Ready to take to the skies in a reasonably affordable electric plane far away from the trail of jet fuel? Then the time is perfect to plan your travel on the Electra One from German-based PC – Aero.
This single-seat electric ultralight is made from lightweight composites is powered with a 13.5 kW electric engine and can fly for three hours at cruise speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
Plus the engine is electric and remarkably quiet. The plane just won the Lindbergh Prize for Electric Aircraft Vision award.
The Elektra One’s hangar roof features 20 square meters of photovoltaic cells from Solarworld. The cells provide power with zero emissions, save for what fuel was used to generate the initial electricity.
The plane is expected to hit the market for less than $145,000 ($100,000 EUR) in early 2012 once certification is completed.
Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP) founder Erik Lindbergh announced the award at last week’s World Electric Aircraft Symposium. LEAP’s programs are designed to recognize innovation that will drive aviation’s culture, economy, and future.
The Elektra One has been designed to demand little in the way of energy. Not only does the plane stay aloft for three hours, it flies at a price considerably lower than a road car, say the plane designers
The design of the Elektra One comes from PC-Aero’s founder, Calin Gologan. Test pilot Jon Karkow flew the Elektra One on its maiden flight on March 19 this year in Augsburg, Germany.
Apart from reducing the costs of flying an ultralight, one of the Elektra One’s greatest advantages is its very low noise level. The propeller speed is optimized for low noise too. Cruising at 160 km/h, the propeller is rotating at just 1400 RPM. At this speed, PC-Aero claims it makes one fifth of the noise of a classic light aircraft and half the noise of an ultralight.
Gologan says his ultimate vision is to create a bridge that leads from the world of leisure aviation to electric transportation and a minimal footprint.
Hallelujah!
PHOTOS: PC-Aero
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