Page 26 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition
P. 26

NEWS


                                  ELECTRIC AVIATION PIONEERS






                 agniX has reported further
       Mprogress with fl ight testi ng of
        its proposed electric versions of the Cessna


        Caravan and DHC-2 Beaver utility aircraft.
         The company told an international


        aviation news website that it is on track to
        achieve FAA Part 33 certification for the



        battery-powered propulsion systems by late

        2021 or early 2022 and that supplemental
        type certificates (STCs) could be in place for                                                                                         Check Preparation



        both programmes in time for aircraft to en-

        ter commercial service by the end of 2022.
         At the same time, MagniX is continuing


        to work with its sister company Eviation

        Aircraft to provide the electric motors for


        the new Alice fixed-wing aircraft. Following



        a fire during ground testing and delays due            Electric propulsion specialist MagniX has said it is close to
        to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the first       signing up a launch customer and STC partner for its eCaravan



        prototype of the aircraft is now expected                       re-engining programme. Photo credit: MagniX


        to make an initial flight in early 2021, said
        MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski.         engine with the added benefit of improving   MagniX is looking at the top 10 aircraft


         US-based MagniX is now focusing its   the aerodynamic profile of the nose section   types, including multi-engine models that



        efforts on providing electric propulsion for   of the fuselage.        currently fly what it calls middle-mile sectors


        new and existing fixed-wing aircraft that   The company said the resulting improve-  as prospective platforms for re-engining.







        could fly sectors of between 50 and 1,000   ment in lift-to-drag ratio will deliver a 20   Eviation and MagniX are both owned by



        miles. For now, Ganzarski said, the com-  percent improvement in speed and with   the Singapore-based Clermont Group. The
        pany is not seeking to provide propulsion
        for new eVTOL aircraft because it doesn’t   less power output. Gansarski said that   former company has been silent about



        see the strong commercial case for scaling   this breakthrough may prompt MagniX to   the timeline for its Alice programme after
                                                                               suffering fire damage to the prototype

                                           switch to a lower-power motor than the

        down its Magni250 and -500 motors, which   Magni500 that it is currently using.  on January 22 at the company's Prescott



        currently offer continuous power of 280                                regional airport base in Arizona. Eviation



        and 560 kW, respectively.            Acknowledging the limitations of existing   had planned to begin flight testing in late





         Many eVTOL aircraft designs require   lithium-ion batteries, Gansarski said they are,   2019 or early 2020, but Ganzarski said that



        multiple electric motors, each with power   nonetheless, sufficient for the relatively short   the aircraft is still on track to complete type



                                           missions for which the eCaravan and eBeaver
        of around 40 or 50 kW.             will be best suited. “The fact is that most peo-  certification under Part 23 rules in 2023.



         Earlier this year MagniX and its partner   ple won’t want to fly more than around 30 or   Asked about the potential for electric




        AeroTec achieved a first flight with the   40 minutes in aircraft like this,” he said.  aviation to expand its horizons, Ganzarski said,


        eCaravan prototype, which is a modified                                around half of all air transport movements are

                                             MagniX, however, does remain open to
        version of the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan   improving battery technology promised   between around 50 and 500 miles. He said

        powered by the Magni500.           through advances with alternatives such as   that the Covid-19 crisis is prompting resur-




         Flight testing has continued at Grant   lithium-sulphur-based options and is paying   gence in demand for regional services to small-

        County International Airport in Moses Lake,   attention to what is happening with equip-  er and more local airports, rather than larger



        Washington, and Ganzarski said, that it has   ment such as hydrogen fuel cells.   aircraft flying in and out of busy hub airports.


        since become the first electric aircraft of its   “Even the batteries that are available   “Flights of more than 1,000 miles are





        type to fly at an altitude of 8,000 feet.   today are already twice as powerful as the   only around 30 percent of the total so that
         This has allowed engineers to evaluate   ones we bought in 2019, and that is mainly   is not the biggest market,” he said. “Any-
        how the electrical components perform in   due to improvements made for electric   way, we would need much more power
        an unpressurised environment.      cars,” he said.                     for that and the battery technology is not

         Each flight test has lasted a minimum of   MagniX is in discussions with several   even close, so we would need something

        30 minutes, with distances flown gradually   Caravan operators in the US, Europe and   like hydrogen fuel. I think that is 20 to 30   5% off all initial ratings and

        being increased by unspecified amounts.   Southeast Asia over which will commit to   years away at a minimum.”

        The development team has been exper-  being the launch operator for the eCara-  He said it would likely take customer   25% off all IF renewal tests
        imenting with various rates of climb and   van. The business model calls for a network   pressure to convince aircraft manufactur-


        descent and also with varying power levels.  of operators to partner with the propulsion   ers to switch to electrical power, suggest-
         A similar approach is being taken with   OEM to install its motors under a series of   ing that this is essentially what it took to



        flight testing of the Beaver in a programme   STCs. Harbour Air is already its STC partner   get winglets fitted on Boeing’s 737 family.


        that got underway in December last year   for the eBeaver.             “I hope OEMs will not go the way of [film

        with MagniX’s partner Harbour Air in Van-  “We are true believers that it is [on   manufacturer] Kodak in not wanting to see

        couver, British Colombia.          flights of] between 50 and 1,000 miles that   the [digital] future; I hope they want to be


         The Canadian regional airline is aiming to   electric aviation will take hold at first,” said   ahead of the curve,” he said. Q




        electrify its entire fleet eventually.   Ganzarski, who feels that it could take up to
         With the so-called eBeaver, MagniX has   15 years for eVTOL urban air mobility appli-  Article published by AIN - AOPA'S digital

        replaced the aircraft’s original radial piston   cations to prove commercially viable.   Smartbrief news letter



                                                World Airnews | September  2020                                                                                          World Airnews | September  2020
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