MIT startup to build 9-passenger electric aircraft with gas-powered generator for regional travel in Ohio and in Finland

Good news! The Wright Brothers were from Ohio.

I am not sure why the company refers to its electric aircraft as "hybrid-electric aircraft"? Did not hybrid-electric cars conjure inferiority and expensive?

"Electra, a startup from MIT, plans to build a hybrid-electric aircraft in Springfield, Ohio. The plane uses eight electric wing motors combined with a small, efficient gas-powered generator, and its minimal runway requirement, 1,200-mile range and cruising speed of 200 mph make it a potential alternative to traditional air and ground transit."

"... The hybrid aircraft is being designed for short-runway takeoffs and landings. It is powered by eight electric wing motors and a small, highly efficient gas-powered generator. 

The fixed-wing plane offers a 1,200-mile range and a cruising speed of roughly 200 mph. Its minimal runway requirements allow it to operate from nontraditional locations like soccer fields, parking lots, and barges. ...

Following subscale testing at MIT and the company’s official founding in 2019, Electra validated the concept with its EL2 two-seat demonstrator, which has logged over 200 flight tests since 2023.

And it is now leveraging new investment to scale manufacturing for its nine-passenger commercial aircraft in Springfield and Clark County. ...

Interestingly, the aircraft operates far more quietly than other planes or helicopters because its power is distributed across eight smaller propellers. This quiet operation makes it both more affordable to run and suitable for noise-sensitive urban and suburban areas. ..."

IEEE-USA SmartBrief

MIT startup to build 1,200-mile range hybrid-electric aircraft for regional travel "MIT startup to build 1,200-mile range hybrid-electric aircraft for regional travel"

Electra to Usher in the Next Era of Aviation with Advanced Production Facility in Springfield, Ohio (original news release) "$850 million investment in Springfield and Clark County will move Direct Aviation from concept to reality, creating nearly 2,000 jobs and supporting production of up to 800 EL9 Ultra Short aircraft per year"

Electra, City of Helsinki, and Haaga-Helia University Sign MOU to Explore Direct Aviation Across the Gulf of Finland (original news release) "Collaboration will study how Electra’s Ultra Short aircraft can create faster, quieter, and more direct connections between Helsinki and Tallinn, where 7.5 million people travel each year."

Elektrisches Fliegen: Fraunhofer-Motor liefert 750 kW unter 100 kg

Gute Nachrichten! Dem deutschen Ingenieur ist nichts zu schwör! 😊

"Forschende des Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Systeme und Bauelementetechnologie (IISB) haben einen Elektromotor vorgestellt, der 750 kW leistet und nur 94 kg wiegt. Damit erreicht er ein Leistungsgewicht von 8 kW/kg. Das ist deutlich mehr, als bisherige Flugmotoren leisten können. Entwickelt wird der Antrieb im Rahmen des EU-Projekts AMBER für hybrid-elektrische Regionalflugzeuge. ...

Zur Steigerung der Effizienz nutzt der Motor eine Hairpin-Wicklung, bei der flachgepresste, isolierte Kupferleiter eng in den Stator eingebracht werden. Das erlaubt eine etwa 20 % höhere Kupferpackungsdichte, was zu einem stärkeren rotierenden Magnetfeld und einer besseren Energieumwandlung führt. ...

Ein weiterer technischer Fortschritt liegt in der Materialwahl: Der Motor verwendet 0,15 mm dünnen NO15-Elektrostahl, der etwa halb so dick ist wie konventionell eingesetztes Material. Diese Reduktion minimiert Wirbelstromverluste und die Joulesche Wärmeentwicklung, was insbesondere bei Drehzahlen bis 21.000 U/min den Wirkungsgrad verbessert.

Für das Thermomanagement kommt eine Ölkühlung zum Einsatz, die eine kontinuierliche Leistungsabgabe trotz kompakter Bauform ermöglicht. Die schnelle Wärmeabfuhr ist ein zentrales Kriterium bei der Entwicklung luftfahrttauglicher Elektromotoren, da bereits geringe Überhitzungen die Zuverlässigkeit beeinträchtigen können. ..."

Elektrisches Fliegen: Fraunhofer-Motor liefert 750 kW unter 100 kg "94 kg leicht, 750 kW stark: Ein neuer Fraunhofer-Motor soll den Traum vom hybrid-elektrischen Fliegen näher an die Praxis bringen. Was steckt dahinter?"

Das Innere der bärenstarken E-Maschine für Regionalflugzeuge des Fraunhofer IISB.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has announced a set of pilot projects for eVTOLs

Good news!

"The US Federal Aviation Administration has announced a set of pilot projects for a new species of aircraft. Most will test eVTOLs, or small, electric, drone-like aircraft that take off and land vertically rather than using a runway. The program will let companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation trial passenger flights, cargo delivery, and emergency services while regulators gather data." (Source)

An electric VTOL plane in your garage

How about that! 

"The aircraft developed by AIR is essentially a giant drone that takes off and lands vertically and is powered by eight battery-driven rotors. It falls into a new category in the aviation industry called eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing), which aims to scale up drones to carry cargo and passengers. These are new, futuristic vehicles that are in various planning stages at many companies around the world, but it has yet to be proven that they are suitable for large-scale commercial use - and in the meantime, several of those companies have already gone bankrupt. ..."

An electric plane in your garage - Globes "Israeli startup AIR’s eVTOL aircraft could revolutionize private aviation, and has already received groundbreaking approval from the US authorities."

Rwanda Makes History, Demonstrates Africa's First Self-Flying electric air Taxi

Good news!

Startup conducts groundbreaking test of futuristic electric jet engine in India: 'This is the future of aviation'

Amazing stuff! This is dated news from about April of this year.

"SiriNor tests emission-free electric jet engine in India

SiriNor has completed ground testing of its emission-free electric jet engine in Pune, India. The engine, developed by the India-Norway-based startup, reached over 40,000 RPM and delivered 10 kilogram-force thrust, surpassing its design goals. SiriNor plans to commercialize the engine for unmanned aerial vehicles by mid next year, seaplanes by 2027 and regional aircraft by 2030."

"Startup SiriNor just completed ground testing of its revolutionary emission-free electric jet engine, which could change the entire air travel industry. 

The company, based in India and Norway, conducted the groundbreaking test in Pune, India, ET Travel World reported in April. The engine achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL6) based on NASA's framework. 

When it clocked over 40,000 RPM and generated 10 kilogram-force thrust, it exceeded its design specifications. This validates its performance under controlled lab conditions, and its scalable architecture makes it versatile.  

The engine eliminates combustion, reducing manufacturing costs by 30% and requiring up to 40% less maintenance. ..."

Startup conducts groundbreaking test of futuristic jet engine: 'This is the future of aviation'

Credits: IEEE USA Smartbrief

First Electric Plane Carrying 4 Passengers Flies 130 Kilometres For Just $8 and the flight is very quiet

Very recommendable! I just blogged here yesterday about this historic flight (but without video)!

First passenger-carrying electric airplane makes history landing at JFK airport in NYC

Good news! The Wright brothers were watching and smiling!

"Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta Technologies, was at the controls as the company's electric aircraft flew from East Hampton to JFK. With four passengers on board, the trip covered about 70 nautical miles in just over half an hour. That's right, a fully electric plane, carrying people, quietly and efficiently making its way through the skies above New York. ..."

First passenger-carrying electric airplane makes history landing at JFK | Fox News

Credits: The Flyover

Trump’s Executive Order to Make Flying Cars a Reality

Very recommendable!

Sarla Aviation's develops electric air taxis in India

Good news! Just guessing, city street traffic in India is too dense for Waymo! 😊

"... Sarla Aviation launched one year ago with a pitch built for India’s congested streets. The electric air taxi startup, named after India’s first woman pilot, Sarla Thukral ..."

Accel doubles down on Sarla Aviation's ambition to develop electric air taxis in India | TechCrunch

Sarla raises $10M Series A1 from Accel, Nikhil Kamath, and Pioneer Founders (original news release)

Sarla Thukral: Born in 1914, she earned an aviation pilot license in 1936 at the age of 21 and flew a Gypsy Moth solo.

Federal regulators clear way for EVTOL startups to bring flying vehicles to U.S. airspace. A historic move.

Good news! Human ingenuity and innovation at its best!

Maybe I swap my driver's license for a pilot license! Just kidding!

"Federal regulators have cleared the path for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to share U.S. airspace with planes and helicopters — a win for the burgeoning industry and a timely decision for startups like Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation that are expected to launch air taxi networks commercially in 2025.

The Federal Aviation Administration published Tuesday its much-anticipated final ruling on the integration of “powered-lift” vehicles, a category the FAA revived two years ago to accommodate eVTOLs and one that describes aircraft that can take off and land like helicopters but then transition to forward flight like airplanes. 

“Powered-lift aircraft are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years and this historic rule will pave the way for accommodating wide-scale Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations in the future,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement.  ..."

"... The agency today issued a final rule for the qualifications and training that instructors and pilots must have to fly aircraft in this “powered-lift” category, which have characteristics of both airplanes and helicopters. ..."

Feds clear way for EVTOL startups to bring flying vehicles to U.S. airspace | TechCrunch

With New Rule, FAA is Ready for Air Travel of the Future

Electric air taxis getting closer to reality

Good news! Fly the friendly skies quieter than a helicopter! 😊 Or what if you need a blood transfusion quickly?

Weird gimballed-cabin eVTOL "flying car" receives limited FAA approval

Good news! California dreaming! What an oddball! A flying golf cart! 😊

From the story of Alef Aeronautics: "Alef - as in the first letter of a Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Syrian and other alphabets – signifies the leading position Alef will eventually occupy in the hearts, minds, and garages of the public."

"Alef's Model A is a US$300,000 electric car that's ... kinda street legal, but also capable of a very unique form of flight. The company has announced limited FAA certification. ...
In road mode, there's no way this thing would pass automotive-grade crash tests and the like – nor does Alef want to go through that process. So they've designed it to meet US "low speed vehicle" regulations, which will allow it to potter about on certain streets at speeds up to about 25 mph (40 km/h). Effectively, it'll fall into the same category as a golf cart. ..."

Weird gimballed-cabin eVTOL "flying car" receives limited FAA approval

MIT Unveils a Megawatt Motor for Electric Aircraft

Slow progress!

We ought not to allow government to force a banning of fossil fuel powered vehicles!

Zoltán Spakovszky, a professor of aeronautics at MIT spreads the Global Warming Hoax and Climate Change propaganda: “I believe, that to achieve net-zero emissions ..."

"... Building electric motors that match the power-to-weight ratios of jet engines has proven especially challenging, so most efforts have been restricted to smaller aircraft. A new compact lightweight design for a megawatt-scale motor unveiled by researchers at MIT could open the door to electrifying much larger aircraft. ... 

The energy density of modern batteries is still far too low to power aircraft for substantial distances, which is why companies like Eviation are focused on short intercity hops and a host of EVTOL companies are aiming to disrupt the daily commute. ...
electrifying the motors has also been a challenge. Electric motors create thrust by passing current through large amounts of copper wiring and steel to create magnetic fields that can turn a rotor. These materials are inherently heavy ..., which makes it difficult to build electric motors with a high power-to-weight ratio ..."

From the abstract:

"This paper presents the detailed design and manufacturing of a 1-MW, air-cooled, outer-rotor, Halbach-array PMSM for aircraft propulsion. Component level risk mitigation experiments have validated the highest risk elements of the design including stator core loss, structural stability, winding insulation, and permanent magnet field strength. Two manufacturing processes for Fe-Co-V stator cores are compared through core loss and B-H curve measurements. A conventional lamination bonding process is shown to increase core loss by 20%. A novel

approach to modelling Halbach array rotors is introduced and validated with experimental data and FEA. A modular single-phase winding pattern is introduced to improve robustness and enable single phase inverter drives. Full power testing is planned using two prototype machines connected through one shaft, with one acting as a motor and the other as a generator."

MIT Unveils a Megawatt Motor for Electric Aircraft - IEEE Spectrum

Design and Manufacturing of a High-Specific-Power Electric Machine for Aircraft Propulsion (open access)

The MIT megawatt motor ... includes several key enabling technologies: a high-speed permanent magnet outer rotor, a low loss tooth-and-slot stator, an advanced heat exchanger, and integrated, high-performance power electronics.

U.S. FAA Publishes Proposed Airworthiness Criteria for Archer’s Midnight eVTOL

Good news! Will there be the first air taxis by about 2025?

"The Airworthiness Criteria for the electric aircraft designed by Archer Aviation have been published by the Federal Aviation Administration. This is an important achievement for the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) developer on the path to beginning commercial urban air mobility operations in the U.S. ..."

Federal Register :: Airworthiness Criteria: Special Class Airworthiness Criteria for the Archer Aviation Inc. Model M001 Powered-Lift

FAA Publishes Proposed Airworthiness Criteria for Archer’s Midnight eVTOL

'Alice' the all-electric aircraft takes off from U.S.

Of course, this is not carbon emission free as this video claims! It was only an 8 minutes flight, but much longer than the brother Wright's first flight of 12 seconds. 

Electric air taxis ready for takeoff in India

Get ready for a new kind of commute!

World's first commercial electric plane completes point-to-point flight in British Columbia

Good news! You have to thank the Wright sisters for it! (just kidding) 😄

I think, I would have more fun buying an electric plane instead of an electric car! 😄

"The Harbour Air ePlane team is excited to announce that the first direct all-electric point to point test flight has been completed. The historic De Havilland Beaver has been completely retrofitted in 2019 to operate using 100% electricity flew 45 miles in 24 minutes.  The aircraft left their terminal on the Fraser River adjacent to YVR and landed in Pat Bay adjacent to YYJ.  This is a major milestone in the advancement of all-electric commercial flights.

Take-off was at 0812 with ample reserve power upon landing at 0836. ..." (Source)

World's first commercial electric plane completes point-to-point flight

Israel's Eviation To Deliver 12 All-Electric Cargo Planes To DHL

Whether this makes much business sense is another question or whether this is more of a PR stunt to show off so called sustainable aviation!

"Israeli-founded electric plane startup Eviation announced earlier this month that DHL is the first to order 12 fully electric Alice eCargo planes from the US-based global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft for passengers, and now, parcels. ...
Eviation indicates that it expects to deliver the aircraft to DHL Express in 2024 ...
For its part, Eviation Aircraft, a company founded in 2016 in Tel Aviv, has also been on a mission to make zero emissions [???] the norm with its battery-powered electric aircraft. ..."

"...
- Twelve zero-emission eCargo aircraft will form world's first electric Express network

- First-ever fully electric plane "Alice" creates sea change in commercial aviation

- Alice's first flight will happen later this year ..."

Israel's Eviation To Deliver 12 All-Electric Cargo Planes To DHL

DHL Express shapes future for sustainable aviation with the order of first-ever all-electric cargo planes from Eviation