This reality makes it necessary for aviation to become sustainable. Even though many carriers are increasing efficiency and offsetting emissions, the industry needs to progress from carbon-based fuels like gasoline to cleaner, renewable energy sources. In 2016, the ground-breaking Solar Impulse plane traveled 24,855 miles around the world powered only by solar energy. The jet, however, only carried two pilots, yet it showed promise.

Electric planes afford efficiency since they are estimated to be 10% more efficient than traditional planes and entirely emission-free. They are also much quieter than conventional aircraft, allowing them to operate near residential and business areas. Electric aircraft can also take off and land on fairly short runways or even vertically, meaning they can be used in cities, where ground transportation creates congestion, and they can also easily reach remote areas.

So, what is holding up electric aircraft? Electric batteries store 40 times less energy per unit of weight than jet fuel, meaning they are not powerful enough to propel commercial jets. New battery chemistry would be needed to make electric planes viable.

Despite the odds, several projects are underway to develop electric aviation planes:

Wright Electric, a US startup, is developing an all-electric powered airliner that can fly up to 335 miles, covering short-haul routes like London to Paris or New York to Boston, and can carry up to 186 passengers. Wright Electric recently partnered with EasyJet, since its electric planes could cover a fifth of the airline’s current flight routes. They expect to have an electric aviation plane in the air in the next 20 years.

Israeli startup Eviation is working on the Alice Commuter, an electric plane that can carry nine passengers up to 650 miles at a cruising speed of 240 knots. The Alice Commuter uses airframe design and the latest lithium-ion battery technology to exceed the 400Wh/kg mark and lift 65% of the aircraft’s weight. The Alice Commuter is expected to debut in 2021.

Alpha Electro II, a two-seater electric aircraft powered by a special lithium-polymer battery with an energy density of around 175Wh/kg, is aiming to cover all Norwegian short-haul flights by 2040.

E-Genius, a fully electric-powered airplane developed at the University of Stuttgart, can fly 250 miles with two crew members at 142 miles per hour.

Airbus has joined Siemens and Rolls-Royce to create the E-Fan X, an electric plane range. The prototype E-Fan crossed the English Channel in 2015, powered solely by electricity. It hopes to take flight in 2020 for short-haul commercial flights. The plane uses a gas turbine to power an electric generator, which makes it a hybrid-electric plane.

Vahana and CityAirbus are being developed by Airbus. The Vahana is an unmanned electrical aircraft that can land and take-off vertically and carry passengers and cargo within a city. The plane was successfully tested in February 2018. The CityAirbus is also self-piloted and can carry four people. The CityAirbus will be tested in 2018.

Boeing is working with JetBlue Technology Ventures on the Zunum Aero, a hybrid-electric aircraft that can carry 12 passengers, with a range of 700 miles. It is being designed to transition to full electrical power once a more powerful battery is developed.

The NASA X-57 Maxwell is an experimental electric plane with 14 electrical motors integrated into a wing. It had its first test flight in 2017 and is set to fly properly in 2018.

The Pipistrel Alpha Electro uses a 60-kilowatt electric engine made by Siemens and can remain airborne for an hour. The company is in discussions with Uber about using the aircraft in cities since it has vertical take-off and landing capabilities.

The future of electric aviation looks bright, though further developments may surprise us and we may all be flying in electric aircraft sooner than later.

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“The Citation XLS+® combines transcontinental range, first-class cabin comfort for up to 12 passengers and remarkable performance efficiency in a beautiful midsize jet. Loaded with features generally reserved for a large, commercial aircraft, the Citation XLS+ will take your business global. Sit back and enjoy the ride”

The Citation XLS was announced as an upgraded version and the official successor of the Citation Excel in 2003. The Citation XLS features a new cockpit design with advanced avionics and more powerful engines with FADEC controls. In 2008, Cessna introduced the XLS+ with next-generation avionics and redesigned exterior and interior. As a result of the improved engine design, the XLS and XLS+ attain faster speeds and greater range than the Excel. Both models outclass most other jets in the class. The XLS can reach its flight level of 43,000 feet in less than half an hour while the Excel takes over an hour. Also, the jet can take off on runways as short as 3,500 feet, a performance level unrivaled by any other midsize jet. The cabin has a dropped aisle, allowing passengers to stand and move around comfortably. The interior also includes extra-wide seats, a side facing sofa, and an aft private bathroom that is large enough to double as a dressing room.

The Citation XLS+® seats up to 12 passengers and includes features reserved for large, commercial aircraft. The spacious cabin of the Citation XLS+ is comparable to the interior of a midsize-jet with comfortable headroom. Its huge luggage compartment is perfect for golfing – and skiing trips, as well as business trips with substantial luggage.

Flex Air Charters can help you reserve your very own private jet charter today!

Call Flex Air Charters for More Information on Chartering or Leasing a Cessna Citation XLS and XLS+ Today! 1-888-722-0776

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The Embraer E-Jet aircraft family initially went into production in 2002. Conceived to fill a niche market that exists between regional and mainline aircraft, the E-Jet line consists of mid-range narrow-bodied jet airliners mainly utilized today by regional air carriers all across the United States. The largest in the E-jet family and the leader in the series is the E195. From the time of their inception until the current date, the series is considered an overall success.

Despite this fact, it was announced in 2011 that Embraer had initialized the development of newer and improved variants of the E-Jet series aircraft. Appropriately named the E-Jet E2 family, the new line would feature several upgrades to the previous designs. For example, the new line would see fuel efficiency increase, a more refined and contemporary wing design, and state of the art avionics to name a few. The initiative was spurned by Embraer’s competitor’s attempts to develop their series of fuel-efficient jet airliners due to a globalized increase in fuel costs at the time.

Embraer E195-E2 ‘Profit Hunter’

Much like the former E-Jet family’s E195, its newer and improved upon counterpart, the Embraer E195-E2, will be the largest in the series. Intended to compete with various comparable aircraft in its class, the Embraer E195-E2 will have a seating capacity of approximately 144. Initial plans also included various other enhancements upon the original E195 concept including an expansion in wingspan to roughly 115 feet to achieve greater lift as well as an increase in maximum takeoff weight of 4,400 lbs, resulting in a total MTOW of 135,000 lbs. Its range was additionally extended to achieve 450 nmi at sea-level and 250 nmi in more arid environments. The aircraft’s range fully loaded with passengers extends to an impressive 2450 nmi.

The Embraer E195-E2 is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1919G turbofans while the flight deck incorporates state of the art fly-by-wire technologies. Additional optimizations to the indigenous concept include an onboard maintenance system that completes an automated audit of systems technologies which notifies maintenance stations before the aircraft’s arrival to expedite repairs.

The variant’s award-winning cabin design delivers passengers with an unrivaled level of spaciousness and comfortability rarely encountered in business class aircraft. Variations in seating capacity allow for the removal or addition of seats to accommodate between 120 and 146 passengers. There is no middle seat, therefore passengers are not expected to split the difference in personal space with others and the staggered seating conceptualization is as first of its kind in business class aircraft design.

Onboard connectivity allows for passengers to stream movies, connect to WiFi and seat backs feature sockets that allow passengers to securely mount their electronic devices. The idea to leverage passenger comfort over seat capacity is just one of the reasons the Embraer E195-E2 was presented with the Crystal Cabin Award in the Visionary Concepts and Industrial Design categories.

Embraer E195-E2 ‘Profit Hunter’

The first Embraer E195-E2 was rolled out in March 2017 with its maiden flight taking place later in the same month. The Embraer E195-E2 prototype was displayed at the Paris Air Show in June of 2017 suitably emblazoned with the image of a Golden Eagle. Industry insiders are anticipating the aircraft entering into service as early as 2019.

At the time of the air show, Embraer’s President and CEO of Commercial Aviation John Slattery talked about the innovations in design and objectives developers were hoping to achieve with the Embraer E195-E2 concept. He said that the Embraer E195-E2 is the largest jet ever constructed by Embraer and that, “It is very cheap to operate”, it is very light and we believe airlines will be able to generate extra revenue and that’s why we’ve called it the profit hunter.”

Since the aircraft’s launch in 2013 and until last indicated in 2017, Embraer has received roughly 65 firm orders for the Embraer E195-E2 despite its 60.4 million dollar purchase price. This could be because of the aircraft’s numerous innovations that make it an excellent prospect for regional airlines, especially regarding the fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs, and flexibility in performing either short hops or transcontinental flights.

In fact, it was previously reported that Embraer had indicated that Embraer E195-E2 trip costs are significantly lower than that of their competitor’s aircraft, with a fuel efficiency that exceeds that of even Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft and Airbus A320neo series jet airliners, making the Embraer E195-E2 a potential dark horse for entry into mainline markets as well. All things considered, it looks as if the Embraer E195-E2 may just live up to the legacy imparted upon it by its extremely apropos nickname, the “Profit Hunter“.

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Boeing unveiled its rendering of the design for the hypersonic passenger jet, which would fly at an estimated speed of 3,800 mph, at an aerospace conference in Atlanta. The project has been supported by Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who wants Boeing to further explore the possibility of ultra-fast passenger jets.

“I think in the next decade or two you’re going to see them become a reality,” Muilenburg told CNBC at the Paris Air Show in 2017. “We see future innovations where you could connect around the world in about two hours.”

The design of a hypersonic jet would necessitate lightweight design materials for the fuselage and advanced engines that could reach hypersonic speeds. John Plueger, president, and CEO of Air Lease Corp. has expressed doubts. “It’s hard for me to see, at least in the next 15-20 years, that it’s going to be so cost competitive that it’s going to compel the airlines to take a stab at it,” he told CNBC.

Boeing is aiming to make the hypersonic jet a reality by the late 2030s, though the project could potentially take another decade to see the light of day. The aerospace company has recently increased its investment in hypersonic flight technology and has revealed proposals for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) military jets capable of reaching hypersonic speed in January.

The dimensions for the Boeing hypersonic jet are not yet known, though it is expected that it would be smaller than a 737, and seat an estimated 20 to 100 passengers. The jet would cruise at 95,000 feet, 30,000 feet higher than the supersonic Concorde, and 60,000 feet higher than the average passenger plane. The increased altitude would increase the efficiency of its engines and reduce turbulence.

Hypersonic jets would enter into competition with the suborbital rockets that are being developed by SpaceX’s Elon Musk and Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson, who stated their intention to adapt their rockets for international passenger flights that would take travelers from New York to Sydney in just one hour.

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