A few days ago, Siemens has unveiled the first true hybrid-electric airplane in the world, equipped with an engine that resembles Chevy Volt’s, at the Paris Air Show.
Dubbed DA36 E-Star, the two-seater airplane made its maiden flight on June 8 at the Wiener Neustadt airfield in Vienna, Austria. As company officials said, the E-Star could reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 25%, compared to an equivalent aircraft from its class.
Generally speaking, this eco-friendly airplane is an airborne Chevrolet Volt with an electric motor turning the prop and a gasoline engine that begins to work when the batteries are discharged.
Besides the fact that the fuel consumption is being drastically reduced, the hybrid airplane makes very little noise, without disturbing people and/or birds.
The batteries provide juice for the electric motor during takeoff and climb. Once the airplane is in the air, it is powered by a 40-horsepower Wankel rotary engine. Siemens also has great plans for the future. If all goes well, the company will implement this technology in large-scale aircraft.
how about an idea of a hybrid plane that has mechanical in front and electrical propeller behind. this plane will have two engines and a backup power generator and also a battery power storage. The mechanical engine like Cessna or any propelled engine like a light aircraft engine and electrical engine like a dc motor. The mechanical or jet engine will be mounted in the front or back of the airplane with a big alternator or generator capable of charging the storage battery,starting the engine and while running or spinning the dc motor behind the airplane at the same time. The backup generator will be in use in case the mechanical engine fail or run out of gas and also to gain altitude, the power generator will have an extra gas tank plus it could tap in the gas used to power the mechanical engine for extended range in case of emergency .the design of the fuselage of airplane be like that of an bigger plane where the alternator, battery storage,backup generator and maybe the dc motor with propeller will be kept below the passenger cabin. another concept will be two mechanical or jet engine on each side of the wing of the plane and and the electrical engine behind like a dc 9 or 10 or the opposite. there will be a charging outlet to charge the plane when it is not in flight.to eliminate drag the rpm of both types of an engine will have to be the same. the rpm of the electric plane set to match the mechanical engine and the changed when in an emergency to to compensate for the lost engine. this mean the both engine are sharing the same propulsion power simutaneously.