Posted by John McHaleMINDELHEIM, Germany, 3 June 2011. The eGeniuselectric-aircraft sponsored by Airbus made its first flight to research using electricity as the main energy source for powering the aircraft.The 20-minute flight piloted out of Mindelheim, Germany, tested the aircraft's handling and validated the eGenius propulsion system, which flies to a power level of 60 kilowatts. The concept aircraft's maximum takeoff weight is 850 kilograms with an operating range of 400 kilometers flying at as fast as 235 kilometers per hour. The eGenius has a wingspan of 16.86 meters with a wide fuselage design to enable two seats in a side-by-side configuration. Experts at the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, designed the eGenius for Airbus. Engineers at Airbus' Future Projects teams will analyze the data collected during the aircraft's first flight to further development of the electric propulsion technology.
