{"id":5629,"date":"2012-04-24T13:54:54","date_gmt":"2012-04-24T20:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=5629"},"modified":"2012-04-24T13:54:54","modified_gmt":"2012-04-24T20:54:54","slug":"electravia-makes-a-good-showing-at-aero-expo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/electravia-makes-a-good-showing-at-aero-expo\/","title":{"rendered":"Electravia Makes a Good Showing at Aero Expo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anne Lavrand, founder and President of Electravia<\/a>, continues to find ways to expand her company\u2019s product offerings while offering well-integrated packages of reasonably-priced electric aircraft and components.<\/p>\n

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Electravia's Fauconnet motorglider at Aero Expo<\/p><\/div>\n

At this year\u2019s Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany, her firm displayed the fuselage of the Electrolight 2, a modified Fauconnet sailplane, fitted with a 30-hp Lynch-type motor, controller, and batteries.\u00a0 It is the least expensive electric motorglider on the market at only 30,000 Euros ($39,600), and allows powered flight for recharging costs of about 0.65 Euros per hour (86 cents).\u00a0 The motor, normally graced by one of Anne\u2019s wooden e-Props, had a forward-folding \u201cclap propeller\u201d or \u201cbec de canard\u201d (literally, the beak of the duck), a variant on the light carbon fiber propellers that e-Props also produces.\u00a0 This should reduce drag and help improve the performance of the Fauconnet, a French version of the popular Scheibe L-Spatz, which Anne notes was flown by every young German learning to fly sailplanes a few years back.<\/p>\n

Electravia restores old airframes, installs the power system and sells the \u201cnew\u201d motorglider to the public.\u00a0 Even multi-record-holding Klaus Ohlmann<\/a> has endorsed the airplane as a \u201cgreat operational motor glider.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Forward-folding "beak of the duck" e-Prop<\/p><\/div>\n

Whether it kindles nostalgia or seems a reasonable way to own a motorglider, Electravia sold three Electrolight 2s during the Expo, as well as two motor systems.<\/p>\n

Electravia also showed a range of motors from 15 to 80 horsepower, and participated in the Flieger <\/em>magazine display of innovative powerplants.<\/p>\n

To enable pilots to monitor their flight and motor operation, Electravia produces custom-made E-screens, electronic instruments readable in bright sunlight.<\/p>\n

Stepping it up one level, Anne has also introduced a fourth arm of Electravia, e-Strat, making high-performance composite parts.<\/p>\n

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Electravia's motor pod at Aero Expo<\/p><\/div>\n

Anne presented a company overview<\/a> during the event, emphasizing the breadth of her company and the practical approach she brings to her enterprise.\u00a0 She explained that electric aircraft can be prototypes, proof-of-concept, demonstrators, or real, operational flying machines.\u00a0 Electravia obviously adheres to producing the latter, using proven components and assembling them into affordable packages.<\/p>\n