Airbus Europe to Aim for Sustainable Integral E

Airbus Flight Academy Europe signed a memorandum of understanding with Aura Aero for the development of a new, training-focused version of the INTEGRAL E.

Under the agreement, the Airbus training subsidiary will "collaborate on the initial development of INTEGRAL E, a fully-electric, two-seater trainer aircraft, ideally suited for initial stages of pilot training". The technology is a hot commodity in the minds of flight schools around the world, just on the cusp of real-world feasibility but still out of reach without production aircraft. Key to training use will be the ability to minimize charging time while maintaining sufficient battery life, a problem Aura Aero intends to solve with the inclusion of on-field 'superchargers'. With quick charging, the Integral E is hoped to have a turnaround time of "20 to 30 minutes, granting the aircraft an hour of flight endurance." Given the relationship between Airbus Flight Academy and the French Air Force, the Integral could be on track for some real cachet as a sort-of ‘warbird’. 

FMI: www.airbus.com