eGenius at International Aero Expo
The 2011 International Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany, was host to a variety of exhibitors that attended the show to display their latest products and aircraft to buyers and to the public. The expo ran from 13 April to 16 April, and featured a diverse collection of aviation products, which included the new eGenius. This technology demonstrator was the project of Airbus, while the designers and builders of the prototype were from the University of Stuttgart. The presentation of the eGenius aircraft was a breakthrough for both Airbus and the university.
The 2011 International Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany, was host to a variety of exhibitors that attended the show to display their latest products and aircraft to buyers and to the public. The expo ran from 13 April to 16 April, and featured a diverse collection of aviation products, which included the new eGenius. This technology demonstrator was the project of Airbus, while the designers and builders of the prototype were from the University of Stuttgart. The presentation of the eGenius aircraft was a breakthrough for both Airbus and the university.
Airbus has been looking into developing ideas and prototypes of airplanes that can be developed and promote greener aviation solutions. The eGenius is a two-seater aircraft, which is propelled electrically, and is the start of a project managed by Airbus to investigate the possibilities of introducing electricity into aircraft as an alternative source of power and energy. The eGenius has been constructed with a fuselage large enough to spaciously accommodate two pilots, and has a wingspan of 16.86 meters. It has an engine power output of 60 kW and can reach a maximum cruising speed of 235 kilometres per hour. It also has a flight range of four hundred kilometres.
Airbus Senior Vice President of Product Strategy and Market Forecast, Christopher Emerson, commented on the vision that Airbus has with the development of the eGenius aircraft, saying: “It is our European Aviation Vision 2050 to reduce CO2-emissions by 75%, NOx by 90% and noise by 65% compared to levels in 2000. Airbus is therefore carefully studying all technologies available today for future alternative aviation energy-sources. By sponsoring experimental projects like the ‘eGenius’, we are gathering valuable experience and data for our further analyses and research activities in this area.”
Over and above the electric propulsion development project, Airbus has also been working with universities to create other alternative sources of energy, such as the fuel cell technology project that will hopefully be lead to aircraft being able to operate on the ground without emissions being released. With the development of the eGenius, Airbus is able to further their research and their development of alternative energy sources, striving to make the aviation industry environmentally friendly.