NASA has selected the Tecnam P2006T twin as the airframe on which it will evaluatethe potential of LEAPTech (Leadin Edge Asynchronous Technology).LEAPTech is a key element of NASA’splan to help a significant portion of the generalaircraft industry transition to electrical
propulsion within the next decade, according to NASA and Tecnam officials.Over the next several months, NASA researchers will perform ground testing of a 31-foot, carbon composite wing section
with 18 electric motors powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries at its Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. The experimental wing, called the Hybrid-
Electric Integrated Systems Testbed (HEIST), is mounted on a specially modified
truck. Instead of being installed in awind tunnel, the HEIST wing section will remain attached to load cells on a supporting truss while the vehicle is driven at speeds up to 70 miles an hour across a dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base. Preliminary testing, up to 40 mph, took place in January at Oceano County Airport on California’s Central Coast. The truck experiment is a precursor to development of a small X-plane demonstrator proposed under NASA’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts program. Researchers hope to fly a piloted X-plane within the next couple years after removing the wings and engines from an Italianbuilt Tecnam P2006T and replacing them with the LEAPTech wing and motors. Using an existing airframe will allow engineers to easily compare the performance of the X-plane with the original P2006T, NASA officials noted. The wing and electric motors will be manufactured and integrated on the P2006T airframe by the US companies ESAero and Joby Aviation.
propulsion within the next decade, according to NASA and Tecnam officials.Over the next several months, NASA researchers will perform ground testing of a 31-foot, carbon composite wing section
with 18 electric motors powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries at its Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. The experimental wing, called the Hybrid-
Electric Integrated Systems Testbed (HEIST), is mounted on a specially modified
truck. Instead of being installed in awind tunnel, the HEIST wing section will remain attached to load cells on a supporting truss while the vehicle is driven at speeds up to 70 miles an hour across a dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base. Preliminary testing, up to 40 mph, took place in January at Oceano County Airport on California’s Central Coast. The truck experiment is a precursor to development of a small X-plane demonstrator proposed under NASA’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts program. Researchers hope to fly a piloted X-plane within the next couple years after removing the wings and engines from an Italianbuilt Tecnam P2006T and replacing them with the LEAPTech wing and motors. Using an existing airframe will allow engineers to easily compare the performance of the X-plane with the original P2006T, NASA officials noted. The wing and electric motors will be manufactured and integrated on the P2006T airframe by the US companies ESAero and Joby Aviation.
The experimental wing is being tested on a truck (left), then will be tested on
the Tecnam twin airframe as shown in the artist’s rendering above
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