Embraer Unveils Fixed-Wing Electric Demonstrator Aircraft

Embraer unveiled its fixed-wing, single-engine electric demonstrator aircraft on August 16.

First flight of the aircraft based on the Embraer single-engine EMB-203 Ipanema crop duster, is scheduled for 2020. The prototype has a special paint scheme and is ready to receive systems and components, the company said in a statement Friday.

The aircraft's electric motor and controller are being manufactured by WEG at the company's headquarters in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, as part of the scientific and technological cooperation agreement for jointly development of electrification technologies.

Advances on the project include the partnership with Parker Aerospace that will be responsible to supply the cooling system for the demonstrator aircraft.

On the forthcoming months, the companies' technical teams will continue to test the systems in the labs preparing the integration in the demonstrator aircraft for testing under real operating conditions.