Page 41 - World Airnews Magazine April 2021

ELECTRIC FEATURE

AN ALL ELECTRIC

PASSENGER AIRCRAFT

olls-Royce and airframer Tecnam
Rare joining forces with Widerøe - a
regional airline in Scandinavia - to deliver an

all-electric passenger aircraft for the commut-
er market, ready for revenue service in 2026. IVOR -
The project builds on the successful
research programme between Rolls-Royce
and Widerøe on sustainable aviation AN AFRO-

and the existing partnership between

Rolls-Royce and Tecnam on powering the Rolls-Royce will bring its expertise in er aircraft market. Before the pandemic,

all-electric P-Volt aircraft. propulsion and power systems, Tecnam will Widerøe offered around 400 flights per day INFLUENCER AT

Stein Nilsen, chief executive, Widerøe said, provide aircraft design, manufacturing and using a network of 44 airports, where 74% of

“Norway’s extensive network of short take-off certification capabilities. Widerøe’s mission the flights have distances less than 275 km.

and landing airports is ideal for zero emissions will be to ensure that all competence and The shortest flight durations are between

technologies. This aircraft shows how quickly requirements of an airline operator are in seven and fifteen minutes. Developing HEART

new technology can and will be developed, place for entry into service in 2026. all-electric aircraft will enable people to

and that we are on track with our ambition of Andreas Aks, chief strategy officer, Wid- be connected in a sustainable way and will

flying with zero emissions around 2025.” erøe said, “We are excited to be offered the fulfil Wideroe’s ambition to make its first

Rob Watson, director Rolls-Royce electri- role as launch operator, but also humble all-electric flight by 2026. Ivor Ichikowitz – founder
cal said, “Electrification will help us deliver about the challenges of putting the world’s The all-electric P-Volt aircraft, which is of Paramount Group, a global

our ambition to enable the markets in first zero emissions aircraft into service. based on the 11-seat Tecnam P2012 Travel- aerospace and technology company

which we operate achieve net zero carbon Our mission is to have all new capabilities, ler aircraft is ideal for the short take-off and founded in South Africa

by 2050. This collaboration strengthens processes and procedures required for landing as well as for routes in the North

our existing relationships with Tecnam a zero emissions operator, designed and and the West Coast of Norway.
and Widerøe as we look to explore what is approved in parallel with the aircraft being Rolls-Royce and Widerøe announced a World Airnews editor Heidi Gibson had a chance to speak to Ivor

needed to deliver an all-electric passenger developed and certified.” joint research programme in 2019.

aircraft for the commuter market. It also Fabio Russo, chief project R&D and prod- The aim of the programme was to evaluate Ichikowitz, founder of Paramount Group, a global aerospace and

demonstrates Rolls-Royce’s ambitions to be uct development Tecnam said, “It is incredi- and develop electrical aircraft concepts that technology company founded in South Africa after he was named as

the leading supplier of all-electric and hy- ble to see the interest around the P-Volt, not would fulfil the Norwegian ambition of having

brid electric propulsion and power systems only coming from regional airlines, but also the first electrified aircraft in ordinary domes- one of the Top 100 Most Influential Africans of 2020

across multiple aviation markets.” from smart mobility-based companies. This tic scheduled flights by 2030 and 80% emis-

The programme will look to cover all last year has demonstrated the importance sion reduction in domestic flights by 2040.

elements of developing and delivering an of promoting capillary connections between Rolls-Royce also has an existing strategic THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT own terms. many entrepreneurs in Africa, and were

YOUR WORK HAS RECEIVED THIS

all-electric passenger aircraft that could be small communities, while reducing the con- partnership with Tecnam to develop the TITLE. IN 2015 YOU WERE ALSO For the past forty years I have had puzzled by the perceived inability of Af-

used in the Norwegian market from 2026. gestion of the main hubs. The P-Volt, like the modified Tecnam P2010 aircraft with the INCLUDED IN THE TOP 100 ‘MOST the privilege of visiting virtually every ricans to get their act together. And yet I

Due to its topography, Norway makes ex- P2012 traveller today, will perfectly fit the H3PS[1] propulsion system, the first parallel INFLUENTIAL AFRICANS OF 2020’ country on the continent, multiple times, could see with my own eyes that Africans

tensive use of aviation for regional connec- scope of this programme. hybrid-electric propulsion system for gen- LIST. IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE and from the beginning I was always pro- were enormously talented and given the

tivity and has an ambition for all domestic The collaboration offers an opportunity to eral aviation started together with Rotax in IN WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING? foundly struck by the difference between opportunity, they could compete with

flights to be zero emissions by 2040. develop an exciting solution to the commut- May 2018. Q ANY CHANGE IN STRATEGY OR NEW global perceptions of doing business in the best in the world.

Africa, and my practical experiences on
That was forty years ago, and of course
AVENUE THAT YOU HAVE PURSUED the ground. much has been achieved in the inter-
IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS? Across the continent I found myself vening years. But it has become clear in
meeting people and encountering many the past few years that the Africa Rising
ROLLS ROYCE POWERTRAIN I was surprised and humbled to receive others who were amazingly innovative, narrative has started losing its shine.
energetic, talented, resilient, and the
the nomination for a second time. What

The dramatic effects of climate change,
has changed since 2015 is my increased most original problem-solvers. growing insecurity and armed conflicts

determination to demonstrate to the rest It soon dawned on me that most of the on the continent, the decline of dem-
of the world and, more importantly, to leading industrialists in the developed ocratic governance in some areas, a

of the wing, for vertical take-offs. Vertical Aerospace has already flown Africans themselves, that the people of this world with whom I was acquainted, had rapidly increasing population that once

The front set also tilt to provide power multiple full-scale prototypes of its continent have every reason to believe in no idea how to overcome the hurdles was seen as a demographic dividend, and

olls-Royce is to supply an for forward flight. design. Assembly of the first VA-X4 will the future of Africa, and to have confidence that were everyday issues for African now increasingly as a demographic curse,

Rall-electric powertrain for an ur- Rolls-Royce will be responsible for begin shortly, ahead of a first flight later that they can build their societies and business people. uncontrolled urbanisation and illegal mi-

ban air mobility vehicle being developed designing the architecture of the whole this year. economies to become globally competitive Operating in the comfort of the Global gration primarily to Europe are all factors

by UK-based Vertical Aerospace - the electrical propulsion system and the pow- In its most recent accounts, for the and contribute increasingly to the welfare North, people who were accustomed to that have brought growing instability

propulsion specialist’s first commercial er distribution and monitoring system. year ended 31 December 2019, Vertical of the planet and all of humanity. regular electricity, clean drinking water, to large swathes of Africa, and given

deal in the emerging segment. The manned vertical take-off and land- Aerospace registered a pre-tax loss of That might sound a mouthful, but today reliable public transport and other ser- outsiders second thoughts about Africa’s

Vertical Aerospace’s VA-X4 design ing design will be able to carry up to four £8.1 million or (US) $11.2 million, having I am more motivated than ever to pro- vices like efficient harbours and border prospects in the immediate future.

features two banks of four 100kW elec- passengers on journeys of around 100nm spent £5.1 million on research and devel- mote the interests of Africa, and to play management, advanced banking facilities Geopolitical tensions among the major

tric-powered rotors, located fore and aft (190km); certification is targeted for 2024. opment activities in the period. Q my part in assisting African countries to and access to markets, etc., did not begin powers and competition for Africa’s

achieve their undoubted potential on their to understand the challenges faced by so natural resources have not helped,

World Airnews | April 2021 World Airnews | April 2021
— 38 — — 39 —