Well, not only cars and other transportation means are going electric, the planes are also becoming electric. The Ampaire 337 Plane has successfully completed its first flight with ease. A converted Cessna hybrid electric plane has taken its maiden flight above the skies of southern California. It proves to be a significant moment for the future of the global aviation industry.
Its Ampaire 337 plane is based on the six-seat Cessna 337 Skymaster, which it retrofitted with its own electric propulsion system.
Ampaire 337 Plane
The company imagines eventually using its hybrid aircraft to service commercial routes for regional airlines covering short distances, and hopes to begin operations in 2021. The six-seater plane, which normally uses two propellers with twin 210-horsepower engines to achieve flight, has had one of the engines replaced with an electric motor. That means pulling out one of the two combustion engines and putting a battery-powered electric motor in its place, with the two now working together for optimal efficiency through the air.
On the other hand, Kevin Noertker, CEO of Ampaire said, “Ampaire is proud to lead the aviation industry in transportation electrification, and we recognize the importance of electric aviation for climate change and community connectivity.”
The battery-powered electric motor replaces a combustion engine of the aircraft’s original two-engine configuration. And the resulting system is a ‘parallel hybrid’, meaning the internal combustion engine and electric motor work in concert to optimize power output as the plane flies. In hybrid configuration, the aircraft sees significant greenhouse gas emissions savings and operating cost reductions. The experimental plane was flown by a test pilot and flight engineer.
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