We have seen numerous innovations in the car industry over the past few years. And now, the aviation industry is following suit. Airbus, the notable aircraft maker, has stated that it is aiming to ready regional electric-powered planes within the next 15 to 20 years.
Airbus is among the leading aircraft-makers globally. The company certainly has the requisite resources to lead the way to the next generation of flying jets. Currently, Airbus is working on a two-seater plane called the E-Fan. What is remarkable about this plane is that it is entirely electric-powered. It mulls its flight muscle from two electric motors which are able to furnish a total output of 60 kilowatts.
This is a humble start but Airbus hopes to translate this success into larger jets and planes in the coming days. While E-Fan can only take a half-hour flight at the current stage, Airbus aims to further improve it so that it can take one-hour flights. Once that is accomplished, the company will be headed towards creating regional planes which can seat 70 to 90 people.
These regional planes will be electric-powered but it will be nearly two decades before we see any of them on an actual runway, boarding passengers. The two-seater E-Fan will hit mass production sooner though, with Airbus estimates pegging it for a 2017 rollout. While such innovations in the car industry have been fairly rapid, thanks to the likes of Tesla, it may take a while before aviation industry is able to draw power for its passenger jets from alternate sources.
Courtesy: Daily Mail
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