{"id":10187,"date":"2015-07-24T08:51:29","date_gmt":"2015-07-24T15:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=10187"},"modified":"2015-07-24T08:51:29","modified_gmt":"2015-07-24T15:51:29","slug":"electric-autogyro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/electric-autogyro\/","title":{"rendered":"An Electric Autogyro"},"content":{"rendered":"

Combine a FIAT 500e with an autogyro and you get the Cavalon, a two-seat, side-by-side, relatively quiet electric flying machine.\u00a0\u00a0 Both use the same Bosch motor and inverter.\u00a0 Auto Gyro The Aircraft Company<\/a><\/em>, Cavalon\u2019s maker, says the 80 kilowatt motor drives a three-blade propeller at up to 2,300 rpm and provides performance similar to that for the Rotax-powered version of the craft.<\/p>\n

\"180<\/a>

180 x 120 millimeters, the Bosch motor will fit in a backpack<\/p><\/div>\n

A Bosch 180\/120 SMG (separate motor generator) <\/a>with a planetary gear propeller speed reduction powers the aircraft.\u00a0\u00a0 Capable of regenerative braking on the little FIAT as controlled by an INVCON 2.3 inverter, it will be interesting to see if such recharging can be expected when the Cavalon glides.\u00a0 The motor\/controller combination powers the FIAT 500e,<\/a> the electric Smart Car, and is used to help drive the rear wheels on the Peugeot 3008 Diesel HYbrid4.<\/p>\n

Compact like the cars and autogyro it drives, the motor gets its designation from its 180 millimeter diameter, a little over seven inches, and 120 millimeter length (4.6 inches).\u00a0 Its makers claim it could fit into a \u201ctypical school backpack,\u201d although the kid might complain about lugging around its 32-kilogram (70.4 pound) heft.<\/p>\n

The Cavalon\u2019s battery pack is composed of Kokam prismatic cells storing 16.2 Amp-hours of energy and can feed the motor a maximum of 400 Volts.\u00a0 The high voltage accounts for the motor\u2019s 12,000 rpm top speed and its requisite reduction drive for the propeller.\u00a0 For a high-speed motor, the 180\/120 provides impressive torque, 200 Newton-meters (147.5 foot-pounds).<\/p>\n

\"Bosch,<\/a>

Bosch, like Siemens, seems intent on covering a range of electric vehicle needs<\/p><\/div>\n

eCavalon\u2019s first flight took place on June 24 at the Hildesheim airfield.\u00a0 Company president Otmar Birkner says, \u201cToday we flew tomorrow\u2019s aircraft. For now we share the same challenges for endurance as the automotive industry but in time, this will increase from the current 45 minutes and the future will become the present.”<\/p>\n

The video is a year old and depicts a flight in a Rotax-powered Cavalon, but shows off the roomy cockpit and excellent visibility to advantage. \u00a0Autogyros are also capable of autorotating down to a small landing space.<\/p>\n