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NASA to Begin Testing Electric-Powered Aircraft with Retractable Propellers

In the very near future, electric propulsion will reach for the sky. Already several companies are working on airplanes that use electric motors instead of the usual engines, as a means to kill emission coming from one of the most polluting industries in the world.
NASA X-57 Maxwell electric airplane 9 photos
Photo: NASA
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Soon, NASA will join the party as well, trying to come up with an air transportation solution that will emit no harmful emission, will fly more efficiently and, last but not least, will be much quieter than today’s machines.

This week, the space agency announced it got its hands on what will become its first crewed X-plane plane in two decades. X-planes, or experimental airplanes, is the term used by NASA to designate research aircraft.

In this particular case, we're talking by an Italian Tecnam P2006T aircraft that was stripped of its combustion engines and fitted with electric cruise motors. The plane is called X-57 Maxwell, and was modified by California-based Empirical Systems Aerospace.

NASA will enter testing stages soon, trying to determine the viability of the plane’s propulsions system. Initially, the tests will be conducted on the ground, with the plane motionless. If all goes well, NASA will move to taxi tests and ultimately to flight tests.

Before it gets to that though, the plane needs its wings back. Taken out for the moment, they will be fitted back on the aircraft for the later stages of the project.

The X-57 Maxwell uses 60-kilowatt motors that are much lighter than the source plane’s original engines. A total of 12 such motors could be installed on both wings. All will be used during takeoff, but when the plane reaches cruising altitude, the propellers of ten of the motors would stop rotating and fold into the nacelles, leaving only the wingtip ones in operation. The unused propellers would kick back into action when it’s time to land.

The objective of the project is to get a functional electric airplane than can fly at a maximum altitude of 14,000 feet and cruise at 172 mph.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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