Page 12 - AAA JULY - AUGUST 2014 Online Magazine
P. 12
INTERVIEW AIRBUS
Zero Emission High Speed proximity to the runway of the Toulouse- be made in the Mérignac area. At present
Technology - ZEHST Blagnac Airport. This design applies we are at 600 kg and 60 kW of power,
demonstrators are specially-shaped aluminium “diffraction after E-FAN 2.0 we would like to see an
planned to appear by grating” panels to prevent a building increase to 100-150 kW.
2020, and will be followed from scattering signals broadcast by the On entry into service it will be
by development of an
operational vehicle airport’s Instrument Landing System capable of an hour of flight and initially
(ILS), used during aircraft arrivals in be capable of supporting pilot training.
reduced visibility conditions. For private pilots we plan E-FAN 4.0
Airbus’ own C65 hangar at Toulouse- which will have a range extender using
Blagnac Airport in France is covered and totally a combustion engine, which will provide
transparent to the ILS and Airbus is using this extra range when required and see the
building today for the A350 programme. flight time being increased to 3 hours.
This is a very interesting principle
that could be applied for buildings nearer With aircraft like A350 now a reality,
to airport runways without hindering the where do you see the technology
vital landing systems that guide aircraft progressing on the next generation
to a safe touchdown. of commercial airliners that will
enter service post 2025?
With regards to E-FAN, what are We had conducted a survey to understand
the latest developments? what passengers would want in an aircraft
Earlier this year we had a big public that is beyond the A350 to understand
event with the type’s maiden public flight what will be required in the future. 2/3rds
and E-FAN also flew at ILA in Berlin. of the respondents said that they expect by
The technology demonstrator is flying 2050 people will be flying more than today.
very well and is helping us understand 96 percent of the people said that aircraft
the constraints of an electric aircraft operation would be more environmentally
that weighs just 600 kg. By this summer, friendly and 30 percent said that they
our subsidiary VoltAir will be ready and expected the delays encountered by
they will be in charge of manufacturing, today’s flights would come down.
development and delivery of E-FAN2.0. So we considered the following
It will look slightly different and will as potential solutions to meet these
be manufactured using more industrial requirements. We also studied how the
processes. We are targeting entry into ‘Perfect Flight’ would be and what its
service end of 2017 and the E-FAN will economics would be.
12 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS JULY / AUGUST 2014 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM
