{"id":9142,"date":"2014-08-04T15:11:44","date_gmt":"2014-08-04T22:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=9142"},"modified":"2014-08-04T15:11:44","modified_gmt":"2014-08-04T22:11:44","slug":"pada-lectures-highlight-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/pada-lectures-highlight-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"PADA Lectures Highlight Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2014 Personal Aircraft Design Academy (PADA) dinner and awards ceremony, the latter held in the Vette Theater at the Experimental Aircraft Association\u2019s Museum, highlighted design innovation and the possible commercial exploitation of new technology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Brien Seeley, Founder and President of the CAFE Foundation, hosted the evening and introduced your CAFE blog editor, who gave an overview of innovations in aircraft, avionics and powerplants he\u2019d encountered on his daily hikes around Wittman Field.<\/p>\n

Dr. Seeley had the honor of presenting this year\u2019s PADA trophy to John O\u2019Leary<\/a>, Vice President and General Manager of Airbus Americas Engineering (AAE), for the parent company\u2019s development of the E-Fan, a twin-motored personal airplane that has been a highlight of the Paris and Farnborough air shows<\/a>.\u00a0 With the flying displays behind it, the proof-of-concept machine will be the basis for two-seat (E-Fan 2.0) and four-seat (4.0) production variants that will bring smooth electric power to private flight.\u00a0 The two-seater, which can double as a training vehicle, will be in production by the end of 2017.\u00a0 The larger 4.0 would be introduced two years later.<\/p>\n

\"Airbus<\/a>

Airbus VP George O’Leary holds PADA trophy, designed and crafted in wood, metal and stone by Dr Seeley and son Tim<\/p><\/div>\n

The two-seat E-Fan 2.0 and four-seat 4.0 aircraft will be produced by a new Airbus subsidiary, VoltAir, in a new factory at Bordeaux\u2019s Merignac airport in France. Airbus Group Innovations is developing a \u201crange extender,\u201d a kerosene-fueled generator to charge batteries in flight on the 4.0 \u00a0and potentially extend endurance by as much as 1.5 hours.<\/p>\n

Airbus \u201cbelieves aircraft prices will be competitive with similar-sized piston-engined aircraft. Operating costs are targeted at one-third of traditional piston-engine light aircraft, with a ground-based charging unit able to bring the aircraft back to full endurance in just 1.5 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"E-Fan<\/a>

E-Fan 2.0 and 4.0 will have fixed gear, prices competitive with existing aircraft, and twin electric power<\/p><\/div>\n

As reported by Torkell Saetervadet, Executive Editor for the\u00a0Norwegian magazine Fynytt<\/em><\/a>, O\u2019Leary noted, \u201cAirbus is a fantastic company, but we are also a great company.\u00a0In a project like this, it is convenient to work with a more compact organization.\u00a0Therefore, we as recently as a few days ago established the wholly owned subsidiary Voltaire to develop and market the aircraft.\u201d \u00a0Gilles Rosenberger and Aerodev will undertake industrial design for the facility and for the manufacturing processes involved with the new aircraft.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Leary explained that Airbus will, besides the Bordeaux plant, rely on Powerhouse, a facility near Munich that will develop electric propulsion systems in \u201cclose cooperation\u201d with Siemens.<\/p>\n

The new aircraft could include electronic control touchpads and morphing wings and control surfaces that would do away with traditional hinged surfaces.<\/p>\n

The importance of this award can be measured by the achievements of past award winners.<\/p>\n