Electric-flight and Airbus - nobody would have put these words in the same context just 10 years ago. Electric flight was something belonging in the books of the French science-fiction writer Jules Verne but not in the direct context to one major commercial airplane manufacturer based in Verne's country. In only eight years the e-flight movement has dramatically gained momentum and Airbus has become a sort of a pacesetter in this fast growing field which is almost daily changing and is for some of traditional aviators simply confusing.
The Airbus order books are full, new models and increasing production rates create a friendly economic climate for investment in alternative programs and are facilitating a shift to electric propulsion. This shift - which started for Airbus some 10 years ago - was not easy, was and still is risky as there are not "safe, proven paths" so the experience has to be made in-house. Airbus apparently clearly sees the potential of an electric aerospace revolution. Is this investment going to be profitable one day? Who knows, but if you don't start early with small steps you will never reach the target.
Airbus has started doing those small steps early, much earlier than other market subjects, and this more than a decade ago. It started small, very small with a homebuilt one-seater Cri-Cri in 2010 and is now "flying high" on a hype wave created by the door-to-door personal transportation and urban taxi, creating milestones like Vahana, CityAirbus, E-Fan X, and dreaming of a partially electric-powered commuter like Airbus 20XX single aisle aircraft in a decade or so.
Airbus and other manufacturers have the chance to go along this path with now unknown end results driven by the system "hope" and recent experience. This is an insecure and uncomfortable path for an established airplane manufacturer but if they don't take a chance now, new entrants from the nonaviation field will take (and are already taking) those opportunities.
So, is aircraft electrification the next chapter in Airbus' aviation future? This is not a question of if, but of when and how much.
To achieve good results Airbus understood early that it had to go into unexplored terrain and is doing this in a smart way, thinking out of the box, partnering with established/experienced industrial subjects like Siemens, and encouraging and acquiring brave start-ups coming from nonaviation fields.
We can see a clear acceleration in the launch of development projects at Airbus since approximately 2015 for one- to four-passenger urban air taxi/UAV type of craft. Typical developments in this area are currently targeting a limited range of up to 50 km, with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and all-electrical propulsion to give the benefits of low noise pollution and zero emissions. Many of these developments have advanced and made ground-breaking progress starting in Europe with help of Airbus sponsoring and joint ventures.
At Airbus by mid 2015, Paul Eremenko was named the founding CEO of Airbus Group Silicon Valley technology and business innovation center, which marked the beginning of the above mentioned acceleration. He was responsible for establishing Airbus's Silicon Valley presence. This process is now in the hands of Airbus digital transformation officer Marc Fontaine who took over as acting chief technology officer after the departure of Eremenko at the end of 2017. Fontaine, who already reports to chief executive officer Tom Enders, became DTO in May 2016, responsible for all aspects of digital technology across the Group’s Divisions, as well as Airbus Group Corporate IT and the cyber security program. Enders said by mid 2017 that Airbus Group has to change, following the example of SpaceX and similar cultures favoring disruptive technology. For him staying the same is not an option. Enders said at the Airbus Media Days prior to the Paris Airshow 2017, that Airbus has seen disruptive technologies turning the table on some of its best businesses. This must not happen to its core business in the commercial airplanes unit.
A large number of electrical propulsion projects at Airbus are underway, with several first flights planned for the coming years.
Airbus Electrification, the time-line
To better understand the process Airbus went through, here is a timeline.
2010 Cri-Cri
2011 e-Genius
2011 DA36 E-Star
2013 DA36 E-Star 2
2014 E-Fan 1.0
2015 E-Fan 1.1
2015 E-Fan 2.0
2016 E-Fan 1.2
2016 Siemens Extra 330LE
2017 Vahana
2018 CityAirbus
2020 E-Fan X
20XX New Single Aisle Aircraft
(MB, Image, Airbus pdf timeline presentation delivered)
Brief History of Airbus Electric Aerospace Revolution
2010 Cri-Cri
Here are the roots of all Airbus electric airplanes. The project started in 2010 when Airbus sponsored an electric variant of the Colomban Cri-Cri, homebuilt monoplane. Its two, single-piston, two-stroke, 15-hp combustion engines were replaced with four MGM Compro units twirling contrarotating propellers and producing in total 60 hp. With less than 30 minutes of endurance, it had limited utility but it was an important proof of what is possible and the beginning of the Airbus electric flight journey. Cri-Cri had a takeoff weight (including the pilot) of just 175 kg (390 pounds).
(MB. Image delivered, credit Airbus)
2011 e-Genius
The e-Genius electric aircraft made news in 2011 when it stayed airborne for over two hours while maintaining an average speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), on a single 56 kwh battery pack. The e-Genius has been developed at the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of Stuttgart, Germany under leadership of Professor Rudolf Voit-Nitschmann and was built by a team of students between October 2010 and May 2011. E-Genius, the motorglider, derived from the solar motorglider Icaré II from 1996, was fitted later in 2006 with the fuel-cell propulsion system, then called Hydrogenius. Both have been awarded with the Berblinger-Prize of the City of Ulm, Germany.
The e-Genius is a two-seater aircraft in high wing configuration, all composite made and equipped with a retractable landing gear. The propulsion is realized by a single permanent magnet synchronous motor with an electrical driven variable-pitch propeller. The diameter of this tractor configured propeller is 2.20 m (7.3 feet). The electric motor sits on top of the vertical stabilizer and was designed and manufactured for the e-Genius by the Slovenian company Sineton. Four lithium-ion battery packs are located behind the pilots in the aircraft center of gravity. The total capacity of this battery system is about 56 kwh. In July 2015 it crossed the Alps from Germany, over Switzerland, to Italy and back in a single day "burning" only some $25 of electric energy.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Airbusor Marino Boric)
2011 DA36 E-Star
E-Star was the next step in the EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV, a previous name of Airbus) electric journey - first time shown in 2011. It moved from a battery-powered, all-electric airplane that was inherently limited by the energy density of batteries to a hybrid-electric architecture that relied on the combustion energy of hydrocarbon fuel but combined it with the flexibility of an electric propulsion system. It was developed by EADS in collaboration with German company Siemens and Austrian aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft. The DA36 E-Star was the world's first series-hybrid electric aircraft and was based on the heavily modified Diamond HK36 two-seat motor glider. The E-Star’s propeller is driven by a 94-hp (70 kw) Siemens electric motor. Electricity is produced by a Siemens generator driven by a small Wankel engine made by Diamond, operating at a constant low output of only 40 hp (30 kw). Quiet, pure electric take-offs were possible due to the capacity of the battery system.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Airbus)
2013 DA36 E-Star 2
"2" stands for a second generation of a serial hybrid electric airplane and was exhibited at Paris/Le Bourget airshow in 2013. It introduced an integrated drive system, significantly improving the power-to-weight ratio of the hybrid-electric propulsion system. Siemens developed an integrated drivetrain for the second generation of the airplane DA36 E-Star 2. It consists of two main components: The electric drive and a generator, which is powered by a small Wankel engine. The hybrid motor glider made a successful one-hour maiden flight at the Wiener Neustadt airfield in Vienna, Austria, on June 1, 2013. EADS CEO Tom Enders, Siemens CEO Peter Löscher, and Diamond Aircraft owner Christian Dries signed an MoU in Le Bourget on June 18, 2013 setting the course for their future cooperation on electric aircraft development.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Airbus)
2014 E-Fan 1.0
The E-Fan series was born in 2014. This two-seater aeroplane in tandem configuration improved the efficiency of electric flight with a purpose-built aircraft. The all-composite made airplane featured an uncommon propulsion system consisting of two electric motors totaling 60 kw of power and ducted propellers located on the aft portion of the fuselage. The aircraft was developed by Airbus Group and Aero Composites Saintonge and absolved the maiden flight on March 11, 2014 with the test pilot and designer Didier Esteyne. In December 2014 Airbus announced that Daher-Socata would complete the design work on the aircraft. VoltAir, an Airbus subsidiary, developed the initial prototype and worked with Daher-Socata during the testing phase as the project manager.
(MB. Images delivered, credit Marino Boric or Airbus)
2015 E-Fan 1.1
On July 10, 2015, the Airbus E-Fan flew from Lydd Airport in England to 46 miles (74 km) distant Calais in France in 36 minutes at an altitude of about 3,500 feet. The E-Fan's undercarriage consists of a central (fuselage) retractable fore and aft wheels, and miniature fixed gear wheels under the wings. E-Fan featured a simple and rudimentary "e-taxi" system; the main wheel was powered via light metal chain by a 6 kw electric motor, which allowed the plane to be taxied without the main motors, and which accelerated the aircraft for take-off to 60 km/h (32 knots).
(MB. Images delivered, Aircraft and e-taxi, credit Marino Boric)
2015 E-Fan 2.0
A mock-up of this aircraft project was first shown at the Paris Airshow in 2015. Two production variants were initially planned, a two-seater E-Fan 2.0 for use as a pilot trainer, and the E-Fan 4.0 four-seat GA-style, touring aircraft. The E-Fan 4.0 looked similar to the E-Fan 2.0 but had a longer and more convectional looking fuselage. E-Fan 4.0 would have had some sort of hybrid-electric system which would have increased flight duration from two hours to 3.5 hours. The first flight of the E-Fan 2.0 was originally planned for 2017 and the E-Fan 4.0 for 2019. Booth E-Fan project(s) were later stopped in favor of the E-fan X.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Marino Boric)
2016 E-Fan 1.2
Airbus brought to AirVenture 2016 a variant of the E-Fan 1.1 called 1.2. The aircraft had instead two seats, as the 1.1 model, only one front seat - the rear seat was removed in favor of a range extender, a two-stroke engine, and electric generator. E-Fan 1.2 uses its batteries and electric motors during takeoff and landing and the gasoline power plant during cruise. It flew for the first time in France in mid July 2016. In Oshkosh Airbus announced that the four-seater 4.0 will not go into production, and will not be built as a prototype. The two-seater 2.0, according to the Airbus staff present, was only a feasibility study, intended to show the potential that lies in this technology.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Marino Boric)
2016 Siemens Extra 330LE
The Extra 330LE aerobatic plane was debuted at AERO 2016 in Germany. It made its first flight in July 2016. Airbus’ partner Siemens exhibited an aircraft that had nearly 10 times the power level of all its predecessors. The Extra 330LE, built by Walter Extra from Germany, is a high-performance, Extra aerobatic airplane, which has been modified to fly with an electric motor delivering 260 kw of power (348 hp) in a 50 kg (110-pound) package - a 500 percent improvement in power density over previous generations of motors. The 330LE demonstrated its ripeness and validity of a project by setting many world records. In December 2016, it set a world record for fastest-climbing airplane in its class. In March 2017, the Extra 330LE was timed at 337.5 km/h (209.7 mph) and officially became the fastest electric airplane with MTOW less than 1,000 kg. At the Paris Airshow in 2017 it was daily flying and towing a glider.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Marino Boric)
2016 EAS House
Airbus and Siemens have partnered on a ground test facility in Munich called the Electric Aircraft Systems House (EAS House). It is Airbus' primary development laboratory for electric propulsion technology and is able to test power systems in excess of 20 mw. It is where Airbus is developing the power system behind CityAirbus - its much larger, four-seat, all-electric VTOL aircraft that is core to Airbus' Urban Air Mobility strategy. A first flight is scheduled to take place next year.
(MB. Image delivered, credit Airbus)
2016 Skyways
The Skyways drone is a fully autonomous octocopter that flies parcels in containers located on its underside along routes called ‘aerial corridors’ to and from designated stations where it is automatically loaded or unloaded. In February 2016, Airbus Helicopters signed an agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore for “Project Skyways” to experiment with, and develop the regulations, technologies, and operational requirements to safely operate a drone parcel delivery service in urban environments. The project signed up Singapore SingPost in April 2017 as its logistics partner to trial small parcel delivery via autonomous drones to designated stations on the campus of the National University of Singapore. The Unmanned Air System (UAS) has successfully completed its first flight demonstration at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Feb. 8, 2018.
(MB. Images delivered, credit Airbus)
2017 Vahana
Vahana is the next technological breakthrough in urban air mobility according to Airbus. Project Vahana intends to open up urban airways by developing the first certified electric, self-piloted vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) passenger aircraft. Airbus envisions Vahana being a cost-comparable replacement for short-range urban transportation like cars or trains. A core premise of this project is that full automation and sense-and-avoid technology will allow it to achieve higher safety levels by minimizing human error while allowing more vehicles to share the sky. As a platform, Vahana can be as diverse as its wheeled grounded counterparts when being used for cargo delivery, emergency services, search and rescue, or even as a tool to deploy modular infrastructure in disaster sites.
Vahana, the all-electric, self-piloted, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft built by Airbus' innovation outpost in Silicon Valley, A³, successfully completed its first full-scale flight test, reaching a height of 5 meters (16 feet) before descending safely. The test was completed at 8:52 a.m. Pacific on Jan. 31, 2018 at the Pendleton UAS Range in Pendleton, OR. Its first flight, with a duration of 53 seconds, was fully self-piloted and the vehicle completed a second flight the following day.
(all electric drivetrain. MB. Images delivered, credit Airbus)
2018 CityAirbus
The CityAirbus is a self-piloted electric VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) multicopter which uses for propulsion four ducted rotors, each fitted with two direct-drive electric motors (100 kw each, Siemens SP200D) which spin fixed pitch propellers. Its rotors do not swivel, the cabin resembles that of the modern helicopter and should be capable to haul up to four passengers on 65 knots (120 km/h) speed with 15 minutes autonomy. It is intended for short flights in dense urban areas, with the aim of connecting major transportation hubs. The full-scale demonstrator will be tested on ground initially.
Recently, in December 2017, the CityAirbus program reached another important milestone: the completion and “power on” of the “iron bird” in the ground test facility in Taufkirchen, Germany. This enables the verification of the entire electric propulsion system of CityAirbus, developed by Airbus’ E-Aircraft Systems unit. The first fully electric propulsion test bench has the capability to operate the propulsion system chain from flight controls to the dynamic loads of the propellers. After being maturated and verified on the "iron bird," the propulsion system will be embedded on the demonstrator by mid 2018. The first flight is scheduled for the end of 2018. In the beginning, the test aircraft will be remotely piloted, but later a test pilot will be on board. Airbus is aiming to operate the craft along fixed, predetermined routes, with top air speeds of around 80 mph. Only short flights are now planned as today’s batteries are not capable of longer flights. Fast battery unit swapping or autonomous dock charging is expected.
2020 E-Fan X
Dropping plans to produce an E-Fan 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 family of personal aircraft, Airbus has moved into developing a larger, more powerful aircraft, the E-Fan X, that could fly within three to four years.
Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens announced in January 2018 that they have formed a partnership - bringing together some of the world’s foremost experts in electrical and propulsion technologies. The goal is to develop a near-term flight demonstrator which will be a significant step forward in hybrid-electric propulsion for commercial aircraft partially powered by electricity in 2020.
The E-Fan X project will be based on a modified commercial, 100-seater, BAe 146 regional aircraft. The trio believes, it could lay the groundwork for commercial flights with the same electric technology as early as 2025.
The companies will start by using a 2 mw electric motor as one of the aircraft's four engines. This flight demonstrator, a commuter jet, will see one of the engines replaced by an electric motor driven by an integrated turbine-generator in the fuselage in a serial hybrid architecture. If tests are successful, a second fuel-driven engine could be swapped out for an electric motor. Airbus has picked on 2 mw because it sees this is at the upper limit of what’s attainable with more-or-less conventional power distribution technology without having to master superconductivity or other exotic approaches.
This demonstrator should eliminate some of the integration risks associated with a serial hybrid architecture at this scale. Integration risks such as thermal management, electromagnetic interference, arcing, partial discharge, and radiation effects on high-power electrical systems at operating altitude. The ultimate goal is to enable a hybrid-electric propulsion architecture for a single-aisle aircraft at the scale of the A320 family. This takes Airbus into the power range of around 20 mw for cruise and 40 mw of max power - another order of magnitude over the E-Fan X.
20XX New Single Aisle Aircraft
In several Airbus presentations we could see - and from talks with their representatives - we could perceive the remote target on this path called Airbus 20XX of which little was disclosed. This is going to be a technological successor of the E-Fan X project and should enter service as a commercial single aisle airliner.
