Alpha Electro Trainer Technical Data:

Motor

Power

PROPELLER

SIZES

wing span

length

height

wing area

rudder area

tail area

aspect ratio

positive flaps

center of gravity

WEIGHTS

empty weight (without batteries)

empty weight (with batteries)

maximum total pilots weight

max take off weight (MTOW)

weight of std battery system

PERFORMANCES

stall with flaps

stall without flaps

cruising speed

max. horizontal speed at sea level

VNE

max speed with flaps down

manoeuvring speed

best climb speed

max climb rate ( 450 kg)

best glide ratio speed

best glide (prop. 90 deg.)

take off run MTOW

take off over 50' obstacle MTOW

service ceiling

45° - 45° roll time

endurance

cruise range distance

max load factor permitted (x1,8)

design safety factors & tested

Electric Motor

50 KW+ at 2200 rpm

Fixed pitch wooden 1800 mm (71 inch) diameter propeller with protected leading edge  

34,4 ft (10,5 m)

21.33 ft (6.5 m)

6.07 ft (2.05 m)

96.6 sq.ft (9.51 m2)

11.8 sq.ft (1.1 m2)

11.6 sq.ft (1.08 m2)

11,3

0°, 15°, 25°

20% - 38% MAC

552 lbs (251 kg)

692 lbs (314 kg) *OR* 831 lbs (377 kg) 

380 lbs (173 kg)

1212 lbs (550 kg)

277 lbs (126 kg)

DATA PUBLISHED FOR MTOW 1,212 lbs (550 kg) All speeds in Knots  

37 kts

43 kts

85 kts

105 kts

135 kts

70 kts

86 kts

75 kts

1,350 fpm

64 kts

15:1

492 feet (150 m)

885 feet (270 m)

16,000 feet

2,6 sec

1 hour (PLUS 30 min reserve)

108 NM (200 km)

+4g -2g

minimum 1.875

Ivo Boscarol, CEO of Pipistrel says: "With the ever growing cost of fuel it is time to rethink pilot training. Our solution is the first practical all-electric trainer! Technologies developed specially for this aircraft cut the cost of ab-initio pilot training by as much as 70%, making flying more affordable than ever before. Being able to conduct training on smaller airfields closer to towns with zero C02 emissions and minimum noise is also a game changer! Alpha Electro meets microlight and ASTM LSA criteria, as well as standards for electric propulsion and is already certified in France. More countries will follow soon and we are applying for an exemption with the FAA to allow training operations as an S-LSA. Alpha Electro is our 5th electric aircraft project and the second to result as a commercial product."

The prototype WATTsUP was developed in partnership with Siemens AG, who provided the electric main propulsion components, and represents the next generation of Pipistrel's electric aircraft. Every single element of aircraft has been refined to be lighter, more efficient and more reliable. The 85 kW electric motor only weighs 14kg and is more powerful than the popular Rotax 912 series, typically used on microlights and LSAs. The 17 kWh battery pack is dual-redundant and designed to be either quickly replaceable within minutes or charged in less than one hour, thanks to the next generation of Pipistrel's Battery Management technology. The airframe uses proven features from hundreds of Pipistrel's aircraft flying worldwide.

Frank Anton, Executive Vice President Traction Drives and the initiator of electric aircraft development at Large Drives, Siemens AG, says: “Siemens is developing electric drive systems with highest power-to-weight ratio for aircraft propulsion. Only with innovation we can solve the problems of rising fuel costs, rising passenger demand and rising environmental regulations. Innovations used in the WATTsUP will be instrumental in making aviation more sustainable in the long run. As electric drives are scalable, we can expect, that in the future also larger aircraft will use electric propulsion. The world is becoming electric, whether in the air, on land or at sea.”