Photo: Ampaire
A fresh acquisition in the electric aviation market is bound to speed up and greatly improve the tremendous potential of alternative propulsion systems. A young company that has already secured several industry-firsts in the sector of hybrid-electric propulsion acquired one of the most innovative startups, the developer of an out-of-the-box solution for better electric-powered performance.
When it comes to the future of aviation, Ampaire is a name worth remembering. This company has been around since 2016 but has already accomplished great things related to hybrid-electric aircraft. Ampaire doesn't build aircraft from scratch; instead, it has developed versatile propulsion systems compatible with a wide range of air vehicles across multiple industries, including defense. So far, its systems have accumulated 25,000 miles (40,200 km) of flight hours, equaling the highest hybrid flight time in the entire industry.
The company also set a new record in terms of endurance of a hybrid-electric flight – 12 hours and 1,400 statute miles (2,253 km). After its Electric EEL demonstrator completed numerous flights in various parts of the world, Ampaire accomplished the successful maiden flights of its most impressive aircraft so far, the Eco Caravan.
The Eco Caravan is a record-breaker of its own, claiming to be the largest hybrid-electric aircraft in the world. As its name suggests, this aims to be an eco-friendly version of the Cessna Grand Caravan, combining standard propulsion with an electric motor. During its maiden flight in 2022, the nine-seater climbed to 3,500 feet after taking off from Camarillo Airport, north of Los Angeles, then cruised for a little over 30 minutes.
The most impressive thing about the Eco Caravan is that it promises to match the standard Cessna Grand Caravan's range (1,000 miles/1,609 km) and payload while also cutting fuel consumption and emissions by up to 70%. Plus, operational costs are also significantly lower. The hybrid system also enables it to recharge its batteries in flight, which also contributes to better performance compared to purely electric aircraft.
Magpie Aviation, on the other hand, has come up with a game-changing solution for increasing the range of battery-electric airplanes. It's called Magpie Aerotowing, and it was inspired by a classic procedure that's still used in glider flying today. In a nutshell, a fully electric two aircraft would connect to a main aircraft (either electric or hybrid-electric) in the sky autonomously and lead it to the final destination.
With this new acquisition, Ampaire will be able to use the benefits of the Magpie Aerotowing and expand its portfolio of electric and hybrid-electric solutions. This acquisition comes after Magpie successfully completed the world's first demonstration of an automatic towing between two aircraft in flight – an impressive industry-first that has already secured government contracts for the Silicon Valley startup.
The company also set a new record in terms of endurance of a hybrid-electric flight – 12 hours and 1,400 statute miles (2,253 km). After its Electric EEL demonstrator completed numerous flights in various parts of the world, Ampaire accomplished the successful maiden flights of its most impressive aircraft so far, the Eco Caravan.
The Eco Caravan is a record-breaker of its own, claiming to be the largest hybrid-electric aircraft in the world. As its name suggests, this aims to be an eco-friendly version of the Cessna Grand Caravan, combining standard propulsion with an electric motor. During its maiden flight in 2022, the nine-seater climbed to 3,500 feet after taking off from Camarillo Airport, north of Los Angeles, then cruised for a little over 30 minutes.
The most impressive thing about the Eco Caravan is that it promises to match the standard Cessna Grand Caravan's range (1,000 miles/1,609 km) and payload while also cutting fuel consumption and emissions by up to 70%. Plus, operational costs are also significantly lower. The hybrid system also enables it to recharge its batteries in flight, which also contributes to better performance compared to purely electric aircraft.
Magpie Aviation, on the other hand, has come up with a game-changing solution for increasing the range of battery-electric airplanes. It's called Magpie Aerotowing, and it was inspired by a classic procedure that's still used in glider flying today. In a nutshell, a fully electric two aircraft would connect to a main aircraft (either electric or hybrid-electric) in the sky autonomously and lead it to the final destination.
With this new acquisition, Ampaire will be able to use the benefits of the Magpie Aerotowing and expand its portfolio of electric and hybrid-electric solutions. This acquisition comes after Magpie successfully completed the world's first demonstration of an automatic towing between two aircraft in flight – an impressive industry-first that has already secured government contracts for the Silicon Valley startup.
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