Hungarian engineers develop unique parallel hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system

  • Reading Time:3Minutes

Rolls-Royce’s team in Hungary, Italian aircraft manufacturer Tecnam and Austrian engine manufacturer Rotax have made significant progress in revolutionising aviation and making it more sustainable. Following several successful ground tests, a unique hybrid-powered experimental aircraft took to the skies for the first time on 21 December 2021, the first in the world to be powered by an integrated parallel hybrid propulsion system. The test flights proved that a small aircraft equipped with a hybrid-electric propulsion system is more efficient and energy-saving, using up to 20 percent less fuel than a conventional internal combustion engine-powered aircraft of the same size. This results in significant emissions reductions.

The design, manufacture and integration of the electric propulsion system, electric motor, inverter, battery and control system for the Tecnam modified P2010 aircraft was the responsibility of the Hungarian Rolls-Royce team.

The advanced technology built into the aircraft enables fuel consumption and emissions reduction, as well as flight analysis, as the system collects comprehensive data in real time during flight to ensure optimal operation. The creation of the propulsion system also reflects Rolls-Royce’s global sustainability objectives to contribute to the company’s goal of carbon neutrality in aviation and the aviation industry as a whole by 2050.

The H3PS (High power, Hybrid powertrain and High-scalability aircraft) is one of the major projects of the Rolls-Royce Hungary team in which a flight test has been successfully carried out. The H3PS programme, which was completed with outstanding results, also strengthens the long-term collaboration with Tecnam, as the two companies joined forces to bring to market an all-electric commuter aircraft.

“The successful maiden flight of the H3PS aircraft is a pioneering achievement for the Hungarian Rolls-Royce team in the development of hybrid-electric flight. The programme has demonstrated our ability to design, manufacture and install a fully integrated system and has provided further flight experience in hybrid-electric flight. The knowledge gained here will be used by Rolls-Royce Hungary in future international projects to create higher performance hybrid propulsion systems capable of powering a 19-seat commuter aircraft,” said Zoltán Koltai, Head of Global Manufacturing, Rolls-Royce Electrical.

“Thanks to H3PS, we have further increased our competencies in the development of pure electric and hybrid-electric power conversion and propulsion systems for aviation. Our Hungarian colleagues are working as part of an international team to revolutionise aviation, such as the development of an all-electric propulsion system for an eVTOL (electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. Rolls-Royce is committed to achieving sustainable carbon neutral aviation,” said Dr György Balázs Gergely, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Hungary.

“The successful flight test of the experimental aircraft is a pioneering achievement for the team in the development of hybrid-electric aviation. The collaboration with Tecnam and Rotax has been extremely beneficial and the joint work has further enhanced our capabilities in developing pure electric and hybrid-electric power conversion and propulsion systems for the advanced aviation market. Rolls-Royce is committed to investing in technology solutions that enable sustainable aviation,” said Rob Watson, President, Rolls-Royce Electrical.

Source: Rolls-Royce

Recent article

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

The flying ambulance arrives at lightning speed

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

The electric car revolution could continue in the air

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Unmanned aerial taxis flew in a unique formation

Electric airplane News & Articles

NASA’s Innovations: Soaring into an Electrified Flight Future

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Could eVTOLs and Air Taxis Replace Public Transport ?

Additional aircraft News & Articles

The Morphobot: An Innovation in Multimodal Robotics

News & Articles Points of interest

The Dawn of AI Air Travel: Airbus and its Vision for Autonomy

Air taxi News & Articles

Volocopter’s High-Flying Ambitions for the Olympics

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

The Horizon of Aviation: Airbus’ Vision for 2035 and Beyond

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

A Shift in Aviation Licensing and Training

Drones News & Articles

Russia’s Path to Drone Supremacy

Air taxi News & Articles

Israel’s Pioneering Venture into Drone Transport

Air taxi News & Articles

More efficient air taxis in the future

Air taxi News & Articles

Testing of perhaps the most promising air taxi begins

Additional aircraft News & Articles

Navigating the Future: Autonomous Helicopters Soar High

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Embracing the Future: Seoul’s Leap into Urban Air Mobility
More articles you may be interested in...

Air taxi News & Articles

The Coming Electric Air Taxi Revolution: Competing with Train Tickets ?

The Dutch company, Electron Aviation, is making a bold promise that is set to disrupt.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Unveiling the Whisper of Innovation: CycloTech’s Exploration into CycloRotor Noise Levels

In the fast-paced realm of aeronautical engineering, the introduction of CycloRotors has heralded a paradigm.......... READ MORE

Points of interest

Sailing the Skies in Style: Airbus’s Novel Vision for Air Travel

Navigating the dawn of a fresh chapter in aviation, Airbus recently shared its audacious plans.......... READ MORE

Drones News & Articles

Boosting Agriculture: A Drone Revolution Awaits in Budapest

The stage is set in Hungary, as it stands on the brink of an exciting.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Embracing the Future with Rolls-Royce’s Revolutionary UltraFan Engine

Just when you thought the apex of innovation had been reached, Rolls-Royce challenges the notion.......... READ MORE

Air taxi News & Articles

Testing of perhaps the most promising air taxi begins

For some of us, the very idea of an air taxi evokes scenes straight out.......... READ MORE

Additional aircraft News & Articles

Navigating the Future: Autonomous Helicopters Soar High

Unmanned helicopters are no longer a concept in some futuristic Sci-Fi novel. They're here, revolutionizing.......... READ MORE

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Embracing the Future: Seoul’s Leap into Urban Air Mobility

In an audacious move to revolutionize its transport system, Seoul - the bustling South Korean.......... READ MORE