Posted on 09/28/2022 1:00:50 PM PDT by Red Badger
A historic moment for zero-emissions flight, as the 9-seat Alice commuter plane makes its first test flightEviation
After showing off with some extravagant runway wheelies last week, Alice, the "world's first all-electric commuter aircraft," lifted off overnight on a historic first flight. It's another major milestone toward zero-emissions medium-range air travel.
Alice took off at 7.10 am local time from Grant County International Airport in Washington state, and made a short, 8-minute circuit, reaching an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,067 m) before coming in and touching down.
"Today we embark on the next era of aviation – we have successfully electrified the skies with the unforgettable first flight of Alice," said Eviation President and CEO Gregory Davis. "People now know what affordable, clean and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft. This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future."
Eviation is targeting 2026 for FAA certification and entry into service Eviation is targeting 2026 for FAA certification and entry into serviceEviation It is indeed a significant moment, although there's a way to go yet. The Alice we see flying in the video below is still an experimentally registered prototype, rather than a fully certified production aircraft. Eviation still has to run it through a full and rigorous flight test regime, and jump through the many hoops of FAA certification, not just for the aircraft and all its systems, but also for the company itself as a design organization and a production facility. The company hopes to have this all squared away and get Alice into service by 2026.
(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...
Aviation Ping!...................
Gorgeous?
WHen it lands in a gorge..................
Very nice looking. How far can it go before it has to recharge? I find it hard to believe that electric aircraft will ever be anything more than local commuter and air taxi services.
A little excitement for Moses Lake.
8 minutes...
Ahem
It reminds me of one of those planes we would get as a kid with a rubber band to power it.
kind of a crappy looking design. Used a fat pigeon as a model??
“made a short, 8-minute circuit”
Then they had to land and recharge the batteries for 8 hours :)
Alice’s spec sheet has become a fair bit less impressive over the last year or so as well – when we looked at it in May 2021, this nine-seat luxury machine was running an interesting three-prop propulsion system and a V-tail, and promising 506-mile (814 km) flights to a charge. Now, the tail’s a T-shape, there are just two props, the claimed range has dwindled to just 288 miles (463 km), and the max takeoff weight (MTOW) has burgeoned from 14,700 lb (6,668 kg) to 18,400 lb (8,346 kg). On the positive side, the max speed is now up from 253 mph (407 km/h) to 299 mph (481 km/h).
When are they allotted time to plug the plane in for recharging? 4-5am?
One of my brothers was born there when my dad was stationed at Larson.
Well, I guess it's a start...
With the wind at your back…
>zero-emissions flight
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Looks like it can hold 10 passengers
Lol!
Bullsnot.
Uhmmmm....considering IFR flight rules requiring fuel range to your destination and then to your alternate, plus 45 minutes reserve, I’m not exactly sure what the greenie polkadotted zebra crowd is thinking when they expect certification? Or are we now letting greenie woke politics ruin air safety as well? Just asking because I’m directly under an ILS glidepath with about 450 arrivals a day. I may plan on moving?
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