Argentina’s first electric plane is getting ready to fly

Recently, a successful test of the propulsion system (engine and propeller assembly) of the AVIEM 100 Epower was carried out, which, if all goes well, will soon become the first electric aircraft in Argentina to take flight.

The test was carried out at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of La Plata (UNLP) in Argentina.

The Aerospace Technology Center (CTA) of the Faculty of Engineering of the UNLP is working on the fuselage of the first 100% electric aircraft manufactured in Argentina. The aircraft is being developed jointly by professionals from the Academic Unit and Aviem Aeronautics SRL, a company based in the Argentine city of General Rodriguez.

The UNLP Faculty of Engineering plays a leading role in this project, as it is responsible for installing the lithium batteries for electric propulsion. The AV100 Epower will be flying this year, once the required tests have been completed and the bureaucratic commitments regarding permits have been overcome within the framework of the authorizations carried out by the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) of Argentina.

According to AVIEM officials, the vehicle will be approved as an experimental aircraft, with an airworthiness certificate for research and development. The aircraft weighs 750 kilograms, with a useful load of 180 kilograms, and will be able to transport up to two people with a flight autonomy of one hour.

“We started the engine and next week we will begin testing different parameters. We installed the propeller and put it in condition so that it works properly with the engine in terms of revolutions. We made an evaluation of the temperature and installed a cooling system,” explained Marcos.

For his part, the aeronautical engineer Claudio Rimoldi, one of the project managers, explained that several functional tests of the AVIEM 100 Epower Electric aircraft were carried out in the hangar of the Faculty of Engineering at the Aero Club La Plata. “Basically, the propeller installation was tested and how the engine and batteries worked with this three-bladed propeller, made of composite materials and variable pitch on the ground. The traction force of the propeller was measured in two flight conditions, during takeoff and during the cruise phase. From these tests, information was obtained for determining the characteristic curves of the system. Several parameters were controlled, including temperature.”

The results were more than satisfactory. The electronic engineer Guillermo Garaventta (also one of the project managers) and the electronic engineer Santiago Garaventta Pascual, all researchers with a place of work at the UNLP Aerospace Technology Center, participated in these tests, as did the aerospace engineering student and fellow of the Department, Francesco Gennaro. Ernesto Acerbo, from AVIEM Aeronautics SRL, also participated in the tests.

Recently, the aircraft’s propeller was tested and how the engine and batteries work with the propeller. (Photo: Universidad Nacional de La Plata / Argentina Investiga)

AVIEM Manager Ernesto Acerbo recalled the beginnings of this achievement: “I was a founding partner of the Petrel SA Project when, in 2004, we began the tests for the certification of this type of aircraft, which we obtained only in 2008. It is a long process because it involves the Aeronautical Authority, which must witness the tests.”

In this context, the engineer explained that “these aircraft we tested are relatively modern, with engines that already consume half the fuel of traditional engines. The thing is that there are very few aeronautical regulations in the world and many of them are still being written and are constantly evolving. At the moment we are talking about an aircraft that flies for an hour, that can carry two people and that cannot weigh more than 750 kilograms. So, with those parameters we started the project.”

The aim is also to gain experience in the selection and operation of electric propulsion systems for aircraft and to enhance the possibility of manufacturing components in the country.

Regarding the progress and steps to follow, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Marcos Actis, explained: “There is an authorization process coming, because it is an experimental category aircraft, whose purpose is research and development. The idea is to have a tested vehicle and then begin to evaluate the batteries that are in production at the UNLP Aerospace Technology Center, as well as establish the certification standards for electric aircraft.”

The AV100 Epower is a two-seater aircraft that would have its niche in pilot training courses. As Acerbo stresses, “it is estimated that basic training will be electric because the elementary flight lasts 45 minutes. A student has a maximum performance after half an hour and from there it begins to decline. After 45 minutes, you have to get him out of the plane because the next thing that follows is doing everything wrong.” The 1-hour autonomy covers that time period well.

The project arose from the developments initiated by UNLP on the propulsion of vehicles with renewable energy using lithium batteries, and the need to venture into the application of these technologies in the aeronautical field, based on the experiences acquired by the Faculty of Engineering on land vehicles with the same technology or other technologies applicable to products produced by AVIEM.

The UNLP had been working on the study of an aircraft with characteristics similar to the AVIEM AV-100. During this period, an analysis was made of the regulations that could be applied to the development of this type of aircraft with electric propulsion, given that there are few international references. Based on these regulations (ASTM and others issued by EASA, the European Aviation Authority), work was mainly carried out on the preliminary modification study of the aircraft structure. In addition, the availability of the appropriate electrical system equipment to be applied to the prototype was analyzed based on the mass of the aircraft, stability characteristics, required power, etc.

“The continued advancement of lithium-ion storage technologies has shown the world that it is feasible to mobilize purely electric land and air vehicles. At the same time, today’s highly efficient, maintenance-free and lightweight brushless (BLDC) motors give us greater reliability in this challenge,” added Actis. (Source: Universidad Nacional de La Plata / Argentina Investiga)