FOUR-ENGINE ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

24 Jun 2010

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 FRENCH aerospace giant EADS has shown off a four-engine electric aircraft based on the miniscule Colomban Cri-Cri at a show in Paris.

Partnered by Aero Composites Saintonge and the Greencri-cri Association, EADS Innovation Works presented the Cri-Cri, the first-ever four-engined all-electric aerobatic plane, at the Green Aviation Show held at Le Bourget Airport from 18 to 22 June.

EADS said, "This aerobatic plane incorporates numerous innovative technologies such as lightweight composite structures that reduce the weight of the airframe and compensate for the additional weight of the batteries, four brushless electric motors with counter-rotating propellers which deliver propulsion without CO2 emissions and significantly lower noise compared to thermal propulsion, and high energy-density Lithium batteries.

"The combined utilisation of these environment-friendly technical innovations enables the Cri-Cri to deliver novel performance values: 30 minutes of autonomous cruise flight at 110 km/h, 15 minutes of autonomous aerobatics at speeds reaching up to 250 km/h, and a climb rate of approximately 5.3 m/sec.

"Set to undergo its first flight tests in the next few days, this four-engine electric plane paves the way for a new generation of environment-friendly high-performance aircraft."

 

 

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