Feasibility of Developing Hybrid Electric General Aviation Aircraft

In this work, the feasibility of utilizing the electric energy during three segments of flight of a 6-seater aircraft is investigated. The overall design features of the baseline design configuration are first presented. The required electrical energy is calculated, and the weight of the battery is estimated based on battery specific energy improvement forecast until 2030. These weight variations are then used to calculate the fuel weight reductions compared to conventionally propelled aircraft. The purchasing and operations and maintenance costs of the hybrid electric aircraft are analyzed using modified RAND DAPCA IV model. Numerical results show a saving of about 15 % in fuel consumption for 2030 production. Results also show that operational cost of the designed hybrid electric powered aircraft is 20% less than average cost of current similar aircraft.