NASA showcases its first electric airplane
By MYBRANDBOOK
NASA has showcased an early version of its first all-electric experimental aircraft, the X-57 “Maxwell,” at its aeronautics lab in the California desert.
Adapted from an Italian-made Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller plane, the X-57 has been under development since 2015 and remains at least a year away from its first test flight in the skies over Edward Air Force Base. NASA attached the two largest of 14 electric motors that will ultimately propel the plane - powered by specially designed lithium ion batteries before its first public preview.
The Maxwell is the latest in a proud line of experimental aircraft the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has developed over many decades for many purposes, including the bullet-shaped Bell X-1 that first broke the sound barrier and the X-15 rocket plane flown by Neil Armstrong before he joined the Apollo moon team. Maxwell will be the agency’s first crewed X-plane to be developed in two decades.
NASA has also showed off a newly built simulator that allows engineers, and pilots, to get the feel of what it will be like to manoeuvre the finished version of the X-57 in flight, even as the plane remains under development. NASA’s X-57 venture is aimed at designing and proving technology according to standards that commercial manufacturers can adapt for government certification.
The final modification, or Mod IV, of the aircraft will feature narrower, lighter-weight wings fitted with a total of 14 electric engines - six smaller “lift” props along the leading edge of each wing, plus two larger “cruise” props at the tip of each wing. The lift propellers will be activated for take-off and landings, but retract during the flight’s cruise phase.
There is one challenge, which is to improve battery technology to store more energy to extend the plane’s range, with faster re-charging. Because of current battery limitations, the Maxwell’s design is envisioned for use in short-haul flights as an air-taxi or commuter plane for a small number of passengers.
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