Airbus Group plans to further develop the E-Fan technology

demonstrator and to produce and market two versions of

the aircraft by a subsidiary named VoltAir. The two-seater

version E-Fan 2.0 will be a fully electric training aircraft

powered only by batteries. The four-seater version E-Fan 4.0

will be a training and general aviation aircraft which will also

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have a combustion engine within the fuselage to provide an

extended range or endurance. In partnership with reknown

aviation supplier companies as well as with local SMEs in

the Aquitaine region, a production facility is to be built at the

Bordeaux Mérignac airport, which shall also include a training

establishment for pilots.

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E-Fan 2.0

The E-Fan demonstrator is part of Airbus Group’s on-going

hybrid and electrical propulsion system research, which

has seen hybrid concept studies for a full-scale helicopter,

the successful development of a Cri-Cri ultralight modified as

the world’s first four-engine all-electric aerobatic aircraft, the

demonstration flights of a hybrid electric motor glider (for which

Airbus Group Innovations developed the battery system) the

flight testing of a short-range mini-unmanned aerial vehicle with

an advanced fuel cell, and the integration of a piston diesel

engine into the TANAN UAV as well as the concept study of a

hybrid-electric propulsion system for this rotorcraft.

Airbus Group Innovations is the corporate network of

research centres of Airbus Group. A highly skilled workforce

of more than 800 is operating the laboratories that guarantee

Airbus Group’ technical innovation potential with a focus on

the long-term. The structure of the network and the teams

within Airbus Group Innovations are organised in global and

transnational Technical Capabilities Centres:

• Composites technologies

• Metallic technologies and surface engineering

• Vehicle integration – industrial and support processes

• Electronics, communication and intelligent systems

• Systems engineering, information technology and applied

mathematics

• Energy and propulsion

• Design and Projects

Technology demonstrator of an electrically-powered,all-composite general aviation training aircraft

E-FAN

E-Fan02

E-FAN: THE FIRST PURPOSE-BUILT, ELECTRICALLY POWERED TRAINER AIRCRAFT

Innovative propulsion system concepts for future air

vehicle applications are being developed by Airbus Group

Innovations, the corporate research and technology arm of

Airbus Group, in partnerships with academia, electrical system

suppliers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as

well as large companies from both inside and outside the

aerospace sector.

These developments are part of the aerospace sector's

research to support the aviation industry’s ambitious

environmental protection goals as spelled out in the European

Commission’s roadmap report called “Flightpath 2050 –

Europe’s Vision for Aviation.” This report sets the targets of

reducing aircraft CO2 emissions by 75%, along with reductions

of nitrous oxides (NOx) by 90% and noise levels by 65%,

compared to standards of the year 2000.

The all-electric E-Fan training aircraft has zero carbon

dioxide emissions in flight and should bring a significant

reduction in noise around airfields, thus improving relations

between local residents and flight schools with long-term

prospects for the discreet and economical initial training of

future professional pilots.

The two-seat E-Fan is particularly suited for short missions

such as basic pilot training, glider towing and aerobatics,

with a flight endurance of one hour for pilot training and 30

minutes for aerobatics. E-Fan can bring significant benefits in

terms of cost per flight hour in the general aviation domain.

Small electric aircraft are seen as a key step towards

introducing electric propulsion on larger aircraft. The E-Fan

is a highly innovative technology demonstrator and a flying

03E-Fan

The first flight of the E-Fan technology demonstrator took place at the

Bordeaux Mérignac airport on March 11, 2014.

E-FAN PROjECT HISTORY

The E-Fan project originated during the 2011 Paris

Airshow, as a follow-on to the first cooperation between

Airbus Group Innovations and Aerocomposites Saintonge

(ACS) on the Cri-Cri – the world’s first fully electric four

engine aerobatic plane. Using the Cri-Cri as a test

bed and flying laboratory, numerous performance

flight tests allowed the engineers to gain experience with

the integration of batteries and energy management,

while research focused on energy recovery and variable

propeller pitch. This work became the basis for the

E-Fan project.

Airbus Group Innovations has the overall responsibility

for the project and, in particular, develops the data

management and the eFADEC system managing the

energy flows, while ACS, Didier Esteyne and their partners

work on the other parts of the aircraft. The E-Fan design

process began in late 2011 and the final go-ahead for

the technology demonstrator was given in October 2012.

The E-Fan was developed in record time, allowing the

presentation of the aircraft in the static park of the Paris

Airshow 2013.

The first flight of the E-Fan technology demonstrator

took place at the Bordeaux Mérignac airport on

March 11, 2014. Flight testing is in progress and

noise measurements are planned which will include

comparisons with conventionally powered aircraft. It is

also planned to present the aircraft at the ILA Berlin and

Farnborough airshows in 2014.test bed, stimulating research in electric propulsion and

also helping to promote the certification of electrical flight

concepts. The E-Fan project is supported by the French

Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) as well as

regional government institutions in southwest France, and

involves an association between Airbus Group Innovations,

SMEs and academia.

Airbus Group Innovations is committed to supporting

SMEs in France (and elsewhere) and to investing in their

local areas, in jobs and in skills. Support is therefore given to

partners in further developing this demonstrator, with the aim

of progressing to a fully certified commercial product and to

industrialize the manufacturing of the aircraft at a competitive

price – as well as marketing it through appropriate distribution

channels.

E-Fan04

E-FAN INNOvATIONS

The E-Fan is an entirely new concept for an electric

aircraft, whose design started with a clean sheet of paper.

It is the first purpose-built electric powered training aircraft.

All other models to date are based on existing conventionally-

powered airframes; there have been no attempts to date

to commercialize a fully electric aircraft. The E-Fan’s

aerodynamics, such as the integration of the landing gear into

the fuselage for low drag, and the energy management and

safety features were designed from the outset specifically

for electrical propulsion.

The DGAC requested that the E-Fan’s flight parameters

be similar to those of existing training aircraft to avoid

completely new training requirements. However, the

performance of the aircraft is revolutionary in terms of noise

reduction, there are no CO2 emissions in-flight and vibrations

are significantly reduced compared to aircraft powered

by combustion engines. The E-Fan was designed to be

compatible with flight training and aeroclub requirements, such

as hangar parking space and flight endurance. With electrical

propulsion, there is no reduction of performance at altitude

and in hot weather, no propeller torque effects and no

vibration, providing a very smooth flight.

As a first for an electrically powered aircraft, the E-Fan features

a pyrotechnically deployed airframe parachute rescue

system.

E-FADEC

An optimised electrical energy management system (e-FADEC)

is integrated into the aircraft, which automatically handles

all electrical features, thereby simplifying the monitoring and

controlling of the systems. The e-FADEC reduces the pilots’

workloads, allowing the instructor and the student to fly the

aircraft and focus on the training mission.

ELECTRIC MOTORS

E-Fan propulsion is provided by two electric motors with a

combined power of 60 kiloWatt, each driving a ducted,

variable pitch fan. The duct increases the static thrust, it reduces

the perceived noise and improves safety on the ground. With the

engines located close to the centre-line of the aircraft, the E-Fan

has very good controllability in single-engine flight.

1 Inboard profile shows the major elements of the E-Fan's

all-composite structure

2 Plan view and cross-sections of the wing show the E-Fan's

battery installation

05E-Fan

1

BATTERY SYSTEM

The E-Fan’s motors are powered by a series of 250 Volt

Lithium-ion polymer batteries made by KOKAM in the

Republic of Korea. They are housed within the inboard part

of the wings outside the cockpit, and provided with venting

and passive cooling. Because of timing and availability

constraints, off-the-shelf Lithium polymer batteries are used in

the technology demonstrator, giving an endurance of between

45 min. and 1 hour. New batteries with a higher energy density

will be installed later on, which will increase the endurance to

up to 1 hour + 15 minutes reserve.

The batteries can be recharged in one hour, or they can be

rapidly replaced by means of a quick-change system (not yet

available on the demonstrator aircraft). An on-board 24 Volt

electrical network supplies the avionics and the radios via a

converter. A backup battery is provided for emergency landing

purposes.

Extensive research and stress testing has proven that

the E-Fan battery system provides ample safety margins.

Close monitoring of all battery cell parameters is performed

during test flights.

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LANDINg gEAR

Another innovation of the E-Fan is its landing gear, which consists of two

electrically-actuated retractable wheels positioned fore and aft under the

fuselage, plus two small wheels under the wings. The aft main wheel is

driven by a 6 kiloWatt electric motor, providing power for taxiing and

acceleration up to 60 km/h during take-off, reducing overall electrical power

consumption in day-to-day operation. The manoeuvering of the aircraft on

the ground and the initial acceleration on take-off without the main engines

can so be done completely silent.

Taxiing and initial acceleration at take-off without the use of the fans

saves energy and is completely silent.

07E-Fan

TELEMETRY SYSTEM

The E-Fan is equipped with a telemetry system to record all propulsion,

battery and engine parameters and transmit them to a ground station.

Also included are several video cameras for safety purposes to maintain

contact with the pilot and to monitor flight parameters, but also for research

and, not least, for the validation and certification process. In the E-Fan's

flight training role, the monitoring of flight parameters will ensure that

comprehensive feedback can be given to the student pilot – a feature that

will also contribute to the development of flight training programmes.

E-Fan08

E-FAN INSTITUTIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORTThe E-Fan project is receiving funding from the French Directorate General

for Civil Aviation (Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile, DGAC) as well as

from regional government institutions in southwest France.

• FEDER (European Regional Development Fund)

• The Département Charente-Maritime

• The Région Aquitaine

09E-Fan

E-FAN CORE TEAM

AERO COMPOSITES SAINTONgE (ACS)

(SME, Saint Sulpice near Royan, in the Charentes-Maritime

Department) specialising in the application of composite

materials, has the responsibility for:

• Aerodynamic studies and computer-aided design

for the aircraft

• Wind tunnel testing

• Construction of all composite parts, except for

the wings

• Construction and mechanical assembly of the landing

gear and flight controls, as well as the aircraft’s electrical

circuits and instrument panel

• Static testing of the propulsion assemblies

(motors, fans)

• Integration and final assembly of the aircraft

• Ground and flight tests

Test pilot: Didier Esteyne

AIRBUS gROUP INNOvATIONS

(Suresnes near Paris)

• Overall project management

• Development of the overall aircraft energy management

system (e-FADEC)

• Battery development support

• Simulations

• Electrical architecture and electro-magnetic compatibility

(EMC) support

• Calculations, expertise and support for the composite

structure and the manufacturing of aluminum parts, such

as the landing gear and flight control linkages

• Electrical engineering experts from Airbus Group

Innovations, Airbus Group Defence and Space and Airbus

Group Helicopters supported the testing of the battery

cells and battery packs at Airbus Group Innovations

operations in Ottobrunn near Munich and Airbus Group

Defence and Space’s operations in Toulouse, France.

Airbus support was provided with final assembly

personnel and with the design of the aircraft's livery

E-Fan10

MAPAERO Aerospace Coatings(Pamiers, Département Ariège)

MAPAERO is specialist in aeronautical paints and

a pioneer in the development of water-based paint

technology used in aeronautics. It provided the high-

quality paint for the E-Fan.

A3iP(SME, Nantes)

A3IP is an electronics design office that specialises in the

production (design, routing, prototyping, manufacture)

of tailor-made printed circuit boards. Within the E-Fan

project, A3iP is in charge of:

• The electrical network

• Assembly of battery cells

• Managing the battery pack monitoring

• Designing and manufacturing the motor controllers

RFTronic (SME, Rochefort)

RF Tronic Ingénierie specialises in the development,

manufacture and integration of on-board communication

systems for civil and military applications. For the E-Fan,

it is responsible for:

• Design and integration of the air-to-ground telemetry

system and the flight data recorder

• Development of an analysis software to display the

technical flight parameters

CRITT MATéRIAUX (Rochefort)

The Poitou-Charentes Regional Centre for Material

Innovation and Technology Transfer (Centre Régional

d’Innovation et de Transfert de Technologie Matériaux

Poitou-Charentes – CRITT MPC) is an independent

laboratory specialising in polymer, composite and metal

materials, as well as structural bonding. CRITT MPC is

responsible for the “aero carbon composite” project –

financed by the Poitou-Charentes FEDER programme,

the French State and the Départment Charente Maritime –

and thereby in charge of calculations and structural

validation testing of the E-Fan wings.

CRITT Matériaux is supported by ISAE-ENSMA, Institut

Pprime and C3T.

ISAE-ENSMA (Poitiers Futuroscope,

Région Poitou-Charentes)

The ENSMA has trained more than 5,000 high-level

engineers. This training is based on world-class research,

developed through numerous partnerships with leading

companies in the fields of transport, mechanics and

energy – specifically the aerospace sector.

Institut Pprime (Poitiers Futuroscope,

Région Poitou-Charentes)

The Institut Pprime is a physical sciences and

engineering sciences research laboratory provides

scientific support for the design of the E-Fan's main spar

and the wing.

C3T (SME, La Rochelle)

C3 Technologies is a company whose core business is

the manufacture of technical composite parts subjected

to intense mechanical stresses. C3 Technologies is now

one of the leading French and European suppliers of

technical parts, for example, for yacht racing.

• Construction of spars and wings

E-FAN PARTNERS

I n g é n i e r i e

11E-Fan

Wing span: 9.50 m

Length: 6.67 m

Empty weight: 500 kg

Lift/drag ratio: 16

Total engine power: 60 kiloWatt

Battery system: 120 cells

(Lithium Polymer)

Battery rated capacity: 40 Ah per cell

4 Volt per cell

Endurance: 45 min – 1 hour

Take-off speed: 110 km/h

Cruise speed: 160 km/h

Max. speed: 220 km/h

E-FAN TECHNICAL DATA