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SkySpark Makes Electric Speed Record

During the World Air Games 2009, held between June 7 to 12 in Italy at the Turin/Aeritalia (LIMA) airfield, DigiSky SkySpark - the new e-power technology demonstrator - took to the air for the first time.

The SkySpark’s basic airframe is the popular Alpi Aviation Pioneer 300 ultralight, fitted with a 65 kW SICME Motori VA2-SKY 65 "Va-lentino" electric engine, feed by 108 Kokam batteries for the initial flight-test phase instead of the standard piston engine. In a second phase, DigiSky plans to use hydrogen fuel cells, one of the more promising energy solutions for the future.

The first flight took place on June 10, with Cdr Maurizio Cheli at the controls, mainly to check power and control systems. The spectators were highly impressed by the unusually quiet motion of the vehicle: the only perceptible noise of SkySpark coming from the rotating propeller and the flow of the air around the fuselage.

On June 11, at 06.33 PM local time, SkySpark made a second, six-minute flight over the Aeritalia airport. This time, Cheli significantly expanded the flight envelope, pushing the aircraft to 118.8 knots (220 km/h, 137 mph) with no apparent effort and still well below the design speed.

The first "official" flight of SkySpark - in fact the third - was made the following day (June, 12), attended by the project sponsors and media representatives.

Saturday, June 13, 2009, was the challenge day for SkySpark: during a pause in the WAG final races, the quiet experimental aircraft, in its fourth flight and at 57kW power output, reached 136 knots (252 km/h, 156.6 mph). This category record is now under certification by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale).

As a further flight-safety measure, the programme will proceed with the installation of the Battery Management System (BMS), with sensors checking the continuity of every element of the battery chain. At a later date, the batteries will be replaced by fuel cells and related hydrogen tank. It is expected that the experimental results obtained with the SkySpark will contribute to the development of more eco-friendly aircraft.

In the picture: DigySky SkySpark I-9843 makes its second “unofficial” take-off, on June 11, 2009, during Turin’s WAG 2009. (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, June 2009)