{"id":9656,"date":"2015-02-12T23:33:19","date_gmt":"2015-02-13T06:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=9656"},"modified":"2015-02-13T19:14:36","modified_gmt":"2015-02-14T02:14:36","slug":"china-permits-two-seat-electric-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/china-permits-two-seat-electric-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"China Permits Two-Seat Electric Aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jane Zhanf\u00a0of Silk Wings Aviation (see note), an aircraft consulting firm, commented on an earlier post about the RX1E<\/a>, an airplane designed by Shenyang University students and demonstrated at two airshows over the last two years.\u00a0 Similar to the Yuneec (GreenWings) E430, it is a totally different design.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A two-electric airplane formation, complete with airshow smoke. AirVenture 2013 had two GreenWings single seaters flying formaton.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cCAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) <\/a>just awarded[a]TDA (Type Design Approval) to them!<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, Yuneec E430 is not widely known in China, not an excuse for the wrong claim of being #1 from China though.\u00a0 <\/span>(Editor\u2019s Note: The E430 is being developed by GreenWings, now based in California.\u00a0 It uses a Yuneec motor.)<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cGiven FAA <\/a>and EASA<\/a> don’t support electric SLSA (Special Light Sport Aircraft \u2013 allowed to be used for instruction by the FAA) yet (correct me if wrong), RX1E maybe world first “certified” electric LSA.\u201d<\/p>\n

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has apparently allowed flights by the Pipistrel WattsUp at the Blois, France fly-in last year and demonstrations by Tine Tomazic at the airplane\u2019s home field in Slovenia.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Federal Aeronautics Administration currently doesn\u2019t interfere with users flying single-seat electric aircraft, but does prohibit flight by two-seaters.\u00a0 This will have to be sorted out before planned instructional aircraft from Airbus, Pipistrel and Aero Electric Aircraft Corporation become common sights in our skies. \u00a0It is interesting that China has led the U. S. in this innovative arena.<\/p>\n

Note: \u201cSilk Wings Aviation<\/a> is a San Francisco-based provider of specialized merger & acquisition consulting and general aviation consulting services with a focus on China’s emerging General Aviation industry. Our clients include manufacturers, training organizations, design and engineering firms, and aviation-related real estate ventures.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Information\u00a0Added \u00a0February 13, 2015:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thomas Boyle made this clarification: ”\u00a0You\u2019re almost right. The FAA will allow single-seat aircraft, but not two-seaters, and you cannot certificate even a single-seater as E-LSA or S-LSA. Also, no-one operating under Sport Pilot privileges can fly an aircraft with an electric motor, even if it is normally certificated and otherwise meets the light-sport definition. A consequence of this is that if AEAC is able to certificate its electric trainer, pilots flying on Sport Pilot privileges will not be legal to fly them.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Bill Lofton, who edits EV Hangar, shared these two entries:<\/em><\/p>\n

“I looked recently and couldn\u2019t find any evidence that the draft update to 8130.2 (prohibiting carrying passengers in electric aircraft) has been made final.<\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.evhangar.com\/going-electric\/8130-2h-draft-update\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

“As far as I know, Yuneec\/GreenWing can still fly two people in their N-numbered e430\/GW430 prototypes in California.”<\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.evhangar.com\/aircraft\/prototype-aircraft\/e430\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

There’s still a bit of fog over this issue that’s important to those of us in the electric aircraft movement.<\/em><\/p>\n