Colin JeffreyNovember 26, 2014Bio-Electric-Hybrid-Aircraft concept aims to quietly rule the skies

The Faradair BEHA concept is intended to be one of the world’s quietest, most efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft ever created (Image: Faradair)

Image Gallery (15 images)

Touted as the world's first true hybrid aircraft, the Faradair BEHA (Bio-Electric-Hybrid-Aircraft) is a triple box-wing design concept that combines electric motors and a bio-diesel engine. Fitted with a range of energy conservation and recovery technologies, including solar panels on all flight surfaces and high-lift, low-speed flight capabilities, the BEHA is intended to be one of the world’s most environmentally friendly aircraft.

Aimed at the traditional multi-role light aircraft market, the BEHA concept is premised for a range of operations with lower cost overheads and minimal environmental effect. Included in a potential list of users are those who are engaged in inter-city travel, operate flight schools, run observation and emergency services, or simply want a low running cost aircraft for recreational use.

To this end, the designers of the BEHA claim that their concept electric design offers true "hybrid" dual-fuel capability with a combined bio-diesel/electric propulsion combination that will put it into a different league from currently available electric aircraft, by no longer requiring ground-based recharging. As such, it is intended that the Faradair craft also employ such energy recovery technologies as all flight surfaces being skinned with solar panels, along with wind-turbine technology to allow battery-charging for the vehicle whilst it is in-flight or on the ground.

The plan is to equip the BEHA concept with twin electric fan motors (from the company's renderings, somewhat similar in appearance to those used on the recently flown Airbus E-Fan electric aircraft) that deliver some 200 hp (150 kW) each, in combination with a similarly powerful bio-diesel generator incorporating a ducted pusher propeller. Designed to take off and land using electric power, the bio-diesel engine is intended to recharge the batteries whilst the craft is cruising to increase the overall performance and flying time.

"Markets will be opened up as this lightweight, state-of-the-art, carbon fiber, high-lift designed aircraft will negate night flight restrictions and pollution concerns," says Neil Cloughley, Managing Director of Faradair Aerospace Limited. "Its truly radical and futuristic design aims to follow in the footsteps of other great aviation achievements by becoming a game changing aircraft that helps transform aviation as we know it today."

The inspiration for the BEHA was the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, an iconic British design from the 1930s. With a large surface area from its three lift surfaces, combined with an efficiency-enhancing box wing design that reduces turbulent airflow, the makers of the BEHA also hope to emulate the popularity and success of their design's inspiration as a comfortable, smooth flying model of light commercial transport.

A range of active and passive safety features are promised, including a ballistic parachute recovery system, high-impact capability crash protection (apparently modeled on Formula One motor racing technology), the ability to run on fewer than its full complement of engines, and a high-efficiency glide capability that allows longer unpowered flight in the unlikely event that all engines fail.

And – perhaps most interesting of all – the ultimate safety feature: If anything should happen to the pilot and he is unable to fly the plane, Faradair also plan to outfit the BEHA with a remote control system so that the aircraft can be flown and landed by a pilot in control from the ground. Despite the fact that no such system has yet had approval on any aircraft, the designers believe that being able to remotely control the craft in times of emergency would boost passenger confidence and safety immensely.

"This aircraft will be one of the most eco-friendly and safest aircraft in the world, costing somewhere close to $1m US Dollars per aircraft," says Cloughley. "Plus our production facility will be equally environmentally focused."

Recently launched on Kickstarter, the company intends to spend the next 12 months through 2015 on Research and Development, with a specific aim to complete specifications and fabrication of prototype parts, provided its ￡20,000 Kickstarter aspirations are met.

The video below shows the company's Kickstarter pitch and some animations of the concept.

Source: Faradair

生物电子混合动力飞机要安静地统治天空

bio电动混合动力飞机的概念旨在静静地统治skies

的faradair行为概念是一个世界上最安静，最有效和最环保的飞机曾经创造了（图片：faradair）

图像画廊（15张）
吹捧为世界上第一个真正的混合动力飞机的faradair行为（生物电混合动力飞机）是一个三重箱翼的设计理念，结合电动马达和一个生物柴油发动机。装有一系列节能和回收技术，其中包括所有的飞行表面和高扬程的太阳能电池板，低速飞行能力的行为，是一个世界上最环保的飞机。

瞄准在传统的多用途轻型飞机市场的行为概念的前提是一系列以较低的成本费用和最小的环境影响的操作。包括了潜在用户名单是那些从事城市间旅行，操作飞行学校，运行观察和急救服务，或只是想要一个低运行成本的飞机娱乐使用。

为此，声称他们的行为概念的电气设计提供了真正的“混合”双燃料的能力相结合的生物柴油/电力推进的组合，将把它变成一个不同的联赛，从现有的电动飞机设计师，不再需要地面充电。因此，它的目的是，faradair工艺也采用这种能量回收技术为所有飞行的表面皮肤的太阳能电池板，随着风力发电技术让电池为汽车充电虽然是空中或地面上。

计划是使行为概念与双电风扇电机（从公司的效果图，在外观上使用的空客E-Fan电动飞机飞行的最近有些相似），提供200马力（150千瓦），结合一个同样强大的生物柴油发电机将导管推螺旋桨。设计起飞和使用电力的土地，生物柴油是用来充电的小艇巡航以提高整体性能和飞行时间。

“市场开放将为这个轻量级的，国家的最先进的，碳纤维、高扬程设计的飞机将否定的夜间飞行限制和污染的担忧，说：”尼尔克拉雷，faradair航空有限公司的总经理。”它真正的激进和前卫的设计旨在跟随其他伟大的航空成就的脚步，成为一个改变游戏规则的飞机，可以将航空作为我们今天所知道的。”< / P >

灵感的行为是德哈维兰迅龙，一个从世纪30年代标志性的英国设计。与表面大从三升的表面面积，结合提高效率的盒式机翼设计减少紊流，该行为的制定者也希望模仿的普及，他们的设计灵感的成功作为一个舒适、轻型商用运输平稳飞行模型。

一系列的主动和被动安全功能的承诺，包括弹道降落伞回收系统，高抗冲击能力的碰撞保护（显然是仿照F1赛车的技术），运行在低于其完整的发动机的能力，和一个高效率的滑翔能力，所有引擎失败的不可能事件再无动力飞行允许。

和–也许最有趣的是–终极安全功能：如果飞行员不能驾驶飞机，faradair还计划装备的性能与远程控制系统使飞机可以从地面飞行和着陆的驾驶员。尽管事实上没有这样的系统尚未有任何飞机验收，设计师认为，能够远程控制时的急救工艺将提高旅客的信心和安全无比。

“这架飞机将成为世界上最环保、最安全的飞机，成本的地方接近100万美元美元的飞机，说：”克拉雷。”再加上我们的生产设施将同样环保。”

最近推出在Kickstarter上，公司拟在未来12个月内通过2015个研究和发展，与特定目的的完整规格和原型零件加工，提供￡20000 Kickstarter的愿望得到满足。

下面的视频显示了该公司的Kickstarter的音调和一些动画的概念。