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Gennady Detinich
A subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sikorsky concluded an agreement with GE Aerospace on the creation of a demonstrator of a heavy hybrid-electric aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. The total mass of the “air route” will be over 3 tons, and the flight range will be over 500 nautical miles (926 km). The purpose of the device is unmanned long-distance transportation of goods and passengers.
Image Source: Lockheed Martin
The Hybrid-Electric Demonstrator (HEX) airframe will be designed and built by Sikorsky Innovations, led by Igor Cherepinsky. She will also deal with electric motors and the integration of the proprietary MATRIX autonomous flight control system. The MATRIX system is already being tested on the company’s helicopters and shows reliable performance during complex autonomous maneuvers for the delivery of passengers and cargo in the field.
The HEX demonstrator will be powered by development partner GE Aerospace. This is a CT7 turboshaft engine coupled with a 1MW class generator plus the associated power electronics. All proposed components were developed by GE Aerospace for NASA and the US Army and are considered extremely reliable.
“Ultimately, we want to demonstrate the potential of large, advanced air vehicles to perform useful tasks for the US military and transport passengers between cities,” Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo said at the signing of the deal. The partners will create the basis for further work, and today one can only guess what will come of it.
It is believed that hybrid power plants will optimize the operation of both individual units and the entire aircraft as a whole. This will save fuel and simplify maintenance. Mechanics smelling of gasoline in oiled overalls will be a thing of the past. They will be replaced by people in white coats with diagnostic equipment, maybe even just smartphones.