The new battery in the EcoPulse demonstrator is Airbus’ latest “technology brick” to enable our future aircraft to further support decarbonisation

Air Race E carried out the first-ever electric race plane flight. Supported by Airbus, the competition will drive innovation in electric aviation technology.

Decarbonising flight will require a range of solutions, including new fuel types and innovative technologies. Some will bring radical changes, while others offer more incremental gains. Karim Mokaddem, Airbus Head of Electrification, describes the different ways hybrid-electric power can benefit fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters through non-propulsive applications.

The EcoPulse™ distributed propulsion hybrid aircraft demonstrator – which is being developed by Daher, Safran and Airbus with the support of France’s Civil Aviation Research Council (CORAC) and French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) – has successfully completed wind tunnel testing at the Airbus UK Filton facility.

The EcoPulse™ distributed propulsion hybrid aircraft demonstrator – which is being developed by Daher, Safran and Airbus with the support of France’s CORAC civil aviation research council – has successfully passed its Preliminary Design Review as a first key step toward validating the project’s feasibility and firming up the architecture for a first flight scheduled in 2022.

Aviation connects and unites people. As people discovered the magic of flight, serving this fundamental need drove a steep growth in air travel. This increase led us to explore innovative technologies to ensure that future generations can enjoy flying as much as we do.

Next year, the world’s first electric air racing competition will take to the skies. For Air Race E CEO Jeff Zaltman, this major milestone in motorsport is more than just the latest addition to the list of air racing events: it is an important testbed for the development of electric flight.

CALC (China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited), a full value-chain aircraft solutions provider for global airlines, has reached an agreement with Airbus on its remaining backlog, and includes an additional order 40 A321neo aircraft. It also includes a conversion of 15 of its existing A320neo backlog into A321neos. Together with a previous order for 11 A321neos, CALC’s total order for the type rises to 66.

The E-Fan X is the flagship hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator at Airbus. But its predecessor the all-electric twin-propeller aircraft E-Fan 1.0 can be credited for playing a key role in laying the groundwork for the next generation of zero-emission aircraft technology.

A new electric motor will transform Race 9 into an air racing champion, hopes Team Outlaw. This multidisciplinary team of air racing professionals and electric-propulsion specialists is leveraging its vast experience on the formula one circuit to take e-racing performance to the next level at Air Race E.

A new era of electric-powered air racing is on the horizon, according to Team Scramasaxe. This team of highly experienced pilots with a background in aerodynamics, propulsion and advanced robotics aims to play a key role in forging this exciting future thanks to Air Race E.