AERO 2015 Presents Innovative Aircraft

April 14, 2015
Flight Design, Diamond Aircraft, Pipistrel and Swiss Excellence Airplanes ate introducing new aircraft at AERO 2015 April 15 and runs until Saturday, April 18, 2015, by the waters of Lake Constance.

Friedrichshafen – Whisper-quiet electric aircraft, safe-recovery airplanes and sleek business jets are just some of the highlights of the AERO aviation trade show that were introduced during a press tour at the Messe Friedrichshafen exhibition grounds. This international trade fair for General Aviation, meaning all sectors outside of airlines and the military, begins on April 15 and runs until Saturday, April 18, 2015, by the waters of Lake Constance.

Economical and efficient aircraft as well as speedy business jets are sharing the focal spotlight at AERO 2015. For example, the press tour saw the presentation of the new C4 four-seater machine from the German manufacturer Flight Design. A special feature of this all-composite propeller airplane is its built-in recovery system for the entire vehicle. If there is an emergency – due to bad weather or a mid-air collision, for example – the pilot or a passenger can trigger a parachute. This lets the full aircraft float safely to the ground. Although the vehicle is damaged by such a landing, the up-to-four occupants are generally left uninjured by an accident like this. The C4 also features a newly developed six-cylinder engine that does not require the leaded aviation fuel Avgas, but instead can also use unleaded automobile gas.

Another debut at AERO is the Diamond DA 50 JP7. Manufactured by the Austrian company Diamond Aircraft, this machine is designed as a robust multipurpose aircraft that can also operate on unsurfaced runways such as gravel, grass or sandy tracks. Besides the pilot, it can accommodate up to six passengers. The DA50 is driven by a propeller turbine. This propulsion system is not only more reliable than a piston-driven one – the turbine also uses the same fuel as large airliners, namely kerosene, which is available at almost every airport in the world.

The new Alpha Electro machine presented at AERO by the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel may seem ordinary at first glance, but it is indeed a very special model: this twoseater is the first electric aircraft designed primarily for flight school training. Its whisperquiet motor makes this aircraft especially suited to noise-sensitive airfields, or those with strict constraints on operating hours. Furthermore, if the batteries of the Alpha Electro are recharged with solar cells, then the machine’s power consumption is absolutely carbon neutral and environmentally friendly. Since flight school students spend the early phase of their training mostly on practicing takeoffs and landings, the battery pack’s approximately one hour of flying time is also sufficient for their needs. At AERO’s e-flightexpo special exhibition section, there are also other environmentally friendly electric aircraft on display.

The Risen by Swiss Excellence Airplanes is a full carbon built ultralight from Switzerland. It has an unconventional V-tail that weighs less than a conventional tail with side and horizontal stabilizer and that improves the aerodynamics. The manufacturer promises a cruising speed of up to 300 km/h, the plane furthermore has an aerodynamically favorable retractable landing gear.

At the upper end of the range of aircraft on display, you will find the Learjet 75 business jet from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. The twin-jet Learjet 75 can transport up to eight passengers and has a range of over 2000 nautical miles – and this at a traveling speed of over 460 KTAS. It is then flying at a height of up to 51,000 feet. At these altitudes, the Learjet 75 is traveling considerably higher than the weather itself. This means that on board a Learjet 75, the two pilots and their passengers need not worry about any weatherdependent detours from their intended flight path.

The opening hours of AERO from April 15 to 18, 2015: Wednesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Further information at www.aero-expo.com