Electric Airplane Racing Starts Next Year

http://flash.avweb.com/avwebflash/ne...-232631-1.html

Electric Airplane Racing Starts Next Year

April 12, 2019

Formula 1 racing is a popular event at the Reno Air Races, among other
sites, and beginning late next year, it will evolve into something
new: electric airplane racing. As AVweb covers Aero this year, Jeff
Zaltman, CEO of AirRaceE, says airplanes are being designed and
constructed for the first scheduled air race late next year. No venue
has been selected yet, but Zaltman says discussions are underway with
several countries—all warm-weather climes—to host the first race.

In this podcast
https://www.avweb.com/podcast/Podcas...-232632-1.html
[I didn't find a podcast on that page, but there is a link to video
lecture below] recorded at Aero this week, Zaltman told us electric
airplanes will be constructed along similar lines as Formula 1
aircraft, meaning a 66-square foot wing area, 500-pound minimum weight
and fixed gear. But while piston Formula 1 aircraft are restricted to
the Continental O-200 engine, e-racers will be opened up to all
manufacturers. “It’s very much geared toward accelerating innovation
and accelerating the technology that will eventually find its way into
the airplanes we fly as passengers 30 years from now,” Zaltman said.

Power will be supplied by a 150-KW motor which, as electric airplanes
go, is quite powerful, about the equivalent of 230 to 240 HP race
ready, but with neck-snapping torque delivery. While batteries still
limit electric aircraft endurance. Zaltman said the races will last
about five minutes, compared to eight minutes for piston F1 races.
“Right now in Formula 1, they get about 250 MPH. We expect it to go
above that, but I’m hesitant to give a number,” Zaltman said.

But is it going to be any fun watching airplanes quietly whir around a
closed course? Zaltman says much of the noise airplanes make is from
props and electric airplanes will have those. “The noise is going to
be there in terms of the spectator understanding the racing, but it
will be quieter,” he said. For more, see AirRaceE site he
http://www.airrace1.com/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-bzJ2dWIYE
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http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news19...cAirRace.shtml

Airbus Becomes Founding Partner of First Electric Airplane Race
Airbus has become a Founding Partner of Air Race E, the world’s first
electric airplane race set to launch its inaugural series in 2020.

The competition aims to drive the development and adoption of cleaner,
faster, and more technologically advanced electric engines that can be
applied to urban air mobility vehicles and, eventually, commercial
aircraft.

Air Race E will follow a format similar to the popular Air Race 1
series of the sport known as formula one air racing. Eight
electric-powered airplanes will race directly against each other on a
tight 5-km circuit, just 10 metres above the ground, and at speeds
faster than any land-based motorsport.

Airbus has become a Founding Partner of Air Race E, the world’s first
electric airplane race set to launch its inaugural series in 2020. The
competition aims to drive the development and adoption of cleaner,
faster, and more technologically advanced electric engines that can be
applied to urban air mobility vehicles and, eventually, commercial
aircraft. Click to enlarge.
Air Race E CEO, Jeff Zaltman, said, “We couldn’t be happier or more
optimistic for success with Airbus as our Official Founding Partner.
This partnership is a significant milestone in the evolution of
electric power in aviation. Together, we’re working to create a
mainstream platform in which innovation in electric propulsion can be
developed, nurtured, and accelerated more rapidly.”

Airbus will work alongside other Air Race E partners, including the
University of Nottingham. The University is currently developing a
prototype race airplane powered by an integrated electric motor,
battery, and power electronics system. The plane will help shape the
model and rules for the inaugural Air Race E race in 2020.

“We want to motivate manufacturers to showcase their technologies
across the full spectrum of electric propulsion systems and
components,” said Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer of
Airbus. “This partnership enables us to demonstrate our commitment to
staying at the leading edge of electric propulsion and developing a
new ecosystem.”
---------------------------------------------------------

https://airracee.com/air-race-e-foun...ifying-racing/

https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...r-race-lecture

A revolution in electric commercial aviation is coming. But it has
already arrived in air racing. Air Race E has announced it will hold
the first ever electric airplane race in 2020. And the technology that
will be introduced in this series will trace a direct link to the
technology that will carry us as passengers in the near future. Air
Race E format will be based on the long-running established sport
known as formula one air racing, with the exception of an all-electric
powerplant.

By launching this new race as a racing formula (governed by the
Formula Air Racing Association) Air Race E is inviting manufacturers
from around the world to enter a team to generate competition both on
and off the race course. Air Race E intends to become a unifying
platform and the catalyst for accelerated development in the field.
The first prototype race plane is already in development in the UK and
huge interest is being generated with more media announcements due
very soon.
----------------------------

https://cleantechnica.com/2019/04/13...ccessful-year/

Air Race E (Electric Airplane Race) Launching In 2020
April 13th, 2019 by Nicolas Zart

Air Race E Series Wants To Rekindle Old Airplane Races With
Electricity

What a wild first year it’s been for the highly entertaining electric
Air Race E, which is gearing up for its first year of races — targeted
for 2020. My last conversation with Jeff Zaltman, Air Race E’s CEO,
showed me that the group is about as dynamic as its airplanes
maneuvering in the sky.

Airbus Air Race E

After announcing its innovative partnership with Airbus and the
University of Nottingham, Air Race E got to work on the prototype of
the electric race airplane. Zaltman said:

“It has been an amazing 12 months for all the team at Air Race E and
we are working like crazy in the background to make the world’s first
all-electric airplane race a fantastic spectacle.

“The project has gained support from across the globe and the huge
partners that have come on board in the last year serve to highlight
the significance of the electric aviation industry and its development
for the future.”

This past year was spent grouping the airplanes, race pilots, aviation
engineers, and all sports associations involved while opening a test
center in Europe. Finally, a “plug and play” electric motor, battery,
and electric propulsion system was designed which can be retrofitted
onto existing conventional Air Race 1 plane.

Jeff told me that the original gas-powered Air Race 1 started in 2013,
picked up in 2015, and continues to grow bigger. He said that Air Race
E became a possibility once he and his team realized all the
ingredients for a race were there already — sanctioning bodies,
engineers, PR teams, and overall expertise to deliver it. They just
needed to be put together into an international airplane race series.



Airbus Air Race E

The idea behind the open series lies with early air races in the ’20s
and ’30s, which were followed by hundreds and thousands of people in a
rather informal manner. Air Race E is re-launching this with the
electric open platform drivetrain.

The Reno Air Show already has an official relationship with Air Race 1
with 6 different races, which means Air Race E would be 7th.

Lastly, I asked Jeff if there was anything going on with the
Rolls-Royce ACCEL e-plane racer, but he told me there was nothing
formal with them — although, he welcomes a future collaboration. He
concluded by saying that excitement of the race would be captured by
the various configurations in the race, which means that some planes
will be faster on straight lines, other more maneuverable. Let the
racing begin!

This last point is of particular importance, as it means a lineup of
different electric airplanes each good at a specific task will have to
duke it out between pylons. In the end, launching an electric flight
series when the technology is still in its infancy is daunting but
will accelerate sustainable aviation and motorsports in the future. So
far, Air Race E is the world’s first and only all-electric airplane
racing championship.

Airbus Air Race E

Jeff told me he decided to base Air Race E on the well-proven
Motorsport format, such as formula one air racing or Air Race 1. This
high-adrenaline, very fast-paced, multi-plane race on a closed circuit
around six pylons meters above the ground is faster than any
land-based sport you can witness. It is spectacular! Each plane will
be driven by a propeller powered by an electric motor.

We’ll leave the last words to Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology
Officer of Airbus.

“We want to motivate manufacturers to showcase their technologies
across the full spectrum of electric propulsion systems and
components.

“This partnership enables us to demonstrate our commitment to staying
at the leading edge of electric propulsion and developing a new
ecosystem.”