UK firm announces 18-seat hybrid electric aircraft

UK-based company Faradair has announced plans to build a new 18-seater hybrid electric aircraft designed for short runways.

New and more efficient passenger aircraft have helped cut down on fuel consumption and CO2 production, but commercial air travel is still one of the world's biggest contributors to global warming. The most effective solution would be electric aircraft, but current battery technology just isn't up to the task as jet fuel packs much more energy into a much lighter package.

That's where Faradair's Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft (BEHA) come in, combining electric motors and a turboprop engine to significantly reduce emissions. The firm was founded in 2014 with the mission of making BEHA a reality, and has spent four years designingnthe craft. This month the company announced that the craft will be flight ready by 2025.

The craft has some pretty interesting features, including a patented triple box wing design that allows it to take off with less than 300m of runway. it can also be converted into a cargo configuration in around 15 minutes, and has noise reduction technology that will make it only 60 decibels on takeoff.

Managing Director of Faradair® Neil Cloughley  “Our order book is now open and we look forward to working with potential customers and airport operators, as we begin the build of our first demonstration prototypes later this year, intended for flight trials by 2022. It has been an incredible journey to date, but it is only just beginning and BEHA is going to help put British aircraft manufacturing back on the map”.

Source: Written based on press release