Sat, Apr 23, 2016
First Electric Airplane Completely Designed And Built In Hungary
The all-electric airplane Magnus eFusion has made its maiden flight at the Matkópuszta airfield in Kecskemet, Hungary on April 11. The eFusion of Magnus Aircraft Corp. is a two seat side-by-side low-wing monoplane with non-retractable tricycle landing gear.
The empty weight of 410 kg (approx. 926 pounds) includes the batteries and the ballistic recovery system. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg (approx. 1322 pounds).
Siemens designed a safe and robust battery system for aviation use and optimized the electric propulsion system for application in the cost-sensitive segments of Very Light, Light Sport and Ultra Light Aircraft.
"The maiden flight of the eFusion is another important milestone in electric aviation," said Frank Anton, head of eAircraft at Siemens. "The aircraft will serve as a flying test bed for our further battery system optimization.”
The project features a significant value-add from the Hungarian subsidiary of Siemens, with the team in Budapest having contributed to developing a fully electric drive system for the aircraft in close cooperation with the German colleagues at Siemens’ headquarters.
The electric aircraft has the potential to be used for pilot training as well. “Magnus gave the eFusion aerobatic capability, so it can serve for upset recovery training for airliner pilots," said Imre Katona, CEO of Magnus Aircraft Corp.
Demand for this training exists worldwide and is usually served by high-power two-seater aircraft at high operation cost. The eFusion will make upset recovery training environmentally friendly and at low operational cost.
(Images provided with Siemens news release)
More News
Capsized Vessel Located Near Dauphin Island, Alabama The Coast Guard rescued four boaters after their vessel capsized near Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday. Coast Guard District E>[...]
Reserve Components Looking to Improve In-House General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced a fresh order for a dozen Gray Eagle 25M UAVs with accompanying equipment, for fulfill>[...]
Brand New! Avoid The Need For A Comeback... Get Your Marketing Right, Right Now! Some time ago, the Aero-News Network, responding to numerous requests, established a marketing and >[...]
Also: Hubble On Pause, FedEx Pilots Picket, Nexus eVTOL, VFS Honors The Rotax folks have published a Service Bulletin after issues were noted that may affect all R915i and R916i se>[...]
John W. Winter of AEA and Avionic Fame Passes John W. Winter brought Mid-Continent Instrument Company into the modern era in 1980, purchasing the firm and using it as a base for ex>[...]