Aircraft

Electric Green Cri takes to the skies

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Hardly a sound from the counter-rotating propellers as the Green Cri takes to the air
Pilot Didier Esteyne readies the Green Cri for its maiden flight above Le Bourget airfield in Paris
Hardly a sound from the counter-rotating propellers as the Green Cri takes to the air
Upon landing, the Green Cri is surrounded by photographers
View gallery - 3 images

When Gizmag paid a visit to the Paris Green Air Show in June, there was one craft on display that seemed to steal the show. The Green Cri aerobatic electric airplane hadn't even left terra firma, yet was surrounded by eager onlookers for much of the time it was there. Now the four-engined prototype has returned to Le Bourget airfield for its maiden flight in the sunny skies above Paris.

The scientific research electric airplane was developed by EADS Innovation Works and Aero Composites Saintonge, in order to research green energy propulsion technologies.

The Cri returned to Le Bourget yesterday to undertake its first test flight. Take-off and initial climb were reported to be smooth, the pilot – Didier Esteyne – feeling no vibrations and enjoying good maneuverability. All systems performed without a hitch and the Cri returned to the waiting pool of press photographers some seven minutes later.

Upon landing, the Green Cri is surrounded by photographers

Esteyne pointed out that the simple test flight was just the beginning for the Cri and that the team have a lot to learn. "We are allowed to start aerobatic maneuvers only after five hours of flight and 15 landings," he said.

EADS Chief Technical Officer mirrored the pilot's comments, saying that the Cri "is a low-cost test bed for system integration of electrical technologies in support of projects like our hybrid propulsion concept for helicopters. We hope to get a lot of useful information out of this project."

The Cri's counter-rotating propellers are powered by four brushless electric motors and energy dense Lithium batteries. Such technology, combined with its lightweight composite structure, help it to achieve 30 minutes of cruise flight or 15 minutes of speedier aerobatics.

When Gizmag paid a visit to the Paris Green Air Show in June, there was one craft on display that seemed to steal the show. The Green Cri aerobatic electric airplane hadn't even left terra firma, yet was surrounded by eager onlookers for much of the time it was there. Now the four-engined prototype has returned to Le Bourget airfield for its maiden flight in the sunny skies above Paris.

The scientific research electric airplane was developed by EADS Innovation Works and Aero Composites Saintonge, in order to research green energy propulsion technologies.

The Cri returned to Le Bourget yesterday to undertake its first test flight. Take-off and initial climb were reported to be smooth, the pilot – Didier Esteyne – feeling no vibrations and enjoying good maneuverability. All systems performed without a hitch and the Cri returned to the waiting pool of press photographers some seven minutes later.

Upon landing, the Green Cri is surrounded by photographers

Esteyne pointed out that the simple test flight was just the beginning for the Cri and that the team have a lot to learn. "We are allowed to start aerobatic maneuvers only after five hours of flight and 15 landings," he said.

EADS Chief Technical Officer mirrored the pilot's comments, saying that the Cri "is a low-cost test bed for system integration of electrical technologies in support of projects like our hybrid propulsion concept for helicopters. We hope to get a lot of useful information out of this project."

The Cri's counter-rotating propellers are powered by four brushless electric motors and energy dense Lithium batteries. Such technology, combined with its lightweight composite structure, help it to achieve 30 minutes of cruise flight or 15 minutes of speedier aerobatics.

View gallery - 3 images
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4 comments
William H Lanteigne
To be precise, it\'s a four-MOTOR prototype, not a four-engine prototype.
subras3d
Congrats to the Team .It is heartening to see EV Revolution moving fast from roads & seas to Sky as well.
matthew.rings
True: all engines (burning fuels) are motors (device producing power), but not all motors are engines. Some motors use electricity to produce power (no burning of fuel)

So it\'s appropriate to call your car\'s engine a \"motor\", but incorrect to call the electrical motors on this airplane an \"engine\", which it, by definition, is not.

Hope that helps!

Jim Bentz
Dear GizMag,
While I love your articles, please, please include video.

I am consistently dissapointed when coming to an article, to find photo and no video. If you were reporting on static objects, eg: artwork, sculpture, fine, a photo. However, you are reporting on cars, motorcycles, airplanes, wonderful machines with ACTION.

These remarkable devices deserve live action. Pictures, yes are worth a thousand words, but video is worth a thousand pictures.

Update your format and join the age of the internet please.

Thank you for an otherwise awsome publication.
Jim Bentz