Pipistrel, the Slovenian manufacturer of several eco-friendly, electrically powered airplanes, has announced its new two-seat trainer, the WATTsUP. A proof-of-concept design, the WATTsUP is powered by an 85 kW (approximately 113 horsepower) electric motor that weighs just 31 pounds. Its battery pack can be charged in an hour, then produce enough energy to fly for one hour, with a 30-minute power reserve. Climb rate is 1,000-plus fpm, according to Pipistrel.
Pipistrel CEO Ivo Boscarol said, “With the ever-growing cost of fuel, it is time to rethink pilot training. Our solution is the first all-electric trainer. Technologies developed specially for this aircraft cut the cost of training by as much as 70 percent, making flying more affordable than ever before.”
The WATTsUp’s engine was developed by Siemens AG. Siemens Executive Vice President Frank Anton said that the company “is building electric drive systems with the highest power-to-weight ratios for aircraft propulsion.”
What’s more, in the traffic pattern 13 percent of the engine’s energy is recuperated on each approach, a Pipistrel press release asserted. The airplane meets both ASTM and European microlight criteria, and will go on display at the Salon de Blois Airshow in France Aug. 30 and 31.
Pipistrel expects the WATTsUP to go to market in 2015, and sell at a target price below 100,000 euros (approximately $132,000).
