It is the largest electric aircraft in the world to date: the converted Cessna Caravan can carry nine passengers and has a range of around 160 kilometers.
May 29, 2020
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Fly greener: The world’s largest fully electric aircraft completes its first test flight. The converted Cessna stays in the air for 30 minutes and lands safely – it could be approved soon.
It could be a milestone for the aviation of the future: In the state of Washington in the northwest of the United States, the world’s largest electrically powered airliner successfully completed its maiden flight on Thursday. According to media reports, the converted Cessna 208B Grand Caravan initially rose to a height of around 770 meters after the start. She then circled for about half an hour at an altitude of 300 meters above Moses Lake Airport, about 300 kilometers west of Seattle.
Observers of the maiden flight reported that the e-plane made hardly any noise. A significantly smaller security aircraft that accompanied the test flight was more than twice as loud.
The eCaravan resulted from a collaboration between the engine manufacturer magniX and the aerospace company AeroTEC. The aircraft can carry nine passengers. Magnix hopes that it can be put into commercial service by the end of 2021. The range is around 160 kilometers – that’s enough for numerous short-haul flights.
In an interview with the “Guardian”, magniX CEO Roei Ganzarski emphasized the importance of electric engines. They are essential for reducing CO2 emissions and would reduce the cost per hour of flight by up to 70 percent.
Ganzarski believes that all flights under 1’000 miles (16th’000 kilometers) within the next 15 years with fully electric aircraft. However, battery technology still needs to be improved. He sees the successful maiden flight of the nine-seater aircraft as an incentive for battery manufacturers who are now seeing that the e-aircraft market has potential.
The highlights of the Paris Air Show 2019
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Actually, the novelties of the aviation industry will be presented at the Paris Air Show 2019 – in the picture we still see an «old timer»: a Fouga Magister, an old jet trainer from France.
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On the other hand, this is supposed to be a dream of the future: Eviation Alice flies with an electric drive. The Israeli plane is expected to hit the market in 2021 or 2022.
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A self-flying flight taxi has unfortunately not landed in the present – but that can still happen.
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The future again – one of these “next generation fighters”. Where he comes from? You may not guess that.
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Voilà: the model of the TF aka Turkish Fighter.
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For comparison, the counterpart of Dassault and Airbis: Large …
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… the differences are not.
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Pilots eye a Japanese Kawasaki Type C-2 van.
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Onlookers stroll across the airfield in front of a Galaxy C-5.
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The hall with drones and missiles is under police protection.
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A Rafale makes a lot of steam.
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Politicians lined up in front of a model airplane? Then it must be a new fighter jet: Emmanuel Macron presented the “New Generation Fighter”, …
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… which will replace the Rafale in a few years, which was also demonstrated at Le Bourget Airport.
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Europe can only hope that international cooperation will run better than the Eurocopter Tiger.
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The trainer of the French Air Force comes from Switzerland: the Pilatus PC-21.
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Large, but no longer for large orders: The A380 is not particularly popular.
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The turning point: the Pipistrel 167 Alpha Electro electric aircraft at the front, and an air polluter at the rear.
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For business people: the Falcon 8X.
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The 737 Max is a shop keeper after the previous crash.
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Maybe it can fix the new Boeing 787-9?
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Chinese license building: a Kamra JF-17 from Pakistan.
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An Embraer E195-E2 from Brazil: The company has just sold 20 E-175s to United Airlines.
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Take that, America: Airbus shows its A350-1000.
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Fine art: the Patrouille de France in action.
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At the air show there is also an area for the topic «space» …
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… and exhibition areas for missiles like this Sea Venom, an anti-ship missile from MBDA.