April 9, 2012 Electric Aircraft Advocates To Meet |
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By Mary Grady, Contributing editor
The 6th Annual CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium, coming up April 27 and 28 in Santa Rosa, Calif., will feature speakers from NASA, Boeing, Aerovironment, leaders in battery technology, and more, the organizers announced recently. Tine Tomazic of Pipistrel will be there to talk about the Taurus G4, which won last year's $1.35 million Green Flight Challenge. Mark Moore of NASA will discuss advanced concepts in electric propulsion, and Tom Gunnarson of FAA's Small Airplane Directorate will explain the agency's plans for certifying electric aircraft. The weekend is billed as a "graduate-level program" (PDF) in new flight technologies, featuring experts in lithium battery research, design software, UAVs, quiet propellers, and high-lift aerodynamics.
Future Green Flight Challenges will be unveiled at the event, the organizers said. Flight demos also will be held at the CAFE Flight Test Center. Registration is $499 and can be completed online. AVweb's Mary Grady recently spoke with Tomazic about the G4's nomination for the Collier Trophy; click here to listen to that podcast. AVweb's editorial director, Paul Bertorelli, visited the Pipistrel factory on a recent trip to Slovenia; click here to see his video flight trial of the Virus SW, which boasts fuel economy of nearly 50 MPG.
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