Un CH 750 Électrique fait son premnier vol!

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Un CH 750 Électrique fait son premnier vol!

Messagepar VMF-214 » Mar 31 Jan, 2023 12:13

Article en anglais

Electric Zenith CH 750 Completes First Flight

By
Kate O'Connor
-
Published:January 30, 2023Updated:January 31, 2023

A Zenith CH 750 Cruzer kit aircraft powered by an electric motor has completed its first flight at England’s Old Buckenham Aerodrome (EGSV). The CH 750 was built and flown by U.K.-based nonprofit organization NUNCATS, which partnered with kit manufacturer Zenith Aircraft Company and several investors for the project. According to Zenith, the flight is the first in a test program that will “establish range, endurance, payload and performance figures in different battery/weight configurations.”

“While we all know that today’s battery technology will not permit the range and endurance available with ICE [internal combustion engines], there are some clear advantages of electric power in addition to the more obvious sustainability claims,” said Zenith President Sebastien Heintz. “The simplicity of electric motors has the potential to make light aircraft propulsion systems more reliable and easier to install and maintain … and near-instantly available torque of electric power can further improve upon the STOL (short take-off and landing) performance of Zenith kit aircraft designs.”

Founded in 2019, NUNCATS has been building its electric CH 750 for three years. The organization says it plans to use the aircraft to transport doctors, teachers and medical supplies to remote communities in Africa. NUNCATS is also partnering with charter company SaxonAir, the International Aviation Academy Norwich (IAAN), Action Community Enterprises (ACE), East Coast College and Vattenfall on a second electric CH 750 that is being built by IAAN students.

Kate O’Connor works as AVweb's Editor-in-Chief. She is a private pilot, certificated aircraft dispatcher, and graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Commentairea:

David A. January 31, 2023 At 7:25 am
Could be a strong contender in the STOL drag competition world! Instant power major plus, short autonomy immaterial.

Bruce S. January 31, 2023 At 8:52 am
Very interesting, certainly. Hopefully we can have a breakthrough in battery technology so endurance will be less of an issue. I’m used to giving 1 hour flight lessons and old habits pass away uneasily. One questions that also occurs is ramp safety… electric cars are silent or nearly so. Can you hear the prop to the extent that someone who is nearby will be likely to avoid the arc? We have too many prop/human interactions already and I’m wondering about how a more quiet engine will affect ramp safety.
It would be nice to fly in a more quiet training aircraft, though. My Bose A20s are great, but I could get used to the sound of (almost) silence… apologies to Simon and Garfunkel.


David B. January 31, 2023 At 10:18 am
While the electric motor is quiet, the prop is not. Go check out an RC park some time. Even the electric planes still mostly sound like planes.
Also, a noisy flight line is already loud enough that your ears aren’t your best protection against injury. You need to keep up your visual situational awareness too.

Samuel D. January 31, 2023 At 9:25 am
The best lithium-ion batteries have about 270 Whr/kg. Solid state lithium metal batteries should have up to about 500 Whr/kg but the real breakthrough will be lithium-sulfur. Lyten projects 900 Whr/kg and expects to have cells available by 2025. As sulfur is an abundant low cost element, they also project lower cost along with faster charging. According to one study, you need about 500 Whr/kg for a typical regional jet flight and about 800 Whr/kg for a typical narrow body (Boeing 737 or Airbus 320) flight. I will post a link in another post so the powers that be can make sure it is not something nefarious.


John B. January 31, 2023 At 9:26 am
At last, an organization with vision tempered by reality. One of the few, if not the first, that admit the problematic battery issues with e-flight yet pursue in hopes of advancements in battery technology. And very good points on mechanicals – the e-power plants are much more simple, meaning that once battery issues are overcome, you have a better chance that your peaceful Sunday afternoon flight will stay that way.

Samuel D. January 31, 2023 At 9:28 am
Link for power requirements: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.9b02574
Link for Lyten: https://lyten.com/

Chris L. January 31, 2023 At 10:34 am
That article concludes “Fully electric aircraft powered by batteries face a number of challenges moving forward. The specific energy of even the most optimistic future batteries enables only small regional aircraft, while larger narrow-body or wide-body aircraft remain outside of the feasibility limits of known electrochemical rechargeable battery systems. Additionally, the achievable small electric aircraft would be heavier than conventional aircraft for comparable performance metrics.” Not too encouraging.
The weight issue is not trivial. The extra weight of the batteries means reduced payload. That is a significant economic disincentive if you are trying to run an airline as a business. Also, the fact that an electric airplane weighs the same when it lands as when it took off is a consideration. A liquid-fueled airplane burns less fuel (per hour) as it becomes lighter during a flight. Especially for large aircraft, it is common to have max landing weights that are less than the max takeoff weight. Assuming similar landing gear, brakes, etc., that would further limit the amount of batteries that could be carried.
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