A Closer Look At The Pipistrel Velis Electro

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (

ERAU
) has acquired a new type of airplane: a Pipistrel Velis Electro. While it may appear outwardly similar to the

Cessna 172
Skyhawks and

Diamond DA-42
Twin Stars, this aircraft harbors a significant difference under the cowling—it is powered solely by electricity. Registered as N104LF, it represents the potential to provide a positive change to flight training and personal aviation.

An electrifying background

Pipistrel was founded in 1989 in Ajdovščina, Slovenia. From the beginning, the company has been a front-runner in producing increasingly more sustainable aircraft. The company’s website touts that,

“… Pipistrel has grown from an enthusiastic hobby hang-glider garage manufacture into a world-renowned small aircraft producer, recognised by leading global aviation authorities. With its revolutionary ideas, Pipistrel introduced composites to microlight and light sport aircraft, achieved first ever electric flight of a two- and four-seater, won all 3 NASA challenges and won the hearts of passionate aviators on all continents.”

In April 2022, Textron acquired Pipistrel to accelerate the development and certification of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft.

This strategic move also benefits Embry-Riddle, as Textron is Cessna’s parent company. Textron has since created a division that focuses on producing electric aviation, aptly named Textron eAviation.

Pipistrel is committed to delivering high-quality products and services. The company prioritizes:

• Compliance with regulatory and industry standards
• Proactive customer support
• Continuous innovation
• Zero tolerance for subpar quality
• Employee empowerment

The Velis Electro is the world’s first electric aircraft to receive type certification from both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ensuring it meets stringent safety and performance standards.

Current Applications and Uses

Embry-Riddle is actively involved in the development and testing of the Velis Electro. While electric aircraft like the Velis Electro hold great promise for flight training and competitions, the technology is still evolving.

Pilots flying electric aircraft like the Velis Electro generally need to have a valid pilot’s license and undergo additional training on the specific aircraft type. Embry-Riddle is contributing to this advancement by using the aircraft for extensive testing and gathering valuable data. As Dr. Ken Byrnes, Chair of the Flight Department, explains:

“The Velis Electro is a learning experience. We created [standard operating procedures] recently for it. We have one or two dedicated pilots to it and … they’re taking other instructors, and we’re going to start gathering feedback from everybody that gets exposure to it.”

The data and feedback collected from the Velis Electro are shared with Textron and Pipistrel to refine the aircraft’s design and performance.

Embry-Riddle has a history of pioneering aviation technology, including researching unleaded aviation gas and engine mufflers. As with any emerging technology, the Velis Electro presents challenges that require careful testing and analysis.

As of this article’s publishing, N104LF is only allowed to be flown by a small group of people within the flight department and College of Aviation; this is done for liability purposes. Because the plane only has a 50-minute battery life, it is limited to just three laps in Daytona’s traffic pattern ― typically, it uses the airport’s runway 7R/25L as it is the shortest runway by length.

Despite these limitations, Tiago Dikerts de Tella, Assistant Chief Flight Instructor and Adjunct Professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle, has found ways to optimize battery usage on the plane. He shared,

“I observed that using the minimum power output listed in the POH of 50 kilowatts (kW) during takeoff helped conserve battery power. After climbing out, I could decrease the power to 48kW and then further reduce it to around 22kW while in the traffic pattern.”

Initially, he would have about 50% of the charge remaining after doing three laps in the pattern. Now, he can do three laps with approximately 67% remaining and is confident he could do a fourth lap without any issues.

Tiago’s discovery of optimized power settings can significantly extend the flight duration of the Velis Electro, making it more practical for training and research purposes. This could lead to reduced operational costs and increased utilization of the aircraft.

A pilot’s direct perspective

Dikerts de Tella enjoys flying the Velis Electro; he sees several overlaps between N104LF and the Tesla Model 3 he drives. In addition to the all-electric power plant, he likes how simple the plane is to operate and how well it handles in flight.

“From the very beginning, taxiing was very different. The first thing is the responsiveness of the plane during taxi, and the fact the propeller stops; it was a little unusual when doing the taxi and so forth. And when flying, not just because the aircraft is electric, but the visibility is very good. I was impressed about how quiet it was. I feel like it’s more specific to the plane itself, but the aircraft is also fairly stable.”

Having experience flying the Piper PA-28-161 Warrior, Cessna 172 Skyhawk, and Diamond DA-42 Twin Star, Tiago also noticed a difference in the behavior of the Velis Electro’s flight controls.

“I feel the difference there is what you would expect from different types of aircraft. So, if I were to fly a Warrior or a Skyhawk, you’d be about the same difference. But a Skyhawk and the Velis Electro, the flight controls are going to be slightly different, but it’s just because of the type of the aircraft.”

Another feature Tiago likes about the Velis Electro is its responsiveness. There is no time delay between adjusting the throttle and changing the plane’s power output, just like a Tesla or any other electric vehicle.

“If you think about how the power lever is controlled, that’s where you’re gonna have a huge difference between the two. First thing is the sense of how fast it responds to any sort of changes, as well as the fact that bringing the power to idle on the ground, you would then have the propeller stop.”

While mounting a camera to N104LF is prohibited, several videos on YouTube show what it is like to fly on a Pipistrel Velis Electro. Petter Hörnfeldt, better known by his social media handle “Mentour Pilot,” is a Swedish captain on the Boeing 737 who uploaded a video to his YouTube channel highlighting a flight school in Finland that operates a fleet of the Velis Electro. The video on his second channel, “Mentour Now!”, includes footage of his first flight in one of the school’s electric planes.

Advanced Onboard Technology Systems

A “clean sheet design” aircraft is crafted entirely from the ground up, without depending on prior designs or platforms.

This innovative approach enables engineers to integrate the latest technologies, enhancing both the aircraft’s performance and efficiency. As a clean-sheet design, the Pipistrel Velis Electro showcases state-of-the-art technology while utilizing less complex systems compared to traditional piston-engine aircraft.

Powerplant

The plane’s two primary batteries can be charged via an onboard charging port using a Pipistrel electric charger overseen by the central computer. These batteries, located behind the two pilot seats, provide power to the brushless motor that spins the three-bladed propeller.

Embry-Riddle charges the plane at 700 watts using direct current. Only four switches are required to start the aircraft, making for quick starts. When spinning freely during flight at idle power, the propeller generates electricity for the battery. Although this results in only a tiny amount of energy being returned, it can extend the flight time and be useful in emergencies.

Maintenance

Pipistrel praises the Velis Electro—and electric aircraft in general—for requiring minimal upkeep. With only a few moving parts, significantly fewer things can break. Of course, all aircraft require some degree of maintenance: tires are subject to wearing down, wires can fray, and motor coolant and brake fluids need to be replaced. Even the digital elements need servicing every so often, and the software needs to be updated.

The flight department keeps N104LF under an awning between flights to reduce potential corrosion of composite materials; an operational limitation in the aircraft’s pilot operating handbook (POH) states, “No flights in heavy rainfall.”

Furthermore, instead of being welded to the fuselage, the wings are secured in place by a pin located between the two wings. This not only simplifies maintenance but also allows for easier disassembly and transport when necessary.

Performance and specifications

The Velis Electro is the first-ever type-certified electric-powered airplane approved for pilot training in Day Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations. It is a two-seater, high-wing aircraft designed primarily for pilot training.

It is known for its technological innovations and cost-efficiency, and it produces no exhaust pipe emissions, making it considerably quieter than its internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. The following are the plane’s specifications, as listed on the Pipistrel website.

For the most accurate specifications, please refer to the manufacturer’s website or handbook.

Flight controls

Unlike most conventional aircraft, the flaps on the trailing edge of the wings also function as the plane’s ailerons, allowing it to roll in the air. This combination of the primary and secondary flight controls is called a flaperon.

Avionics

The avionics in the Pipistrel Velis Electro are a mix of analog gauges and digital screens. The airspeed indicator and altimeter still rely on the traditional pitot tube. The roll indicator is merely a ball in oil, much like a carpenter’s level. The digital avionics are powered by a battery separate from the two that provide electricity to the motor.

These avionics mainly provide information about the battery. The artificial horizon and GPS are digitally depicted on two separate screens. There is also an emergency location transmitter (ELT), as federally required. Further information on the Velis Electro’s onboard technology systems can be sourced from the official Pipistrel website, technical specifications, and pilot operating handbooks (POHs).

Charging into the future!

Dr. Byrnes shared that Embry-Riddle is on a seven-year cycle of buying airplanes; this allows ample time for new technology to emerge and for older aircraft iterations to be phased out.

The main reason Embry-Riddle has no immediate plans for more electric planes and that the one it has is limited to very few pilots is that the technology is still in its infancy, and it does not yet make technical or financial sense for the university to have a fleet of electric planes.

Dr. Byrnes explained that smaller flight schools can adapt more quickly to the industry. Smaller schools have the option of a split fleet of electric and ICE aircraft and use electric planes for a specific mission. A fleet of this type would pose operational limitations specifically for Embry-Riddle, likely doubling the fleet size.

This would increase costs to rip up the flight line for installing charging cables, and there simply would not be enough space for additional planes. However, Dr. Byrnes is optimistic about the improvements to battery technology that will enable future planes to eventually replace ICE training planes like the Cessna 172.

Likewise, Tiago is cautiously optimistic about the advent of electric airplanes and believes the technology needs to improve.

“I would say, the challenge is going to be scaling the battery so it will allow for an increase in the endurance rate as you have that trade-off between having a bigger aircraft and a heavier battery, in having that as a limiting factor.”

The weight-to-power ratio measures how much an electric aircraft weighs compared to its motor’s power; a lower ratio means better performance. Heavy batteries make it challenging for electric planes to fly far or carry a lot, but better battery technology could help solve this problem.

“I feel like another opportunity would be swappable batteries. The batteries would be even easier to do quickly turnarounds between flights that you can use recurrent types of operations. Obviously, the increased capacity in the battery, as well as the ability to swap batteries, I think that’s going to be also beneficial there.”

The FAA and aircraft manufacturers are investigating the practice of changing batteries between flights, sometimes known as “hot swapping.” This would make charging aircraft more similar to charging a remote-controlled car or a camera. Some car companies participate in this practice with electric vehicles to reduce charging times.

For now, Tiago and Dr. Byrnes consider the Velis Electro a “proof of concept.” It is more than a whimsical idea, a computer rendering, or a physical mock-up; it actually flies and is now available for anyone interested in purchasing one.

The Pipistrel Velis Electro represents a significant step towards a sustainable future for aviation. While currently limited to a select group of pilots at Embry-Riddle, this electric aircraft offers a glimpse into the future of flight. As the university continues to explore the potential of electric aviation, it’s clear that this technology has the power to revolutionize the industry. By pioneering electric flight training and research, Embry-Riddle is not only shaping the future of aviation but also contributing to a greener planet.

Amped about electric flight?

For those interested in learning more about the Pipistrel Velis Electro and its role in aviation innovation, please consider the following resources and contacts:

• Visit the university’s official website for updates on their aviation programs and research initiatives related to electric aircraft.
• Explore Pipistrel’s website to understand their various aircraft models, technology advancements, and commitment to sustainable aviation.
• Check out Textron’s dedicated website for information on their electric aviation initiatives and their impact on flight training and personal aviation.
• Visit the websites of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for regulatory standards and safety certifications.