Page 16 - AAA JULY - AUGUST 2015 Online Magazine

FEATURE AvIATION TECHNOLOGY
Sparking a Revolution
E-Fan 2.0 is spearheading research on all-electric aircraft
By JK Chandra
Airbus Group E-Fan is the
first step in the development
and manufacture of electric
aircraft that are safe,
reliable and certifiable to
airworthiness standards
16 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS JULY / AUGUST 2015
AIRBUS GROUP INNOVATION’S TINY Piloted by Didier Esteyne, the flight on
E-Fan prototype may not make much of 10th July was the first time that an all-
an impact, when one see’s the diminutive electric airplane had crossed the Channel
single-seat airplane for the first time. on its own power. 106 years ago, French
But make no mistake, the electrically- engineer and pilot Louis Blériot, on 25th,
powered, all-composite aircraft is a vision July 1909, had made the historic flight
of aviation in the future and a pioneer of across the English Channel in a heavier-
the next generation of electric and hybrid than air aircraft for the first time in history.
flight. “E-Fan 2.0 is very important. This Pre-design work has commenced
is a product we will develop and sell - it on E-Fan 2.0, planned as a two-seat
is the future,” says Emmanuel Joubert, all-electric aircraft designed for the
Airbus Group Innovations’ Technical basic pilot training role. “We’re looking
Program Manager, E-Fan. The month for the ideal formula to determine the
of July saw the all-electric, twin engine key components and characteristics of
airplane complete a historic 36 minute E-Fan 2.0,” says Joubert. “The E-Fan
flight covering a distance of 74 kilometres team is planning to complete this phase
(46 miles) across the English Channel. by mid-2016, which will allow us to begin
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