Post by andypspotter on Apr 25, 2020 7:43:32 GMT
Airbus and Rolls-Royce have axed the E-Fan X demonstrator programme, a year before the experimental hybrid-electric engine airliner was supposed to fly.
The E-Fan X programme was launched to explore electric aviation and involved equipping a BAE Systems Avro RJ100 with a hybrid engine.
But Airbus chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini says that the airframer is having to “navigate the realities” of a world impacted by the coronavirus crisis, and concentrate on priorities.
She says Airbus and Rolls-Royce have “jointly decided”, as a result, to “bring the E-Fan X demonstrator to an end”.
“As with all ground-breaking [research] projects, it’s our duty to constantly evaluate and reprioritise them to ensure alignment with our ambitions,” adds Vittadini.
“These decisions are not always easy. But they’re undoubtedly necessary to stay the course.”
The E-Fan X programme was launched to explore electric aviation and involved equipping a BAE Systems Avro RJ100 with a hybrid engine.
But Airbus chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini says that the airframer is having to “navigate the realities” of a world impacted by the coronavirus crisis, and concentrate on priorities.
She says Airbus and Rolls-Royce have “jointly decided”, as a result, to “bring the E-Fan X demonstrator to an end”.
“As with all ground-breaking [research] projects, it’s our duty to constantly evaluate and reprioritise them to ensure alignment with our ambitions,” adds Vittadini.
“These decisions are not always easy. But they’re undoubtedly necessary to stay the course.”