NASA developing new hybrid plane X-57 ‘Maxwell’ that runs on batteries

The agency estimates that replacing the gasoline motors with electric ones will take a year and swapping out the wings will take another two, New York Times reports. The X-57 “Maxwell” will be an experimental aircraft with 14 individual electric motors integrated into a narrow wing design.

The goal of Maxwell and the larger X-planes is to figure out ways to reduce fuel use and noise so that these new technologies can be introduced into the marketplace.

The plane, which is also nicknamed “Maxwell” after the 19th century Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell who did work on electromagnetism, is part of NASA’s 10-year-long New Aviation Horizon initiative.

NASA Aeronautics researchers will use Maxwell to demonstrate that electric propulsion can make planes quieter, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Amid the growing concerns about climate change, NASA has made a decision to build an eco-friendly- electric plane to accelerate the production of zero-emission aircraft that will use less energy and cruise at a higher speed, as compared to now used aircrafts.

The X-plane designation, which applies to experimental airplane built for the government, was assigned by the U.S. Air Force in response to a NASA request.

Apart from Nasa, some of the world’s industrial giants and a handful of pioneering airlines are also plunging headlong into developing commercially viable electric-power airplanes, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday.

NASA says it’s planning to roll out as many as five larger transport-scale X-planes as part of its New Aviation Horizons initiative.

“Maxwell” will be a modified Tecnam P2006T twin-engine light aircraft.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will test its new X-57 electric aeroplane (“Maxwell”) that will be powered exclusively by batteries, Trend reports. But Nasa is banking on advances in battery technology to enhance the plane’s power in the future. Pollution is an increasing problem and switching to electric planes could significantly cut back on carbon emissions. Chief among the X-57’s innovations is the propulsion system, which consists of fourteen electric motors positioned across a strikingly thin wing.

It follows in the footsteps of an impressive collection of planes from the X series which began with Bell X1 in 1947 – the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight.

Artist’s concept of NASA’s X-57 aircraft.

Even so, this technology has a lot of potential.

“If industry adopts technologies on which we and our partners have been working during the past 10 years, future aircraft could cut fuel use in half, cut emissions by 75 per cent and cut noise to almost one-eighth of today’s regulated limits”, Mr Bolden said.