Aircraft

All-electric SportsStar EPOS makes maiden flight

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The all-electric SportStar EPOS two-seater in flight
The all-electric SportStar EPOS two-seater in flight
Evektor-Aerotechnik's SportStar EPOS on the ground
Seats appear to be arranged side by side
The EPOS made its maiden flight on March 28
As can be seen on the wing, the EPOS name derives from electric-powered small aircraft
Without battery containers on board, the EPOS has an empty weight of 275 kg (606 lb)
The EPOS has a claimed maximum take-off weight of 600 kg (1,323 lb)
The aircraft will make its public debut at the Aero Friedrichshafen aviation show in Germany between April 24 and 27
Evekto project manager Martin Drštička draws parallels with electric cars
The Evektor-Aerotechnik SportStar EPOS returns safely to terra firma
The EPOS' 50-kW Rotex Electric motor
The company admits that further technical improvements are required before its vehicle is ready to sell to its intended market of flight schools and private customers
View gallery - 12 images

Czech light aircraft specialist Evektor-Aerotechnik has announced the maiden flight of its all-electric SportStar EPOS two-seater airplane. On March 28, the EPOS made two back-to-back flights with a combined flight time of 30 minutes. The EPOS, the name of which derives from "electric-powered small aircraft," is powered by a single 50-kW Rotex Electric motor and features what its makers describe as a "new trapezoidal wing of extended span," which is 10.46 m (34.3 ft) tip to tip.

Judging by the lengthy chain of alphanumerics listed next to the battery on Evektor's specs sheet, the aircraft seems to be equipped with a 40-Ah power-pack from Kokam. Maximum speed is pegged at 260 km/h (or 140 knots indicated airspeed), and cruise speed 150 km/h (81 KIAS).

Without battery containers on board, the EPOS has an empty weight of 275 kg (606 lb), though it's capable of a claimed maximum take-off weight of 600 kg (1,323 lb). Evektor's website has a full rundown of the specs.

In a statement, project manager Martin Drštička draws parallels with electric cars. "In that field, electromobility also struggles for its place on the market, which it deserves, but in doing so it must overcome a number of technical problems," he said. "I am convinced that the range of potential of electric driven sport aircraft is very wide."

The aircraft will make its public debut at the Aero Friedrichshafen aviation show in Germany between April 24 and 27.

The company admits that further technical improvements are required before its vehicle is ready to sell to its intended market of flight schools and private customers. For inspiration, Evektor may look to the Yuneec E430. Though apparently still in development, the electric two-seater boasts a flight time of 2 hours thanks to a battery with twice the charge in an aircraft just over half the weight. It may not fly so fast, but for the target market, speed may not be the first priority.

You can see a video of the EPOS in flight below.

Source: Evektor-Aerotechnik via AVweb

View gallery - 12 images
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18 comments
b@man
Looks like taxi would be more efficient with a servo on the front wheel.
Mark A
No parachute needed for this test pilot.
BigGoofyGuy
I think the design is very clean and very nice. With it being electric, it would also be very quiet. I think it would be great for those who like to fly but have no need to fly far.
Jon A.
A truly unfortunate acronym!
Forget about "flight time," let's talk about range at normal light plane altitudes. It seems that, as with its electric car brethren, range will be an issue.
On the other hand, for recreational pilots who only go up for short hops when the weather is nice, this might actually have advantages over gas power. Planes are thirsty, and the savings in gas costs might be significant. Plus, if you only fly once a week, recharge times become a non-issue. And maintenance might be considerably reduced if you take the internal combustion engine out of the equation.
On the third hand, though, electric cars don't fall out of the sky if they run out of juice.
Ian Mitko
Oh God.... how long will the battery last if you're doing steep turns? How will this prepare a student to transition into high performance and vintage airplanes. How will students prepare for their written exams if they don't learn to use reciprocating engines? How many airports are within range with energy reserves for cross country flights which are necessary to get a private pilot's certificate? How will this help at remote air strips???
John Findlay
I'm surprised that the wing area isnt covered in solar panels, it would help to extend range wile flying and enable recharging wile parked. It will of course being electric be EXTREMLEY reliable and wont require the same high levels of maintenace of conventional aircraft. It SHOULD also be far cheaper than conventional aircraft. I would like to think though that it has a good level of gliding ability and an emergency parachute fitted should the worst happen.
Slowburn
I noticed that they didn't say how much the battery weighed; I'm assuming that the pilot in the video was all it can carry. With that limited of a power budget I would have gone with manually retracted landing gear. Granted a muffler would help but most the noise from an ICE light plane is from the prop. If you noise reduction use reduction gear and a many bladed prop.
Oztechi
I look forward to the day that most lite aircraft are electric because they will produce far less noise pollution.
Christine Gray
Airplanes don't 'fall out of the sky' unless there is some structural failure. Very unlikely ! Safety Nancys that want a ballistic chute to save their bacon when the motor stops would be better served polishing their stick & rudder skills than adding the extra weight of a 'chute.
Oh, and BTW, this aircraft has fixed gear - not rectractable.......
Denis Klanac
Its the props that make a plane noisy mostly, as you can hear in the video it still sounds like a normal ice powered plane. if you didn't know it was battery powered it would be an easy mistake to make.