The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times.
In the past few months, two serious electric small airliner projects have emerged.
And now Cranfield University are launching Project Fresson, which aims to convert Britten-Norman Islanders to electric propulsion.
- There are hundreds of Islanders in service.
- They were designed in the 1960s and are still in production.
- They can carry nine passengers for nearly 900 miles.
In some ways, they are the Ford Transit of the small airliner industry. Unspectacular they may be, but they do what it says in the specification.
I’ve only flown in an Islander twice and that was between islands in the Caribbean.
There are several things to like about this project.
- Cranfield University have an excellent reputation in aerospace design.
- The project is well-backed by the British Government, Rolls-Royce, the University of Warwick and others.
- The batteries appear to be coming from motorsport.
- The Islander doesn’t have a reputation as a difficult or unsafe aircraft.
- Over the years, the aerodynamics seem to have been improved.
- There must be a large number of airlines around the world, who are satisfied with their current Islanders and would look seriously at an electric version.
- The Islander is still in production.
I don’t think it carries any high level of risk.
- The current aircraft structure will be virtually unchanged, but possibly uprated for a higher payload because of the weight of the battery.
- The electric motors must meet a power output, energy consumption and weight.
- The battery will probably be made from lots of standard small cells from a well-respected manufacturer like Hitachi, Samsung, Leclanche or others.
- The battery must hold enough energy, fit in a defined space and not be too heavy.
I suspect Cranfield have already written the specifications for the motors and the battery.
Conclusion
In some ways this project has a lot in common with Harbour Air’s project to convert a Beaver.
- Simple engineering with little risk.
- Proven airframe.
- No expensive airframe to certify.
- A lot of engine and battery testing can be done safely on the ground.
- Electric motor technology seems to be improving rapidly, with new ideas cropping up in trains, cars, boats, ships and planes.
- A waiting market.
- I think pilots and passengers will like the idea of an electric aircraft.
- Pilot conversion to the electric plane will not be a long and expensive process.
- Good green credentials.
I think both projects will succeed, if they go well in the next year or so.
November 19, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | Cranfield University, DHC-2 Beaver, Electric Aircraft, Electric Islander, Innovation |
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The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Geek Wi8re.
The article explains a lot about the state of play in the electric aeroplane market, with two examples possibly starting commercial service in the next few years.
MagniX are the company, who build the electric motors and surely, efficient, lightweight motors are key to flying electric.
November 16, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | Electric Aircraft, Eviation Alice, Flying, Harbour Air |
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The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Pique Magazine.
It is as must-read as it gives the thoughts of engineers working on Harbour Air‘s project to create an electric seaplabe, by the conversion of a DHC-2 Beaver.
Will I see an electric aircraft in my lifetime?
If ten years ago, someone had asked me, if battery-powered trains would appear in my lifetime, I would have been sceptical.
But in the last four years, I have ridden in at least two battery powered trains and lived to tell the tale!
So I not only feel that I will see a news film of a small electric airliner carrying around a dozen passengers, but I suspect I’ll be able to fly in one in the UK.
Surely, the ultimate destination for an electric aircraft would be Barra Airport, where airliners land on a sandy tidal beach.
November 9, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | DHC-2 Beaver, Electric Aircraft, Flying, Harbour Air |
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The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Aerotime Hub.
This sounds a tough call, but someone will do it, even if it happens sometime in the second half of the 21st Century.
This is taken from the Wikipedia entry for Harbour Air Seaplanes.
Today, Harbour Air refers to itself as the world’s largest all-seaplane airline and became North America’s first carbon neutral airline.
They have a fleet of forty seaplanes and Wikipedia doesn’t list any incidents.
Wikipedia also says this.
In March of 2019, Harbour Air announced a partnership with magniX to electrify the entire Harbour Air fleet. The two companies are planning to begin tests in late 2019; the first converted aircraft will be a DHC-2 Beaver.
Could this well-respected Canadian seaplane operator achieve its goal of an all-electric airline?
I feel that they will certainly achieve a successful test flight, although as countless aircraft have shown, time scales may not be as originally planned.
I’ll start with the DHC-2 Beaver, one of which will be converted to the prototype electric aircraft.
- First flight of the design was on the 16th of August 1947, which as it was the day I was born, must be a good omen!
- Over 1,600 were built during twenty years of production.
- In the past they have been flown by various military and civil operators.
In the Wikipedia entry, under Operational History, this is a paragraph.
The original Wasp Jr radial engine of the Beaver is long out of production, so repair parts are getting harder to find. Some aircraft conversion stations have addressed this problem by replacing the piston engine with a turboprop engine such as the PT6. The added power and lighter installed weight, together with greater availability of kerosene fuel instead of high-octane aviation gasoline, make this a desirable modification, but at a high financial cost.
Consider.
- Fitting of new engines has been regularly done to aircraft to extend their operational lives or to increase performance or reliability.
- So why not change the power unit for environmental reasons?
- The MagniX electric motor chosen for the trial appears to offer a weight saving.
I believe that provided the mathematics and engineering are correct, that the Wasp Junior piston engine, which dates from 1929, could be replaced with a modern electric motor of the right power level.
How many extra passengers would be drawn to fly in a zero-carbon electric aircraft, which was powered by electricity from renewable sources?
November 2, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | DHC-2 Beaver, Electric Aircraft, Flying, Harbour Air |
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The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Bloomberg.
This looks to be a very positive article as Eviation Aircraft now have more orders for the all-electric Alice aircraft.
This is a couple of paragraphs from the article.
Talks are underway with a fourth possible client in Australia, while the CEO has previously said that prospective customers include major U.S. carriers like United Airlines Holdings Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp., which are interested in planes to feed their hubs.
The U.K. also represents a natural market, given its relatively small size and plethora of regional airports, Bar-Yohay said. The Alice would be well suited to Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.’s Connect arm — previously Flybe — which has an average flight time of 55 minutes. The executive was appearing with Virgin founder Richard Branson and CEO Shai Weiss at a technology conference.
I hope the second paragraph is true, as flying in an all-electric aircraft is definitely on my bucket list!
I would feel that if the aircraft does well, then this experience would translate to France.
October 25, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | Electric Aircraft, Eviation Alice |
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The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
There is a video of the plane, which can carry a 250 Kg payload.
I don’t think we’ll see practical aircraft of this type in large numbers for some years yet, but the technology is getting there with scores of projects starting up all over the world.
This project is funded by Stephen Fitzpatrict, who founded OVO Energy.
October 17, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | Electric Aircraft, OVO |
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I have set up a Google Alert for Eviation Alice and it is finding a lot of articles.
It not only illustrates that the arrival of an electric airliner excites people, but also that the choice of name is a good one.
June 22, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | Electric Aircraft, Eviation Alice, Flying, Names |
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The Eviation Alice nine-seat aircraft may on the face of it, not have many applications in the UK.
But consider the following.
The Eviation Alice Could Be A Very Good Neighbour
Consider.
- The three electric motors could be reasonably quiet.
- The propellers are positioned in the vortexes created by the wing-tips and the fuselage.
- The specification of the plane states that the propellers can be adjusted for pitch and rpm to reduce noise.
Imagine a single runway airport for electric planes only.
It would be likely, that the noise footprint would be very small!
As the Eviation Alice, is replacing Cessna 401 aircraft at Cape-Air, I suspect that the Alice is designed to be able to use similar runways to the Cessna 401, which can easily land and take-off in a seven hundred metre runway.
This could mean that new runways could be built in places that would currently be rejected.
Would this open up these possibilities?
New airports being created to serve towns with difficult road and rail links.
New runways close to major airports for electric low-noise aircraft only.
The Eviation Alice Doesn’t Have To Fly High
Typically airliners fly high and getting up and down takes a long time. But they don’t always have to fly that way!
A couple of years ago, I flew from Schipol to Southend. It was a clear day and the pilot flew directly across the North Sea at about three thousand feet and then straight in to Southend Airport.
We arrived very early.
I wonder, if as small quiet electric airliners get more common, that Air Traffic Control will develop ways of using their capabilities and quietness to create new routes.
Imagine flying from Norwich to Edinburgh, which is about 260 nautical miles in an Eviation Alice.
- I have flown Ipswich to Edinburgh many times and it is uncluttered airspace.
- You have to cross an airway at Hull
- You can even follow the coast.
Flying lower could save time!
Electric Planes Will Get Bigger
To my mind, nine seats is not enough, but twenty would be useful on routes like the following.
- Edinburgh And Wick
- Glasgow and Derry
- London and Derry
- London and New Quay
- Manchester and Derry
- Norwich and Aberdeen
- Norwich and Manchester
In some cases they could replace a more expensive full-size airliner.
I suspect that Eviation have the figures.
But suppose, you wee creating a bigger thirty-seat version of the Alice!
- It would have another twenty-one passengers.
- With baggage at 90 Kg a person, this would add a weight of under two tonnes.
- The plane would need a larger volume, but the composite structure would mean only a small increase in weight.
- The plane would probably have about a forty-percent increase in take-off weight.
- So it would probably need a similar increase in battery capacity.
If battery energy density increases at three percent per annum, this would mean it would take about ten years.
The Eviation Alice Should Be Cheaper To Run Than A Thirty-Seat Aircraft
This could mean that the Eviation Alice could replace larger aircraft on thin routes.
The Eviation Alice Could Replace A Britten-Norman Islander On Some Routes
Some routes like the internal Orkney services probably aren’t suitable for an Eviation Alice, but I suspect others are.
The Eviation Alice Probably Needs A Proper Runway
I suspect that Eviation Alice aircraft need a runway with a firm surface, like concrete or asphalt, although some grass runways might be acceptable.
Feeder Services To Large International Airports
In England, there are not many of these routes, as there are usually trains or good roads.
But in Scotland, there are numerous services from the Far North and the Islands to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Conclusion
If the Eviation Alice is a success, expect to see them or similar electric aircraft in the UK.
Flying in one of these is on my bucket list!
June 19, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel | Electric Aircraft, Eviation Alice, Flying |
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The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times.
The Eviation Alice is a composite battery-electric aircraft, that has just been ordered by Cape-Air, who are based in Barnstaple, Massachusetts..
Currently, Cape-Air flies the following fleet of aircraft.
In addition, a hundred Tecnam P2012 Traveller are on order, which seat nine passengers.They will replace the Cessnas.
The specification of the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, was developed with input from Cape-Air,
- Two Avco Lycoming piston engines.
- 190 knot cruising speed.
- Range of 950 nautical miles
- Full certification.
- Large passenger door.
- Suitable for commuter, air taxi, medevac, troop transport and air cargo roles.
- iSingle-pilot operations, a modern cockpit, an unpressurised cabin and a metal air-frame.
- High -wing for visibility
- Fixed landing gear for operation from rough landing strips.
It appears the Italians have designed a modern Islander.
This leads me to the impression, that the commuter airline operator are experienced, conservative and know what they want.
On the other hand, Cape-Air have just ordered ten Eviation Alice aircraft for air-taxi operations.
- Nine passengers and two crew
- Three 260 kW electric motors
- 900 kWh Li-ion battery
- 260 knot cruising speed.
- Range of 565 nautical miles.
- 95% composite air-frame.
- Fly-by-wire control
- Unpressurised cabin.
- Retractable landing gear.
- Automatic landing.
It is not a conventional aircraft.
If you want to learn more, this article on Aviation International News, which is entitled Eviation’s Alice To Fly This Year, gives a lot more details.
These are a few points.
Aerodynamic Design
It is to be expected, that the composite structure has created a very aserodynamic design.
Battery Weight
The battery comprises sixty per cent of the weight of the aircraft.
Battery Charging
The Aviation International News article says this about charging.
The battery system on the Alice will be fully rechargeable in one hour and 10 minutes, using a half-megawatt charger on a mobile “bowser” truck that itself is charged up by plugging into the local electrical grid. This avoids having to build charging stations at airports, he said. Not all routes will require a full charge—the basic ratio is a half hour of charging time per hour of flight.
Given the 1:2 ratio between charging time and flight time, I suspect that Eviation are using similar tricks to those used by Vivarail with battery trains, that I wrote about in Vivarail Unveils Fast Charging System For Class 230 Battery Trains.
Landing Gear
Once the passengers and their luggage are on board, the weight of an electric plane will not change until the passengers disembark.
I suspect this gives advantages in the design of the landing gear, as it probably cycles through a narrower range of stresses, than the gear on a conventionally-powered plane.
Engine Failure
Engine failure in a twin-engined aircraft is every pilot’s nightmare and speaking from experience, there is no better moment in a flight in a piston-engined twin, than when the gear is raised and the plane is safely in the climb.
The Aviation International News article says this about controlling engine failures.
If power is lost in one wingtip-motor, the opposite motor will reduce power to prevent asymmetric thrust from causing a loss of control, while the rear motor can provide enough power to keep the Alice flying. In fact, Alice can continue a takeoff with loss of both tip thrusters at V2, according to Bar-Yohay.
This is how computer control should be used.
Take-Off And Landing Distance
The specification foe the Eiviation Alice, does not give the take-off and landing distances, but it does give the approach speed as 100 knots.
The Eiviation Alice is replacing Cessna 401 aircraft at Cape-Air, so it must have a better performance.
The figures for the Cessna are.
Until, I’m told otherwise, I suspect that the Eviation Alice could use most seven-hundred metre runways, with a good surface.
Take Off Accidents
A lot of air accidents happen on take-off, when the plane is fully loaded with passengers and fuel and the engines are giving out maximum power. If the plane should crash, there is usually a large fire.
There have been fires in lithium=ion batteries in the past, but you don’t hear of hundreds of electric cars going up in smoke.
I would certainly like to see what Eviation are saying about the performance of Alice aircraft in an abandoned take-off, or one where an aircraft hits something large, that shouldn’t be there, on the runway,. Thankfully, the latter doesn’t happen often, but read about the Tenerife Airport Disaster in 1977.
Fly-By-Wire
Fly-by-wire would not normally be expected on an aircraft of this size. But the Aviation Internation News article says the following.
- The propellers can be managed using pitch and rpm to reduce noise.
- Turbulence can be smoothed out.
- Differential thrust can be applied to the two wing engines for crosswind landings.
- The battery system can be fully controlled in sixteen strands to bring a high level of redundancy.
- Autoland can be added.
This is a commuter aircraft with all the flight control features of a full size airliner, that has been designed to be flown by a dumb well-programmed computer.
Those that have designed advanced fighter aircraft would certainly approve.
Happy Landings
In the Wikpedia entry for the Eviation Alice, this is said.
It will be built with existing technology, including a composite airframe, distributed propulsion with Siemens electric engines and Honeywell flight control systems, including automatic landing.
The approach speed is also stated on the plane’s specification to be a very reasonable and pilot-friendly; 100 knots.
Once, I flew an approach in a Piper Arrow into Dublin Airport faster than 100 knots as Air Traffic Control, said there was a Jumbo on my tail and could I hurry up! They then asked if I could clear the runway fast, which I did, to be greeted by “We’ll give you ten out of ten for that!” The Irish are gloriously different!
Under Fly-By-Wire, I said this was possible.
Differential thrust can be applied to the two wing engines for crosswind landings.
This I like, as I was not good at crosswind landings.
Once, I landed my Cessna 340 in very heavy rain and strong crosswinds at Cardiff Airport. I landed safely, but it was lucky I was wearing appropriately-coloured underwear.
Cost Of Ownership And Operation
The Aviation International News article gives full details.
The Future
The one thing that can be said about the design of electric planes, is that the batteries will hold more power for a given weight in a few years.
In addition.
- Composite structures will get lighter and stronger.
- Aerodynamics of the air-frame and the propellers will get better and more efficient.
- Fly-by-wire will use better algorithms and add more features.
Range and/or payload will increase.
I also think that, if they can be almost silent, then they could fly very different routes and perhaps even use runways reserved for electric aircraft.
Conclusion
This project might appear to be a total fantasy, but having flown over a thousand hours in a small twin-engined aircraft, I can see where Eviation are coming from.
- They have also convinced Cape-Air, top class suppliers like BendixKing, Hartzell, Honeywell and Siemens to be part of the project.
- If nothing else, Eviation have proven, that they can design and build a nine-seat commuter aircraft.
I feel, I can look forward one day to flying in an electric aircraft. Even if it is not the Eviation Alice.
Aircraft like Alice will revolutionise aviation, for distances up to perhaps two thousand miles.
June 19, 2019
Posted by AnonW |
Energy Storage, Transport/Travel | Electric Aircraft, Eviation Alice, Flying |
4 Comments
The Anonymous Widower 