this.
The first buyer for the Alice was Cape Air, a regional airline serving the Northeastern United States as well as the Caribbean. In August 2021, Deutsche Post announced that it had ordered 12 aircraft for use by DHL to transport cargo, with delivery planned from 2024. In April 2022, Eviation stated that Cape Air ordered 75 planes.
It does look like this innovative aircraft could be ready for more than just a first flight.
Applicability To The UK
I have a feeling, that we’ll see a lot of five-to-nine electric aircraft in the UK, as we have lots of islands and quite a lot of small airports.
The Alice has a range of around 500 miles, which is useful, but the take-off run of 800 metres could be a limitation on some islands.
Conclusion
I can’t wait to fly in an Alice.
The ZEROe Demonstrator Has Arrived
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Airbus.
This is the introductory paragraph.
2022 marks a new and exciting phase for ZEROe – Airbus’ ambition to develop the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035. The multi-year demonstrator programme has officially been launched with the objective to test a variety of hydrogen technologies both on the ground and in the air.
The ZEROe demonstrator will be the first Airbus A 380 aircraft and it is shown in this Airbus visualisation.
Note.
- The four hydrogen tanks in the fuselage.
- The fifth engine mounted in a pod on the fuselage.
- There’s certainly lots of space inside the fuselage for more hydrogen tanks and test and monitoring equipment.
I have a few thoughts.
This Aircraft Will Be A Superb Demonstrator
The press release says this about the use of an A 380 as a demonstrator.
The A380 is the world’s largest and most spacious passenger jet ever built – a size that makes it ideally suited to the role of test platform.
Today, the A380 MSN1 test aircraft is earmarked for a new role: to take the lead on testing the technologies that will be vital to bringing the world’s first zero-emission aircraft to market by 2035.
“The A380 MSN1 is an excellent flight laboratory platform for new hydrogen technologies,” says Mathias Andriamisaina, Airbus ZEROe Demonstrator Leader. “It’s a safe and reliable platform that is highly versatile to test a wide range of zero-emission technologies. In addition, the platform can comfortably accommodate the large flight test instrumentation that will be needed to analyse the performance of the hydrogen in the hydrogen-propulsion system.”
Initially, I suspect the aircraft will fly as a four-engined turbofan aircraft running on standard or sustainable aviation fuel.
The performance of the hydrogen engine will be tested in all phases of operation and at different altitudes.
What Size Is The Fifth Engine?
This layout is clever.
If Airbus want to test a smaller hydrogen engine for say an Airbus A 320-sized hydrogen aircraft like the ZEROe Turbofan shown in this Airbus visualisation, they fit it to the fifth pylon.
Note.
- The fifth pylon on the ZEROe Demonstrator could be the proposed pylon for the ZEROe Turbofan.
- The ZEROe Demonstrator could probably carry a lot of hydrogen to test out the hydrogen engine over a long duration.
- The hydrogen engine could be tested out over the full flight envelop of an Airbus A 380.
I would suspect that the tests on the hydrogen engine would be some of the most comprehensive ever carried out on a new engine.
If Airbus want to test a larger hydrogen engine for say an Airbus A 350-sized hydrogen aircraft, they would probably replace one of the four main engines with the hydrogen engine.
It looks like Airbus will be able to test hydrogen engines for all sizes of plane in their current range.
What Will Happen To Current A 380s?
Consider.
- The production of the A 380 has been stopped.
- There are 251 aircraft in service.
- They appear to be a reliable and safe aircraft.
- The aircraft can run on sustainable aviation fuel.
- The oldest aircraft are only thirteen years old.
- They are still reasonably modern aircraft, that if they needed to be updated to the latest standards could probably be easily done so.
- The aircraft have a lot of volume, which can hold over 500 passengers in a typical configuration.
- The flying characteristics and structure of the aircraft is well known.
I suspect there are a lot of aircraft leasing companies, who feel these aircraft are too good to scrap, just because they are not zero-carbon.
Could Hydrogen Be Stored In The Wing Of An A 380?
Hydrogen storage will get more capable in the next few years and we will see hydrogen stored in strange places in vehicles and aircraft using the gas as a fuel.
The A 380 may well have an advantage in that its wing is relatively thick compared to that of other airliners.
- The A 380 has a wing aspect ratio of 7.53.
- The Boeing 787 has a wing aspect ratio of 11.
- Gliders have wing aspect ratios as upwards of 30.
High aspect ratios are generally more economical on fuel.
But this relatively thick wing, may make it possible to store hydrogen in the wing of an A 380.
Could There Be A Hydrogen-Powered A 380?
I suspect part of the Airbus ZEROe progam will be to investigate the possibility of converting existing A 380 aircraft into a capable hydrogen-powered aircraft.
In Could An A320 neo Be Rebuilt As A ZEROe Turbofan?, I looked at the possibility of turning an existing Airbus A 320 neo into a ZEROe Turbofan running on hydrogen.
This was my conclusion.
I very much feel that there will be a route to convert some or all of the A 320 neo aircraft to hydrogen power.
So what will a ZEROe A 380 look like if it follows the same design route as an A 320 neo to a ZEROe Turbofan?
- There would be a large hydrogen tank in the rear fuselage.
- As I explained earlier, there may be a possibility for some hydrogen to be stored in the wing.
- Both passenger decks would be shortened and perhaps be able to hold the 350-410 passengers of the Airbus A350-1000.
- The cockpit, front part of the fuselage, wings, tailplane and landing gear would be unchanged.
- The aircraft would fit existing jetways at any airport, that can handle an existing A 380.
I believe that converting an existing Airbus A380 to a hydrogen-powered aircraft is possible and the conversion falls within Barnes Wallis‘s rule of problem solving.
There is no greater thrill in life, that proving something is impossible and then showing how it can be done.
The quote comes from a BBC program, where he was interviewed by Chris Brasher, who was another for whom impossible was just a minor hurdle in the way of meeting objectives.
Could There Be A Hydrogen-Powered A 380 Freighter?
Consider.
- I think it is likely, that companies like Amazon will come under pressure over their carbon footprint, as they transport increasing numbers of packages around the world.
- In DHL Express Shapes Future For Sustainable Aviation With First Order Of All-Electric Cargo Planes From Eviation, I talk about how DHL Express have ordered twelve Eviation Alice aircraft to create a zero-carbon service. DHL must feel this would be good for their image. So would they like an intercontinental zero-carbon freighter?
- Some people worry about the air-miles on their food!
There could be a worthwhile niche market for a high capacity intercontinental zero-carbon freighter.
Because it has such a large internal volume, an Airbus A 380 might make an ideal aircraft to convert.
Conclusion
Airbus will learn a lot from the ZEROe Demonstrator.
They may even learn how to develop, a long-range hydrogen-powered zero-carbon A 380 variant that could carry four hundred passengers between Europe and Australia.
Velocys’s Waste-To-Fuel Project Moves Forward
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Let’s Recycle.
This is the first paragraph.
Velocys says it has completed works at its Altalto plant in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, in preparation for a future connection to the East Coast Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster.
In partnership with British Airways, Velocys is developing a facility that could convert up to 500,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste into fuel for planes and cars each year.
At last, this very interesting and important project is underway.
I believe that plants like this could be the way we keep flying until hydrogen-powered planes are developed.
Russia Destroys Ukraine’s Dream
The Antonov An-225 Mriya was a unique aircraft.
It was the biggest aircraft in the world and was regularly used to move heavy or awkward cargoes around the world, as a reading of its Wikipedia entry will disclose.
Mriya is Ukrainian for dream.
But all that useful work has come to an end.
This article on CNN is entitled World’s Largest Plane Destroyed In Ukraine.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The world’s largest plane, the Antonov AN-225, has been destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, generating alarm and sadness among the aviation world in which it occupies almost cult status.
The enormous aircraft, named “Mriya,” or “dream” in Ukrainian, was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked by “Russian occupants,” Ukrainian authorities said, adding that they would rebuild the plane.
I know it’s only a plane and in the current scheme of things, that is a minor loss, but the Mriya has proved itself to be so uniquely useful in moving awkward cargoes, that the plane would surely have played a major part in the humanitarian relief and the rebuilding of Ukraine.
Given, that the plane would have surely been of use to the Russians, it just shows how utterly stupid, they have been in this war.
Fortescue Future Industries And Airbus Join Forces To Help Decarbonise Aviation
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Fortescue Future Industries.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Global green hydrogen company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and Airbus, a world leader in aeronautics, have joined forces to create a working alliance to help enable the aviation industry to decarbonise through zero-emissions green hydrogen.
Today’s announcement reflects FFI’s and Airbus’ shared ambition to leverage their respective expertise to support the entry-into-service of a green hydrogen-based aircraft by 2035. Green hydrogen, unlike other forms of hydrogen, is made from water using 100 per cent renewable electricity.
I think this is a smart move by Airbus.
It could be argued that hydrogen trucks, buses, cars, vans and other road vehicles have not taken off at a great rate due to the lack of hydrogen filling stations.
Hydrogen airliners travelling on typical routes will probably need refuelling at both ends of the route and possibly several times per day, so hydrogen refuelling would be an important part of any deal Airbus signs with an airline.
Fortescue Future Industries seem to be in prime position to be the first global hydrogen company, so they must be the ideal hydrogen fuelling partner.
I don’t think anybody predicted, when Airbus published the possible designs of their concepts for hydrogen-powered aircraft in September 2020, that I wrote about in ZEROe – Towards The World’s First Zero-Emission Commercial Aircraft, that an Australian company would be likely to provide the hydrogen fuel for these aircraft.
‘Game-Changing’ Drones Helping Ukraine In Battle For The Skies
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The Ukrainian military has been using “Punisher” stealth drones that can target fuel storage, ammunition supplies and electronic warfare stations up to 30 miles behind enemy lines.
Some other points from the article.
- They are a Ukrainian-built drone with a 7.5 foot wingspan an electric propulsion.
- They are from a company called UA-Dynamics.
- They have completed sixty successful mission.
- They can fly for hours at 1,300ft
This paragraph describes a mission.
He said the drone, which can carry 3kg of explosives, needs the co-ordinates of its target and then carries out its mission automatically. Onboard cameras record the impact of the blast to check the accuracy of the mission.
It can also work in combination with a reconnaissance drone.
Could this be the reason the Russians have held back the convoy?
It may not be a big enough warhead to knock out a tank, but it would do a lot of damage to a supply truck or a tanker full of diesel.
There is also this paragraph, which describes a dog-fight between Russian and Ukranian fighters.
The Ukrainian military said today that a “fierce air battle” took place overnight in the Kyiv region between a pair of MiG-29 fighters and a pair of Russian Su-35s. Both Russian jets were destroyed and one MiG-29 survived.
Note.
- The Mig-29 first flew in 1977.
- Mig-29s are a very common fighter aircraft.
- Ukraine inherited hundreds of Mig-29s after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- The USAF has a few Mig-29s
The Su-35 first flew in 1988.
In addition to the Russians, they are flown by China and Egypt.
This is a paragraph from the Wikipedia entry for the Mig-29.
On 29 May 2020, Ukrainian MiG-29s took part in the Bomber Task Force in Europe with American B-1B bombers for the first time in the Black Sea region. In September 2020, B-52 bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing conducted vital integration training with Ukrainian MiG-29s and Su-27s inside Ukraine’s airspace.
Have the Ukrainian pilots been doing some combat training?
Embraer, Widerøe And Rolls-Royce Announce Partnership To Research Innovative Technologies For Sustainable Regional Aircraft
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the body of the press release.
Embraer, Widerøe and Rolls-Royce have today announced plans to study a conceptual zero-emission regional aircraft.
The 12-month cooperation study – in the context of pre-competitive research and development – will address passenger requirements to stay connected in a post Covid-19 world, but do so sustainably, and seeks to accelerate the knowledge of the technologies necessary for this transition. Such technologies will allow national governments to continue to support passenger mobility while reusing most of the existing infrastructure in a more sustainable way.
Advances in scientific research can make clean and renewable energy a major enabler of a new era of regional aviation and the three companies will share their combined in-depth knowledge of aircraft design, market demand, operations and propulsion solutions to further develop their understanding of zero-emission technologies and how they can be matured and applied to future regional aircraft.
Among other topics, the study will cover a wide range of applications for new propulsion technologies to examine a range of potential solutions – including all-electric, hydrogen fuel cell or hydrogen fueled gas turbine powered aircraft.
These are my thoughts.
An Aircraft For Existing Infrastructure
This is an extract from the press release.
Such technologies will allow national governments to continue to support passenger mobility while reusing most of the existing infrastructure in a more sustainable way.
If I was the CEO of an airline, I’d want an aircraft that fitted the airports and their facilities, where I wanted to fly.
No Propulsion System Is Ruled Out
This is an extract from the press release.
Among other topics, the study will cover a wide range of applications for new propulsion technologies to examine a range of potential solutions – including all-electric, hydrogen fuel cell or hydrogen fueled gas turbine powered aircraft.
It would appear no propulsion system is ruled out.
In LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes, where I talked about LNER ordering ten new trains, they also said they would accept any type of power, that was suitable.
Embraer
Embraer are a successful Brazilian aerospace company, who according to Wikipedia, are the third largest producer of civil aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus.
I first flew in one of their EMB 110 Bandeirantes in the 1970s from Norwich to Stavanger and I’ve flown on several of their aircraft since.
Embraer’s current jet aircraft line-up includes.
- Embraer E-Jet – Twin-jet regional airliner – 66-124 passengers – 1596 produced
- Embraer E-Jet E2 – Twin-jet regional airliner – 88-146 passengers – 50 produced
Note.
- The E-Jet E2 is the successor to the E-Jet with new engines, new avionic, fly-by-wire controls and other improvements.
- Production numbers are as of 31st March 2021.
- Embraer don’t seem to produce turboprop aircraft any more, although a lot of their former products are still flying.
I certainly wouldn’t avoid flying in Embraer products, as I would in other aircraft and on some airlines.
Have Embraer identified a market for a smaller sustainable or even zero-carbon aircraft that could extend their product range below the jets?
Widerøe
Widerøe are a long-established and well-respected Norwegian airline.
Their fleet consists of forty De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprop aircraft of various variants and three Embraer E-Jet E2 jet airliners.
Wikipedia says this about their fleet.
Widerøe plans to replace most of its Dash-8 by 2030.
Given that the Dash 8 seats between 40 and 80 passengers, I wonder if a sustainable or even zero-carbon aircraft with an appropriate number of seats and the STOL performance of the Dash 8, would suit Widerøe’s route network, which includes many small airfields.
Rolls-Royce
In What Does 2.5 MW Look Like?, I talked about Rolls-Royce’s development of a 2.5 MW Generator.
I am inserting the start of the linked post.
This press release on the Rolls-Royce web site is entitled Rolls-Royce Generator Delivered For Most Powerful Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System In Aerospace.
This Rolls-Royce picture shows the generator installed on a test bed.
These are the first three paragraphs of the press release.
The generator that will be at the heart of the most powerful hybrid-electric aero power and propulsion system in aerospace has arrived for installation at our specialist testbed.
The generator, and related power electronics, was delivered to the newly-renovated Testbed 108 in Bristol, UK, from the Rolls-Royce facility in Trondheim, Norway, having completed an extensive development test programme. It will form part of the 2.5 megawatt (MW) Power Generation System 1 (PGS1) demonstrator programme, for future regional aircraft. In addition to hybrid-electric propulsion, the generator could also be used as part of a “more-electric” system for larger aircraft or within future ground or marine applications.
PGS1 forms an important element of our sustainability strategy, which includes developing innovative electrical power and propulsion systems.
I must say that as an engineer this 2.5 MW generator really excites me, as I see so many possibilities.
Could this engine become the power unit of a hydrogen-powered regional airliner?
Rolls-Royce, Tecnam And Widerøe
In Rolls-Royce And Tecnam Join Forces With Widerøe To Deliver An All-Electric Passenger Aircraft Ready For Service In 2026, a similar deal to the Embraer, Widerøe and Rolls-Royce deal is discussed.
I am inserting the start of the linked post.
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce and airframer Tecnam are joining forces with Widerøe – the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market, ready for revenue service in 2026. The project expands on the successful research programme between Rolls-Royce and Widerøe on sustainable aviation and the existing partnership between Rolls-Royce and Tecnam on powering the all-electric P-Volt aircraft.
This picture from Rolls-Royce shows the proposed aircraft.
The P-Volt aircraft is based on the Tecnam P2012 Traveller.
Conclusion
Perhaps, the first deal is progressing so well, Rolls-Royce and Widerøe decided to repeat the exercise.
Electrified Regional Air Mobility Will Be Disruptive & Mature Rapidly In Coming Years
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Clean Technica.
It is very much a must-read article, where the author analyses technology and how it will affect regional aviation.
He comes to the conclusion, that electric aircraft will develop much quicker than autonomous systems and full digital air traffic control.
He feels that we’ll see rapid development of electric aircraft flying traditionally with a pilot in charge, who talks to air traffic controllers.
Effectively, this is the system that was in operation, when I used to fly my Cessna 340 all round the UK and Western Europe thirty years ago.
Adding in electric aircraft to this system, is very similar to adding a car with a certified alternative power source to the traffic of the UK.
I think this means, that electric aircraft need to have a pilot on board to be certified, as any certification involving passenger will have to be as risk-free as possible.
The article mentions Electron Aviation. The author describes their operational model like this.
Electron Aviation, for example, sees that a 4-seater, one-pilot plane can become the workhorse of a regional short-haul leisure and business travel on-demand flight service in the second half of this decade, with planes coming to a small airport near customers, who are delivered by electric Ubers at either end. The economics work out with electric airplanes where they don’t with current internal combustion planes.
As Electron’s UK address is in Mildenhall in Suffolk, which is close to the UK horseracing centre of Newmarket, I know from my past experience that their model of four-seat air-taxis certainly works in the racing industry.
The specification for their aircraft looks impressive.
- Very aerodynamic with a high aspect ratio wing.
- Tricycle retractable undercarriage.
- Twin-pusher propellers.
- 186 mph cruise at 10,000 feet.
- 466 mile range.
- Low noise.
- Zero emissions.
Looking at the visualisation on the home page of their web site, I suspect that the battery is at the centre of lift in the middle of the plane to give excellent flying characteristics.
I also think, that their concept is scalable and that a larger aircraft could be built to a similar layout.
Conclusion
I am happy to agree with the author’s conclusion, that electric aircraft will revolutionise regional aviation in a short space of time.
Alice, The First All-Electric Passenger Airplane, Prepares To Fly
The title of this post, is the same as this article on CNN.
It looks like the first flight is just weeks away.
This paragraph describes the aircraft and compares it to a Boeing 737.
With battery technology similar to that of an electric car or a cell phone and 30 minutes of charging, the nine-passenger Alice will be able to fly for one hour, and about 440 nautical miles. The plane has a max cruise speed of 250 kts, or 287 miles per hour. For reference, a Boeing 737 has a max cruise speed of 588 miles per hour. The company, focused exclusively on electric air travel, hopes that electric planes that can fit 20 to 40 passengers will be a reality in seven to 10 years.
Fully electric flight on short routes is a lot closer than we think.
Note, that 440 nautical miles will give sufficient range from London to Amsterdam, Belfast, Cork, Frankfurt, Inverness and Paris.
Up, Up And Away: Flying AirCar Earns Its Wings
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
A supercar that comes with wings attached has been given the green light to take to the skies.
It has been given European certification.
I will be very surprised if the Klein Vision AirCar is a success!
The Anonymous Widower 