Airbus finally completed the flight across the English Channel in its all-electric E-Fan 1.0 prototype aircraft this morning after a week of intrigue, accusations of bad sportsmanship and marketing nonsense.
The French manufacturer cannot claim to be the first electric aircraft to fly the Channel – that honour goes to Frenchman Hugues Duval who scooped Airbus by flying his twin-engine electric Cri-Cri from Calais to Dover and back again on the evening before the E-Fan’s much heralded flight.
And this all came three days after Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel had planned its own flight across the Channel in its electric Alpha Electro aircraft only to be stopped in their tracks when Siemens, who supplied the electric motor, insisted that it be given back. Siemens said the motor was not to be used in a flight over water without explaining why.
Michael Coates, the US agent for Pipistrel, said that he believed that Airbus had pressured Siemens, a partner in their electric aircraft project, into the move to stop the Pipistrel flight stealing the E-Fan’s glory. The accusation was supported by a copy of the Siemens’ letter and evidence from the French Pipistrel agent, Christian Stuck, who was actually going to make the flight and had obtained a Permit for the aircraft.
So, quick recap:
- Pipistrel’s attempt on Tuesday, 7 July stopped by Siemens withdrawing support
- E-Fan flight set for Friday, 10 July, leaving Lydd in Kent, UK in early morning for Calais
- Hugues Duval appearing out of the blue, with his electric Cri-Cri, which holds a French Permit to Fly, on Thursday evening to make the flight. Apparently, he was told he couldn’t fly – we don’t know at this stage by whom – but he took off anyway. From the little we know, it appears his takeoff was a piggyback – literally – on a Broussard aircraft, something he does regularly in air shows. He landed normally
- Airbus went ahead with the E-Fan flight, knowing it was not the first, but later conceded it was “the first to make the Channel crossing after a takeoff under its own power”.
The E-Fan took 36 minutes to fly to Calais, France, a distance of 46 miles. The E-Fan 1.0 prototype had a new type of battery for the flight – lithium-ion batteries giving a 60% increase in capacity. It was flown by its usual test pilot, Didier Esteyne, at a maximum altitude of about 1,000 metres [3,500 feet].
“The E-Fan project and today’s historic Channel crossing show that the pioneering spirit and ingenuity demonstrated by Louis Bleriot and the other early aviators is still alive today,” said Jean Botti, Airbus Group Chief Technical Officer.
The flight – and the twists and turns before it – are historic and have put electric aircraft into mainstream media. Airbus intends to put the E-Fan into production in two versions: the E-Fan 2.0 is a two-seat trainer that will run on battery power alone. The E-Fan 4.0 is a four-seater that will have a “range-extender” internal combustion engine to charge up the batteries. Both will be powered by two electric motors.
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Airbus E-Fan