One of the biggest stories in general aviation this summer was the race to be the first modern aircraft to fly across the English Channel powered by electricity. Airbus set the pace with its E-Fan prototype, but was accused of poor sportsmanship by blocking an effort by Pipistrel. Then, a cheeky private flight in an electric Cri-Cri beat the French giant… never mind that the first electric aircraft to make the flight successfully was some 30 years earlier.
No matter! What it did do was ignite public interest in the idea of electric aircraft. Airbus is planning to put into production two light aircraft, the E-Fan 2.0 two-seater and E-Fan 4.0 four-seater. Pipistrel is also planning to produce its Alpha Electro, Diamond has a prototype and then there’s the PC-Aero project and China’s RXIE.
All this activity has prompted GAMA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, to establish a new member category for electric and hybrid propulsion aircraft.
“As GAMA completes its 45th year, we are very excited to welcome companies researching and developing electric and hybrid propulsion air vehicles as associate members to our global trade association,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “As we look toward the future, we see this aerodynamically innovative emerging propulsion technology facilitating totally new aircraft designs that remain very safe, highly reliable, and may dramatically lower the operational costs of flying.
“GAMA’s core expertise is in working with policymakers and regulatory authorities around the globe to speed innovation and introduction of new products to the market. Our goal with this associate membership is to allow many of these new technology companies to tap into this expertise.”
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