NOTE: This project has been redesigned considerably since this article was first published. Please consult the Program updates section for the changes.
The light-to-medium commercial passenger market is a growing one and technology is allowing all-new designs to come to market and compete with established industry players. One such product is Eviation Aircraft's "Alice", based in Israel, an all-electrically-driven platform being developed to haul up to nine passengers in comfort out to ranges of 620 miles at speeds beyond 275 miles-per-hour. Alice uses a triple engine "distributed" propulsion scheme comprised of electric motors arranged in a pusher configuration - the primary installation fitted to the extreme aft-end of the fuselage and supporting units found at each wing tip. The engines drive three-bladed propeller units.
The aircraft sports a flat tubular fuselage with tapered nosecone and aft sections. Over the nose is the two seat (side-by-side) cockpit with a widescreen window allowing excellent vision out-of-the-cockpit. The passenger cabin is lined with oval windows and entry/exit points bookend this section. The tail unit consists of a "V-style" plane arrangement, the planes doubling as rudders and horizontal stabilizers. The undercarriage is designed in the typical tricycle format and is wholly retractable. The avionics fit is the Garmin G5000 and flight controls are assisted by a Fly-by-Wire (FbW) control scheme.
Eviation Aircraft has plans for two distinct variants of its Alice design: the base commuter form for short-ranged "jumps" featuring an unpressurized cabin and the Alice ER (Extended Range) given more powerful engines and a pressurized cabin. Both versions will feature heavy reliance on composites for durability and light operating weights (up to 95% of the aircraft will be completed in this way).
A first-flight is scheduled for sometime in early-2019.
Official listed specifications include a service ceiling of 32,000 feet, a speed of up to 270 knots and an MTOW of 6,070 kilograms. Dimensions include a length of 12 meters with a wingspan reaching 15.2 meters.
May 2019 - Groupe Carboman France has completed construction of the carbo-fiber fuselage to be used in the prototype representing the EviationAero Alice electric aircraft.
June 2019 - The full-sized prototype form of the Eviation Alice was debuted at Paris Air Show 2019. The aircraft has yet to record its first-flight.
January 2020 - A fire involving lithium-ion batteries has severely damaged the Eviation Alice prototype.
May 2021 - Eviation prepares the Alice all-electric plane for its first flight scheduled to occur before the end of the year.
July 2021 - The Eviation Alice has undergone a complete rework to adopt a more traditional design approach. Twin outboard tail engines have taken the place of the original's three pusher prop setup. The tail now relies on a T-style plane arrangement as opposed to the original's butterfly design. The tail-dragger undercarriage has also been dispensed with and a conventional tricycle utilized instead.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓BizJet
Used in roles serving the business aviation market, primarily VIP and regional travel.
✓VIP Service
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.
PUSHER-PROP
Design incorporates rear-facing pusher-prop arrangement, a contrast to the more conventional puller-prop layout.
ALL-ELECTRIC
Design utilizes an all-electric powerplant for drive power.
ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.
RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE
Features retracting / retractable undercarriage to preserve aerodynamic efficiency.
Length
39.4 ft (12.00 m)
Width/Span
49.9 ft (15.20 m)
MTOW
13,382 lb (6,070 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Eviation Alice production variant)
monoplane / low-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertains to the base Eviation Alice production variant)
Installed:
3 x Electric engines developing 375 horsepower and driving multi-bladed propeller units arranged in "pusher" configuration.
Alice - Base Series Name
Alice Commuter - Base passenger model for short-ranged routes; unpressurized cabin.
Alice ER (Extended Range) - Longer-ranged model with more powerful engines and a pressurized cabin.
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Israel (possible)
