This is the closing event of the H3PS “High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain” project, funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, and will also be streamed on YouTube

For organizational reasons, participation at the event is only permitted after completing the registration form at the following link:

https://www.h3ps.eu/event-guest-registration/

After the registration, you will also be receiving the YouTube link.

H3PS – From Tecnam P2010 parallel hybrid-electric propulsion to future aircraft architectures

Capua, Italy,– Tecnam Aircraft, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce and Rotax specialized teams, successfully flew the new P2010 H3PS hybrid aircraft for the first time on December  21^st, 2021, at precisely 3:54 pm CET. The Permit to Fly was issued by ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority.

The flight was performed by Tecnam’s Chief Experimental Test Pilot Lorenzo De Stefano, with Tecnam, Rolls-Royce and Rotax Teams on the ground assisting in this historic moment.

Tecnam P2010 H3PS is powered by a 104kW Rotax 915 IS engine coupled with a 30kW Rolls-Royce electric motor, totaling 134kW (180hp) powertrain in a fully integrated parallel hybrid configuration. As such, this four-seat aircraft is first of its kind.

According to Tecnam Aircraft’s R&D Director Fabio Russo, the H3PS successful flight test demonstration marks a major milestone on the aviation industry’s journey towards de-carbonization and R&D on alternative powertrains.

“Though H3PS is not intended for market purposes, our successful flight tests demonstrate that hybrid powertrain, with combustion engine coupled with an electric motor, can bear the same useful load of the traditional 180hp combustion engine,” said Russo.

H3PS, which stands for “High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain”, is a project funded under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Launched in 2018, the project has reached its objectives. With H3PS’ success, Tecnam Aircraft and project partners have validated the aircraft’s scalability potential, lower emissions, state of the art power management technology, building a viable launchpad for future green aircraft models.

Commenting on the future developments, Tecnam’s Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer stated that the company will continue to focus on driving the green transition in aviation.

“Tecnam’s approach to innovation is truly sustainable,” said Pascale Langer. “Our development focuses on three key pillars: environmentally friendly, technologically viable and marketable solutions. We do this by leveraging our multi-generational expertise, research and development, next-generation technology, and strategic partnerships.”

“I look forward to seeing H3PS inspire more innovation and drive our industry forward with cleaner, more efficient technologies,” Pascale Langer concluded.

Rob Watson, President of Rolls-Royce Electrical added: “The successful first flight of the P2010 H3PS demonstrator is a pioneering achievement by the team to advance hybrid-electric flight.  Working with Tecnam and Rotax has been hugely beneficial, and this project has continued to build our capabilities in delivering all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for the advanced air mobility market. Rolls-Royce is committed to investing in the technology solutions to enable and deliver sustainable aviation.”

“We are very pleased that we could intensify our collaboration with Tecnam and Rolls-Royce within the H3PS project. The tests showed that there are still challenges to take up, however due to the efforts of all three parties the test flight could be concluded with deeper understanding and of course with a safe landing. The project showed that the joint venture with the qualified knowledge of these three global player companies in aviation lead to very interesting and future-orientated results for innovative propulsion systems”, said Michael Dopona, Head of design Organization BRP-Rotax.

“In December 2021 ENAC issued the permit to fly, for research and development purposes” – commented the Director General of ENAC, Alessio Quaranta – “to the first Made in Italy General Aviation aircraft powered by hybrid propulsion system (electric – unleaded fuel): the Tecnam P2010 H3PS. It deals with an important technological innovation in favor of savings in consumption and emissions. ENAC actively participated this challenge in developing the new propulsion system and its integration within the Tecnam P2010 airframe, in line with Authority commitment towards a Sustainable Aviation future”.

About H3PS

H3PS (acronym for “High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain”) is a project funded under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Grant Agreement No. 769392.

About Tecnam:

Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer with a global network of dealers and service centers. The company produces light general aviation next-generation piston aircraft with two to 11 seats for commercial operators, special mission, flight schools and private owners. TECNAM’s roots go all the way back to the Italian brothers Luigi and Giovanni Pascale who began to develop and produce innovative aircraft soon after the end of WWII. Since those early beginnings, the family has continued to create original models, first gaining worldwide recognition under the name Partenavia, which translates as ” Naples Aviation”. Costruzioni Aeronautiche TECNAM was established in March 1986 and now operates in two production facilities. The Casoria facility is located adjacent to Naples’ Capodichino International Airport, while the main factory is next to the “Oreste Salomone” Airport in Capua. New facilities were established in Sebring, Florida, USA and in Australia to serve and support the needs of Tecnam’s local owners and operators.

www.tecnam.com

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

1.Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. We have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations by 2030. We joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, and have committed to ensuring our new products will be compatible with net zero operation by 2030, and all products will be compatible with net zero by 2050.

2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
3. Annual underlying revenue was £11.76 billion in 2020 and we invested £1.25 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.
4. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a publicly traded company (LSE:RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69).

www.rolls-royce.com

About BRP

We are a global leader in the world of powersports vehicles, propulsion systems and boats, built on over 75 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. Our portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive products includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex boats and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts and recreational aircraft. We complete our lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel business to fully enhance the riding experience. With annual sales of CA$6 billion from over 130 countries, our global workforce is made up of more than 14,500 driven, resourceful people.

www.brp.com
@BRPNews

Ski-Doo, Lynx, Sea-Doo, Can-Am, Rotax, Evinrude, Manitou, Alumacraft, Telwater and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About BRP-Rotax

BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, the Austrian subsidiary of BRP Inc., is a leader in the development and production of propulsion systems for the leisure and powersports sector. Founded back in 1920, BRP-Rotax has been committed to future-proof mobility and technological progress for more than 100 years. The innovative Rotax four- and two-stroke high-performance engines are used for BRP products such as Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo Personal Watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles as well as for karts and recreational aircraft. With sustainable products such as the first zero-emission Lynx HySnow snowmobile or the high-performance E20 e-kart series, BRP-Rotax is also a pioneer in the field of alternative powertrain models. The Upper Austrian company, headquartered in Gunskirchen, currently employs more than 1,500 people and produces engines for the global market.

www.flyrotax.com

And now a new player has arrived, determined to transform commercial aviation.

MagniX was founded on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2009 as a research and development lab for electronic propulsion. Around 18 months ago, the team developed a prototype for a motor that was able to produce 350 horsepower in a 110-pound package, prompting a pivot toward aerospace. Last week, the company officially opened its new Redmond headquarters.

“Our goal is to be the leader in aerospace electric propulsion,” CEO Roei Ganzarski said, adding that Australia isn’t exactly an industry hub. “And not only do you have Boeing in Seattle, but you have universities with phenomenal aerospace programs, suppliers to Boeing — even the suppliers’ suppliers.”

The company currently employs 17 people in the new Redmond office and testing facility, in which the company’s 350 horsepower motor was on display when Built In Seattle visited recently. Ganzarski said he plans to grow the company’s local headcount to as many as 30 within the next few months.

Because magniX is building a new kind of motor, it must also build its own software and power electronics, working with a specific set of materials, a proprietary motor design and a proprietary liquid cooling system. In addition to its 350 horsepower motor, the company recently began building a 750 horsepower version and plans to test both in three separate test flights by the end of the year.

“We’re actually going to fly a full-sized aircraft purely on electric power, without a gas-powered backup,” Ganzarski said.

Interestingly, magniX is fully funded by an anonymous owner, which Ganzarski said allows his team to focus on the task of putting electric motors in commercial aircraft — without being distracted by side projects to prove its technology to potential investors.

“You’d be surprised at the types of people that call us,” he said. “They want to put our motors in super cars, super bikes, personal airplanes, you name it.”

Electric propulsion’s electric promise

Ganzarski is bullish about the electric motor’s long-term potential to transform the aerospace industry and our local communities, and his enthusiasm is infectious. According to magniX, the startup’s electric motor has innumerable advantages over the gas-guzzling engines we currently fly on: Aviation currently accounts for three percent of all carbon emissions in the United States; electric motors run much more quietly than their fossil-fueled predecessors. What’s more, magniX claims its electric motors can offer savings of 70 to 80 percent over traditional engines — making flying not just cleaner, but cheaper too.

“A lot of jet engine companies today sell their engines at cost — some might even say below cost — and make it all up in the services and spare parts you need later,” Ganzarski said. “Guess what? We don’t require ongoing services. Our motor has one moving part.”

Ganzarski said batteries are the main limiting factor facing electric motors in aerospace, with major improvements needed in weight and power capacity.

“If you’re thinking this will replace a 737, it absolutely will not,” Ganzarski said. “That’ll take 40 years. But based on current battery technology, this motor is capable of replacing a gas-guzzling engine right now in a small aircraft that’s traveling 50 to 100 miles per trip.”

Connecting communities

While magniX waits for battery technology to improve, it plans to begin installing its electric engines in smaller commercial aircraft — capable of carrying up to ten passengers — which travel 200 miles or less.

The possibility of significantly cheaper, quieter and more environmentally friendly short flights also has the promise to transform certain communities. Ganzarski points to the example of Ellensburg, Washington, a two-hour drive from Seattle over the Cascade mountain range.

“Ellensburg has three airfields, but it’s too small to fill a large Delta or Alaska Airlines plane, making the flight too expensive,” he said. “But when you can provide 70 to 80 percent lower operating costs per flight hour, not just Seattle but any airfield around here — Renton, Snohomish, Bellingham — can connect with Ellensburg.”

In other words: a two-hour drive suddenly becomes a 50-minute flight — less time than many Puget Sound commuters spend in their cars each day — for around the cost of a bus ticket.

“Suddenly, you could live in Ellensburg and work here. We’re all used to seeing Microsoft commuter buses. Why can’t we have Microsoft commuter planes?”