Author: Willi Tacke

One day before the official opening of the first AERO Friedrichshafen since more than 2 years, several manufacturers featured their new developments on the AERO Media day. Most of the featured items are electric aircraft. The media tour was attended by over 60 Journalist from around the wold.

Electric fixed wing aircraft from Flight Design, Pipistrel ( Now part of Textron Aviation ) , Electra Solar, H55 as featured here.

On their booth in the e-flight-expo hall 7, Rolls-Royce Electrical did show not only the H3PS hybrid-electrical research project, but also the drive train for the Vertical Aerospace eVTOL.

Two highlights did stick out: the eMagicOne eVTOL and the H2fly 4 seat fuel Cell aircraft definitely drew most of the journalists’ attention.

And there are many more electric aircraft and detail solutions to be seen at the exhibits of the 634 AERO Exhibitors.

Elektra Trainer, the latest Aircraft from the German Company Elektra Solar, had the world debut for Media on April 1st in the “Flugwerft Oberschleißheim”  – the aviation department of the Deutsche Museum in Munich which is the leading technical Museum in Germany.  The two-seat electric trainer is designed by the Elektra Solar Founder Calin Gologan. “ We think due to its aerodynamic efficiency and low energy consumption the Elektra Trainer is the ideal trainer for basic aviation training as  even with the existing Battery technology which is not strong enough up to now to give an converted basic trainer, the necessary endurance we can fly is up to 2.5 Hours + reserve inside the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of the 600 kg MTOW allowed in the German UL-Class in which the first Version of the aircraft will be certified. Later a Part 22 certified motor glider and a Part 23 version are planned”, stated Gologan in the presentation  at the unveiling event where the Bavarian Government and many supporters of the Project were  present.

The ceremony was hosted by Prof. Dr. W. M. Heckl, the director general of the “Deutsches Museum”. Afterwards Gologan and his partners in the company  Prof. Gerd Hirzinger  (former Head of the DLR ( German National aviation Research center) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics) and his  Co-CEO Konstantin Kondak reported on the founding and development of the company and its products and then unveiled the small yellow aircraft next to historical Airplanes like the Dornier D 31 VTOL airplane, the  Do 24 Seaplane and under the wings of another famous electric airplane from Germany the Solair 1 from the Munich designer Günter Rochelt which hangs under the roof of the principal hangar of the German Museum in the permanent exhibition.  More info about the event in the next PDF edition of the e-flight-Journal, more about the Elektra  Trainer here. or in the New Flügel Magazin (online and at the German News stand on April 15th)

If you want to see the aircraft yourself , come to the first appearance of the airplane at the show at the next e-flight-Expo @AERO which will take place in Friedrichshafen from April 27-30^th 2022

The German car manufacturer Porsche has been evaluating the VTOL field for more than 4 years. Up until now Porsche Engineering Group, located near company headquarters in Stuttgart, has been leading the program. During this time there was a cooperation with the US Company Boeing, which appears to have since been discontinued. Until now only a few design studies have been published. Everything else has happened under the radar.

Now the Porsche Group is taking the next step. On March 28, 2022, the automotive company formally founded the P3X Management GmbH (limited Corporation) in Munich under the registration number: HRB 274681.
CEOs of the new company are Guan Chew Ph.D. and Philip Kastel. Chew was Head of Technical Research at the Porsche Engineering Group. It’s rumored that the company may be planing to start developing its vehicles at the research airport Oberpfaffenhofen just west of Munich.

More info https://twitter.com/nextvisions

To be continued…

PROVIDENCE USA – AJDOVŠČINA SLOVENIA. — Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), home to the Cessna, Beechcraft, and Bell aviation brands, today announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase Pipistrel, an award-winning pioneer and global leader in electrically powered aircraft.
“Pipistrel puts Textron in a uniquely strong position to develop technologies for the sustainable aviation market and develop a variety of new aircraft to meet a wide range of customer missions,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly. “Today’s announcement supports Textron’s long-term strategy to offer a family of sustainable aircraft for urban air mobility, general aviation, cargo and special mission roles.”

Pipistrel founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol will remain a minority shareholder as well as Chairman Emeritus, consulting on future product plans and strategies for a two-year period.
“Under my 30-year leadership, Pipistrel’s team has achieved a unique prime position in personal, affordable, environmentally friendly and electric aviation. The trend and foundation for future projects has clearly been set,” said Boscarol. “To drive Pipistrel’s ambitious goals and to continue its story of success, the joining of Textron and Pipistrel provides deep expertise and resources which would otherwise be inaccessible to Pipistrel alone. “

more info soon – at the AERO and under Pipistrel and Textron

H2FLY the company of Hydrogen aviation pioneer Prof. Dr.-Ing. Josef Kallo started a new area with its Hy4 Aircraft as a new milestone in aviation for the first time passengers will be flown in a fuel cell Aircraft.
#H2FLY started a test campaign from March to May 2022 using emission free hydrogen electric passenger aircraft integrated in daily operations at the international Airport of Stuttgart.
First evaluation shows full operation flexibility on ground and with ATC and low noise flight operation. 

More information at linked in or live at the AERO-E-flight-Expo in Friedrichshafen

27. – 30. April 2022–The Leading Show for General Aviation

The well known E-flight-Forum 2021 China /Europe /America started as a hybrid forum with a real event in China in the city of Yichang in Xiaoting district, in Hubei Province.

the on-site event is combined with an online session live-streamed in Europe over Zoom and is projected to the Chinese guests.

The sessions with the European Guests are simultaniously translated and transmitted in 2 Languages.

The english session is running as a live stream in Youtube and can be reached over the website www.e-flight-forum.com. The Program with many international high class speakers you can find at e-flight-forum 2021 Program English.

German Investor Lukasz Gadowski ( started for example Delivery Hero) invested in Tian Yu’s Shanghai-based Autoflight which recently has released its 3 – 4 Person Air taxi V1500M and already started the serial production and delivery of unmanned eVTOL- cargo drones such as the V400 “Albatros”.

Today the leading German economics newspaper Handelsblatt reported this deal. Gadowski is a serial entrepreneur and startup investor who invests with his Berlin-based company Team Global in startups with a focus on eMobility on the ground and in the air. Gadowski has among other companies also invested in Volocopter and Archer.

eVTOL World Premiere at the first day of the European Rotors, Michael Kügelen showed his eMagic one for the first Time at the first day of the first edition of the EASA show.

The single seat eVTOL is a Proof of concept of a “lift and cruise” eVTOL. That means the aircraft has dedicated Motors for the vertical take off and for the c ruise flight. The full carbon aircraft was developed in a record time in onmly 2 years and has already have its maiden flights in wing mode as well as in eVTOL mode.

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Patrick Ky Executive Director of EASA the European Aviation Safety Agency and Peter Möller Chairman of EHA European Helicopter Association opend the first VTOL show today at 9 am.