NASA Green Flight Challenge Launches Electric Aircraft

Since the early days of aviation, competitions and races have served as a take off point for many innovative designs and been instrumental in accomplishing record flights.  The 2011 NASA Green Flight Challenge is not exception.

Unlike other aircraft races and competitions, however, spectators were not engulfed by the characteristic roaring sound of a 3,000 horsepower V-12 aircraft engine.  Why?  Because all the airplanes in this competition are electric!  From take off to landing, the only sound these planes make is the whir of their electric motors and the wind that streams over the sleekly designed airframes.

Each aircraft follow a 200-mile rectangular course in the sky and, with no perceptible sound, one needs sharp eyes to spot them and keep track of their movement.  The competing teams take under two hours to complete the course.

From the 10 teams that originally entered the competition, only five qualified for the event.  As the day of the competition neared, the number was further reduced to four.  One of the teams, from Embry-Riddle University, was not able to meet all of the requirements but after submitting a petition and with the support of the other three teams, Embry-Riddle University’s hybrid electric aircraft was still allowed to fly the skies with the other three planes but it was ineligible for the prize.

The aircraft designed by the team from Embry-Riddle uses a gas engine for taking off and switches to an electric motor for cruising.  Another gasoline-powered hybrid was the Phoenix designed by a team from Florida.  The other two aircraft were both all electric: Slovenia’s Pipistrel Taurus G4 and Germany’s e-Genius.

The competition lasted two days.  The first day was devoted to an efficiency flight competition which required the aircraft to fly at a minimum average of 100 miles per hour and the corresponding 200 seat miles per gallon while using up the least amount of energy as they follow a set course.  The second day was for the speed flight which required the aircraft to fly the 200-mile course as fast as they can while maintaining the average 200 seat miles per gallon; additionally, they should still have 30 minutes of reserve power left when they land.  Two people were also required to be on board each team’s aircraft.

The state-of-the-art electric aircraft took to the skies at Sonoma County Airport in San Jose, California.  With the $1.65 million in prizes up for grabs, the NASA Green Flight Challenge aims to fuel the development of electric aircraft.  The winner of the Challenge will be announced Monday at Moffett Field near San Jose where the aircraft will also be on public display and performing flybys.