• Dr. Jack Langelaan
  • The Pennsylvania State University
  • 108 Surge Building
  • 4:00 p.m.
  • Faculty Host: Dr. Craig Woolsey

In October 2011 Team Pipistrel-USA.comʼs electric powered Taurus G4 won the Green Flight Challenge, flying nearly 200 miles at an average ground speed of 107 miles per hour and an equivalent fuel efficiency of 403.5 passenger miles per gallon. This was the first demonstration of a practical general aviation mission (combining payload, speed, range, and endurance typical of GA) by an electric powered aircraft, and the achieved fuel efficiency is roughly six times better than that of typical general aviation aircraft (and twice that of a Toyota Prius).

This talk will discuss design of the G4, give an overview of its electric power system and describe the flight planning algorithms that were used during the competition.