26 August 2014
WATTsUP, the new two-seat electric trainer has made its maiden flight on 22 August 2014.
Pipistrel will unveil the proof-of-concept WATTsUP at Salon de Blois Airshow, France, on 30-31 August 2014.
WATTsUP was developed in partnership with Siemens AG, who provided the electric main propulsion components, and represents the next generation of Pipistrel’s electric aircraft. According to Pipistrel, every element of aircraft has been refined to be lighter and more efficient. The 85 kW electric motor weighs 14kg. The 17kWh battery pack is dual-redundant and designed to be either quickly replaceable within minutes or charged in less than one hour.
Performance-wise, the aircraft has a short take-off distance, more than 1,000fpm climb, and endurance of one hour plus a 30 minute reserve. The WATTsUP is optimised for traffic-pattern operations, where 13% of energy is recuperated on every approach, increasing endurance and at the same time enabling short-field landings.
Ivo Boscarol, CEO of Pipistrel explained, “With the ever growing cost of fuel it is time to rethink pilot training. Our solution is the first practical all-electric trainer. Technologies developed specially for this aircraft cut the cost of ab-initio pilot training by as much as 70%, making flying more affordable than ever before. Being able to conduct training on smaller airfields closer to towns with zero CO2 emissions and minimum noise is also a game changer. WATTsUP meets microlight and ASTM LSA criteria, as well as standards for electric propulsion and is already certified in France. More countries will follow soon and we are applying for an exemption with the FAA to allow training operations as an S-LSA. WATTsUP is our fifth electric aircraft project and the second to result in a commercial product.”
Pipistrel expects to bring the final product to the market in 2015 with a target price below 100,000 EUR.
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