The prototype electric aircraft called the Alice Commuter was unveiled at the Paris Air show in June.
The launch comes at a time where the industry is looking for more environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions to conventional fuel.
According to its creator, Israeli firm Eviation; the Alice Commuter is ‘Designed to take 9 passengers up to 650 miles at a cruise speed of 240 knots. Alice will redefine regional transportation as an all-electric aircraft’.
Speaking to the BBC recently Eviation’s Chief Executive Omer Bar-Yohay explained the aircraft’s unconventional design:
“This plane looks like this not because we wanted to build a cool plane, but because it is electric,”
“You build a craft around your propulsion system. Electric means we can have lightweight motors; it allows us to open up the design space.”
What did Penny Engineering Do?
Penny Engineering were approached by Barrett Aerospace who had been commissioned to build the tail section of the aircraft. Barrett Aerospace who are based in Singapore asked us to project manager some machining work that they were having difficulty sourcing in the Far East.
CEO Laurence Barrett spoke of his experience using Penny Engineering:
“Penny Engineering Ltd were engaged at a very critical and time-constrained period of our project, to help us to manufacture all the metalwork components needed for our wedge-tail assembly design (or empennage) for a new 100% electric aircraft called “ALICE”. This is the world’s first commercial electric aircraft and it was unveiled to the world at the Paris Air Show on 17th June 2019.
This aircraft contained the metalwork components supplied by Penny Engineering and their partners Tybro. The high precision of their products made the final assembly exceptionally straightforward and hence Barrett Aerospace PTE. LTD. would highly recommend working with this company.”
With ‘double-digit’ orders placed for the Alice Commuter, there is a real hope that it can help to shape the future of air travel. Penny Engineering are proud to have been a part of the project.
