U of A engineering researchers, led by Alan Mantooth, achieved a significant milestone on Feb. 20 with the successful test flight of their electric motor drive on a hybrid electric aircraft. This project aims to revolutionize the aeronautics industry, offering substantial environmental benefits. Typically employed in air taxis for island regions, planes like the Cessna 337 currently rely on two gas-powered engines, notorious for high fuel consumption in both demanding and lighter tasks. Over the past several years, researchers have worked on a groundbreaking project to design battery-powered motor drives as alternatives to the gas-powered engines: Electric Motor Drive Takes Off in Test Flight of Passenger Hybrid Electric Plane | University of Arkansas (uark.edu)
