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Air Racing Is Going Electric

Airbus and Air Race E aim for all-electric aircraft racing by 2020.

(Image courtesy: Airbus SE)

Airbus SE  and the University of Nottingham  have partnered with Air Race E  to establish the world’s first electric airplane race. The competition, which aims to drive the development and adoption of cleaner, faster, and more technologically advanced electric engines, will follow a format similar to the popular Air Race 1  series of the sport known as “Formula One Air Racing.”

(Image courtesy: Airbus SE)
(Image courtesy: Airbus SE)

The University of Nottingham is currently developing a prototype race airplane powered by an integrated electric motor, battery, and power electronics system. The plane, which will race at speeds beyond any existing land-based motorsport, will help shape the model and rules for the inaugural Air Race E race in 2020.

Additionally, Air Race E Eight electric-powered airplanes will race directly against each other on a tight 5-kilometer circuit at an altitude of 10 meters above the ground.

“We want to motivate manufacturers to showcase their technologies across the full spectrum of electric propulsion systems and components.” says Grazia Vittadini, chief technology officer of Airbus. “This partnership enables us to demonstrate our commitment to staying at the leading edge of electric propulsion and developing a new ecosystem.”

Learn more: Fundamentals of Electric Aircraft

Airbus hopes that Air Race E will develop electronic propulsion technology that can be applied to urban air mobility vehicles and, eventually, commercial aircraft.

(Image courtesy: Rolls-Royce plc)

“We couldn’t be happier or more optimistic for success with Airbus as our official founding partner. This partnership is a significant milestone in the evolution of electric power in aviation. Together, we’re working to create a mainstream platform in which innovation in electric propulsion can be developed, nurtured, and accelerated more rapidly,” says Jeff Zaltman, chief executive officer of Air Race E.

Rolls-Royce plc  is currently working on its own highspeed, all-electric aircraft. The British company has gathered a team of engineers, designers, and data specialists to develop a zero-emission aircraft that can reach or exceed a target speed of 300 miles per hour (480 kilometers per hour) by 2020 and set a world record for the fastest all-electric aircraft in history.

Read more: Rolls-Royce’s race to develop the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft

The current record – 210 mph (337 kph) was set by an Extra 330LE aerobatic plane powered by a propulsion system developed by Munich-based Siemens AG  .

(Image courtesy: Airbus SE)

Similar to Airbus’s strategy of using Air Race E as a technology testbed, Rolls-Royce’s “Accelerating the Electrification of Flight” (ACCEL) aircraft project, is an attempt at pioneering a “third wave of aviation” with the company positioned as a champion of aircraft electrification.

Both Air Race E and ACCEL teams are planning to build, test, and commercialize aircraft in a market that does not yet exist all within a 24-month span. That is a blink of an eye in the world of aircraft development – it will be interesting to see if the resulting aircraft are just as fast.

William Kucinski  is content editor at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group in Warrendale, Pa. Previously, he worked as a writer at the NASA Safety Center in Cleveland, Ohio and was responsible for writing the agency’s System Failure Case Studies. His interests include literally anything that has to do with space, past and present military aircraft, and propulsion technology.

Topics:
Aircraft Aircraft Alternative Fuels Architecture Automotive Aviation Avionics Batteries Defense Electric aircraft Electric drives Electric hybrid power Electric power Electrification Electronics Energy Engine/Powertrain Fixed-wing aircraft High voltage systems Hybrid power Manufacturing & Prototyping Motorsports Off-board energy sources On-board energy sources Power Transmission Propulsion Racing vehicles Renewable Energy Vehicle drive systems Vehicle dynamics Vehicles

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    Transcript

    00:00:02 we are so excited to be starting this cooperation and partnership of the University of Nottingham it is probably the best partner we could have possibly imagined working around the world with right now we're developing this prototype air racing planes gonna be the first electric air race plane in history I've been looking into electric propulsion systems and hybrid electric

    00:00:22 propulsion systems for aircraft for about 15 years part of my research role and we can see now in the world that electrical propulsion for aircraft is really a growing research item and industrial applications so this was a perfect fit this is an ambitious project we're gonna be developing this airplane in order to be able to create the series with all the different teams involved

    00:00:44 and the University of Nottingham and the beacon in propulsion futures is going to be assisting us in getting these airplanes ready Formula One racing has actually been around for over 70 years has got a long illustrious history a massive community and lots of competitors and fans now we're taking that into the next generation which is going to be electric racing so it's

    00:01:03 going to be known as the air race II electric airplane should be a lot quieter so you know environmentally I think the spinoff from this is going to be great for other aeroplanes racing wise I think we'll get a lot faster acceleration lot faster off the line and a lot smoother ride for the pilots as well but what's really exciting is that what's gonna happen here in this shop on

    00:01:27 this test floor and in our racing circuit we can have a very direct effect and a very direct line to the technology that will carry us as passengers in the very near future it's gonna change the world of aviation [Music]

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