The Norwegian Equator Aircraft plan would provide an alternative to expensive and noisy models to serve areas that are more inaccessible by land, away from major transport hubs, and the company would create a whole family of models of electric-powered amphibian aircraft.
At the company’s headquarters in Jarlesberg, 100 kilometers south of Oslo, testing of a two-seater, all-composite, electric-powered study aircraft capable of carrying two people began as early as 2018. The experience gained with this experimental amphibian is incorporated into the design of machines already intended for series production. The development of the first of these, codenamed X4, is already at an advanced stage because it is practically an enlarged version of the study machine, designed to carry four people. The most significant disadvantage of electric propulsion is still the range, and even in terms of plans, Equator’s ideas cannot compete with conventional machines. Batteries must be carried throughout the flight, their weight is not reduced by the loss of energy as the fuel disappears from the tanks of aircraft with internal combustion engines, but the maximum voltage that can be obtained from them is constantly reduced, even if only slightly.
With 120 kWh of batteries, the X4 is designed for a maximum range of 185 kilometers and 90 minutes of continuous flight, which can be used for walking flights or to serve more enclosed areas. Equator would need € 5 million to produce the prototype and start the flight test program. Even so, they would make the first flight in 18 months, but buyers outside Norway would only have access to their planes around 2025. The larger amphibian, which is also ideal for commercial passenger transport and can carry 8 people, would have to wait more than that, in the good case it could be on the market by the end of the decade. However, according to the manufacturer, it is worth the wait, because in the end, obsolete amphibian aircraft converted from normal aircraft will be replaced with much lower maintenance and operating costs.
Recent article
Electric airplane News & Articles
The Hungarian solar-powered airplane plan has hit the world press
Electric airplane News & Articles
NASA’s first electric aircraft to take off soon
Drones News & Articles
An Australian drone can plant 40,000 trees in a day
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Airbus and ITA Airways jointly develop Italian urban air transport
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Airbus and ITA Airways jointly develop Italian urban air transport
Air taxi News & Articles
The first air taxi airport opens in Britain
Electric airplane News & Articles
Slovenian Pipistrel becomes part of Textron’s electric aviation business
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Another aircraft: the air yacht
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Testing Volocopter’s eVTOL
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
A solar-powered device on Mars could make rocket fuel from waste water
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Suzuki promises to launch flying taxis by 2025
Drones News & Articles
Amazon drone delivery is far from taking off
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CycloTech and Yamato reveal innovative cargo eVTOLconcept with CycloRotors
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
EHang Receives Pre-Order for 100 Units of EH216 AAVs from Indonesian Aviation Company Prestige Aviation
Drones News & Articles
A Hungarian company is developing an agricultural drone with a French partner
Additional aircraft News & Articles
A futuristic, electric rival to the rocket backpack is already in operation
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
FedEx puts drones to work
Additional aircraft News & Articles
British paramedics to start testing rocket backpack rescue in the summer
Air taxi News & Articles
Air Greenland acquires VX4 Air Greenlands from
Air taxi News & Articles
Japanese flying taxis now almost have a timetable
Flying Cars News & Articles
French startup to launch hydrogen-powered flying race car
Drones News & Articles
The silent spy drone designed for the Pentagon is ready
Flying Cars News & Articles
Bruno Senna joins Airspeeder as pilot and ambassador
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
EHang Receives Pre-order for 60 Units of Passenger-grade AAVs from AEROTREE, Malaysia’s Leading Aviation Company, under Strategic Partnership
Additional aircraft News & Articles
NASA may launch inflatable stingray drones to Venus
Drones News & Articles
The Gambit combat drone opens a new era in air warfare
Drones News & Articles
Hydraulic drone that will have a much longer range than its electric counterpart
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Swiss buys solar-powered sustainable kerosene
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Minor accident at Joby Aviation
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Airbus tests hydrogen propulsion on its A380 prototype
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CAAC Formally Adopts Special Conditions for EH216-S AAV Type Certification
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
A Chinese company has shown how their eVTOL can cope with the most critical part of flying
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
World’s first electric air taxis to be launched in Japan
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Hungarian engineers develop unique parallel hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system
Air taxi News & Articles
Startup Natilus is set to revolutionise air freight transport
Drones News & Articles
Drones go on duty at the giant Singapore seaport
News & Articles Points of interest
Hydrogen-powered, hypersonic aircraft
Flying Cars News & Articles
Why don’t we use flying cars ?
Additional aircraft News & Articles
MIT’s miniature robots fly using artificial muscles
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
eVTOLs could revolutionise air rescue
More articles you may be interested in...
Air taxi News & Articles
Britain’s first air taxi
Air taxi News & Articles
The development of flying taxis could be supported by the U.S. Air Force
Electric airplane News & Articles
Superconducting technology for electric flight
EVTOL & VTOL Flying Cars News & Articles
The flying car made for the Tokyo Olympics performed well in the tests
Air taxi News & Articles
Atlas Aero air taxi
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxi to the airport in America
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxis may be followed by air buses
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CycloTech and Yamato reveal innovative cargo eVTOLconcept with CycloRotors
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Hexa aircraft
Drones News & Articles
The combat drones of Kelley Aerospace
Electric airplane News & Articles
Unmanned aircraft that can stay in the air for 90 days
Flying Cars News & Articles
Embraer flying car
Electric airplane News & Articles
Hungarian electric air rescue
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxi to the airport in America
Drones News & Articles
An Australian drone can plant 40,000 trees in a day
Drones News & Articles
Cyborg bees are coming to smart farms
Electric airplane News & Articles
Single-seat electric plane from Japan
Drones News & Articles
Croatians use drones to spray chilli and acorns
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Electricity, hydrogen and green kerosene planes are coming
Drones News & Articles
A Hungarian company is developing an agricultural drone with a French partner
Drones News & Articles
Iran’s long-range combat drone
Electric airplane News & Articles
Rolls-Royce wants to be at the forefront of performance
Drones News & Articles
A drone starting from a drone
Additional aircraft News & Articles
The jetpack could be best used in the construction industry
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
UltraFan engine for Rolls-Royce
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Chinese flying car has taken off
Air taxi News & Articles
Uber and Hyundai have unveiled their jointly developed air taxi prototype
Flying Cars News & Articles
Flying cars can travel in New Hampshire
Air taxi News & Articles
Hybrid-powered air taxi presented by Czech engineers
Flying Cars News & Articles
Japan takes flying cars seriously