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hybrid-electric propulsion?

We are working with Pratt & Whitney Canada on a system for the
De Havilland Dash 8-400. This is a system where we’re looking to
relieve the conventional propulsion system, and put a one megawatt
motor on that aeroplane. Once the aircraft is in the air, this electric
motor can help the plane during cruise and actually take some of
the load off from the engines. We figured out that we can get up to
30 per cent better fuel savings, which is dramatic and it is real. We
are looking to actually get ground testing completed in another year
or two. The plan is to get the prototype aircraft in the air by 2025.

We are also working with a company called Hybrid Air Vehicles
to optimise fuel, and optimise routes, to try on their Airlander10 and have an ongoing contract with them right
and save more fuel per flight. We are currently now. The Airlander10 has got four engines, two in the front and
focussed on trying to understand where the two on the back and what we’re doing now is installing two 500
technology is going, how we can plug into it very kilowatt electric motors on the front, and removing the propulsion
quickly, and how we can actually, support our engines from the front. The propulsion units in the rear will be as
customers in a better way, by providing them they are now. The goal is to have this flying by 2025 and then by
access to it. So technology is moving fast and 2030, the idea is to replace the rear propulsion motors with two
I believe that Collins Aerospace is moving fast more two 500 kilowatt electric motors. What this actually does is
as well. But frankly, however fast we’re moving create zero emissions. We are working on both those solution and
today is too slow for tomorrow! expect them to come to fruition this decade itself.
Now to get both these done, and then go to the next step, you’re
also going to need what I would call ‘Advanced Structures. So as
How does Collins Aerospace we get farther further out into this electrical world, we’re going to
view the emergence of the need different types of avionics, we’re going to need different types
eVTOL market segment? of engineering control systems, or engine control systems. And
you’re going to need lighter structures. So a business that we just
eVTOLs are interesting for sure and at Collins put together is a combination of our mechanical systems business
Aerospace, we are looking to see how we can and our aerostructures business, called ‘Advanced Structure.’ What
best support this emerging industry. When you ‘Advanced Structures’ does is look at how do to take weight out of
look at the eVTOL model, we have new play- the aerostructures products. By taking weight out, we get better
ers coming in and disrupting the model itself. fuel economy. There is a lot going on in that space, right now and
Obviously, the price and cost points are also we are excited about it.
different here and the certification approaches
that they are trying to get across with the reg- How does Collins Aerospace view the use of
ulation are different as well. The operating
altitudes are different, so it’s all different when hydrogen in aviation?
it comes to eVTOLs. We really are working hard Airbus is looking hard at hydrogen and have plans to fuel a hydro-
to try to work out as to where are the best gen plane in the coming decade or so. What Collins Aerospace
places for us to plug into. This is a different mar- is doing in power controls in particular, since we do the power
ketplace with different dynamics and it doesn’t generation and P&W do the engines for a lot of the Airbus aircraft,
follow the traditional structure of investment we’re looking at ways that we can actually support it. What we do
and return. know is if you use hydrogen on the aeroplane, there has to be a
network to support hydrogen. So you got to have ground support
One of the things that the company has done for it, you got to be turn around the aeroplane fairly quickly. So if
recently is to look at, what I call as something you’re doing that, is there a network in around airports that can take
of a VC type of investment approach. Where care of hydrogen as opposed to fossil fuels that we’re using today?
we can invest in companies and understand There are also the storage issues with a hydrogen on an aeroplane
what technology is doing well and where that that you don’t have with the fuel that we have in the wings today.
technology is going. What I can say is, the tech- So there are a lot of problems that have to be solved. I think that
nologies that Collins Aerospace has certainly Airbus is really pushing the industry in the right way to say, look,
is available and able to do what the eVTOL think more broadly and figure out what else can be the possibility
industry requires. and I think that’s positive. Our job is to see if we can work the
technologies to make sure that we’re able to support that effort.
Please elaborate on So we’re really spending a lot of time with Airbus sorting through
Collins Aerospace plans on how we can support it.

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE March_May 2022 | 17