Small pure electric aircraft take off, fly and land almost silently and now the Polytechnic University of Turin UT is figuring out how large feeder aircraft can at least land silently in all electric mode without waking local residents at night. It has already flown a silent fuel cell powered two seat aircraft under the ENFICA-FC European Union project. Both UT and the University of Michigan have pure electric unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs for instance.
Delta Airlines, DLR German Aerospace Agency and others are trialling electrically driven nosewheels for large airliners so they do not queue for takeoff deafeningly blasting their multi-megawatt jet engines and they also taxi silently after landing, all this saving a great deal of money as well. Nevertheless, the airline and airliner industry has been pretty lacksadaisical about moving to quieter aircraft and profess is slow. Now comes market push in a tougher form: a wakeup call indeed. Airlines are even having to reduce their currently restricted hours of flight with today's very noisy aircraft.
According to the Times Online,
Ministers are preparing to clamp down on night flights at Britain's busiest airports to tackle the "least acceptable impact" of flying and disruption to local residents. Details of a new night flying regime for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted will be put out to public consultation "shortly" as part of a Government review of aviation policy announced yesterday.
However, BAA, which operates Heathrow, warned that further restrictions on flight times and air traffic at the world's busiest international airport would threaten its "resilience" to cancellations and problems such as poor weather. About 16 flights use it each night, of which the majority are arrivals from long-haul destinations. Gatwick and Stansted are allowed more night flights, with 16,500 and 12,00 permitted respectively each year.
Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, said that airports would only be allowed to handle more flights if airlines and operators managed to reduce noise and air pollution. "We are not prepared to support growth at any price," Mr Hammond said. The Government plans to adopt a "sustainable framework" for aviation in 2013.
For more attend the upcoming event Electric Vehicles Land Sea Air in June in Stuttgart, Germany. Never before has there been an opportunity in Europe for people in land, water and air electric vehicles and their components, infrastructure and test equipment to compare notes in one event. Delegates already signed up vary from Airbus, Hudson Power Sports and Hudson Yachts to Sony, the Bulgarian Electric Vehicle Association and Robert Bosch Venture Capital.
Also read the new report Electric Aircraft 2011-2021 .
