Sport Flying Goes Electric

In these days of global warming and high gas prices, flying for pleasure seems increasingly wasteful. Sonex Aircraft is working on the problem. They have announced their E-Flight initiative for sport aircraft and have created a prototype electric sport plane. The E-Flight Initiative also includes improving the efficiency and performance of existing planes. The company is focusing on electric power, ethanol fuel and efficiency enhancement as part of their three-part plan.

The E-Flight electric project uses a purpose-built AeroConversions brushless DC cobalt motor, controller, and battery and charging system. The plan is to develop E-Flight electric systems that will be able to power a larger aircraft to higher top speeds with greater lasting time. For the prototype, top speeds will reach approximately 130 mph and are expected to range between 25-45 minutes with plans to push the envelope up to an hour or more eventually. No dates yet on when an actual electric kit plane might be available to the public.

[via General Aviation News]