SOUTH WOODSTOCK, CONNECTICUT / June 24, 2019 — Flight Design reported that the first public flight of the Flight Design F2e took place at the Strausberg airfield, near Strausberg, Germany on June 5, 2019. The aircraft is based on the newly developed F2 from Flight Design with an integrated safety cell and is equipped with an innovative electric propulsion system.
Flight Design created the F2e with partners Siemens eAircraft, the manufacturer and developer of the propulsion technology and APUS, a Strausberg-based company specializing in the development and integration of sustainable propulsion systems in aviation.
The project serves to gain knowledge on environmentally friendly flight with innovative propulsion concepts and on the safe integration of energy storage systems within the airframe. It represents the basis for further Flight Design development and certification of a practical electric aircraft. The F2e is based on standard components that are used in the Rotax 912iS powered F2 variant.
The Flight Design F2 is a high-wing strutless design which is largely manufactured using carbon fiber composite technology. The company is a market leader with 2000 aircraft delivered and flying all over the world. The company‘s focus is on Europe and the Americas with Asian markets managed through cooperation with local partners.
Flight Training is one area that generates the best opportunity for improvment in the environment for nature, nearby residents and airfields as noise emissions are concentrated in that one place, the airfield, where future pilots spend a lot of time flying.
The propulsion system provided by Siemens eAircraft includes the 55 kW electric direct drive SP55D, an inverter and the modular control system EPUIII consisting of the Vehicle Control Unit, Cockpit Control Unit, Battery System Master and Power Supply Unit. The propulsion system has already been extensively tested in laboratory and ground tests as well as flight tested for hundreds of flight hours under the supervision of Siemens eAircraft.
The expectations were fulfilled with the successful first flight. Energy consumption for take-off and cruise was within the expected range, and the temperatures in the system were more positive than expected.
Flight Design, Siemens and APUS are working with international authorities to simplify the certification of electric aircraft of this class. These include the development of regulations for propulsion and energy storage.
