Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) has announced that it is developing electrically powered aircraft. The company says the new aircraft will provide green energy solutions for environmental benefits together with longer ranges and endurance and with significant fuel cost savings.
The demand for electrically powered aircraft is projected to reach hundreds of aircrafts per year within the next decade, covering a range of sizes and mission profiles. Increased use of electric propulsion should save hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs. Environmental benefits include significant reduction of air pollution and noise levels. While today’s electrical power is mainly limited to very light aircraft, IAI estimates that as the technology continues to mature, the market will diversify to short-range passenger airplanes and other configurations.
IAI has many years of experience in electric power systems for unmanned aerial vehicles including the Panther and Mini Panther UAVs, vertical takeoff and landing Unmanned Airborne Vehicles as well as the Bird Eye 650 reconnaissance vehicle.
IAI has been investing heavily in recent years in R&D of electric power systems, including engines, batteries and energy sources. The company also closely monitors the development, integration and demonstration of advanced technologies in this field. Together with IAI’s in-house developments, the company is also considering collaborations with startups in technologies related to electrically powered aircraft.
IAI Engineering and Development Group VP Moshe Medina said, “The aviation world is about to enter a new era of electric propulsion. The significant improvement of electrical power sources for the cellular communication and electric cars may prove to have a positive effect on the reliability and efficiency of the electrical power system. These, in turn, can make the electric aircraft ‘the next big trend’ in the world of aviation. Electric airplanes are greener, quieter, reliable and more economical. While many technological challenges need to be addressed as part of the development and certification, IAI’s extensive experience allows us to develop a solution kit for building the world’s most efficient electrical aircraft. We are nearing the completion of the characterization and conceptual design phase and will focus on the areas in which we see the strongest business potential.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 19, 2018
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