Eviation has revealed a radically reshaped design for its Alice all-electric commuter aircraft based on customer feedback and has completed a conceptual design review for the nine-seater.
The Arlington, Washington-based developer says the redesign will improve the aircraft’s manufacturability, certification prospects and performance.
Gone is Alice’s distinctive tapering, elliptical fuselage, to be replaced with a constant-cross section design. The wing now features large winglets, rather than the upswept tips of the prototype, and the pylons holding the electric motors appear to sit higher on the fuselage than previously.
A larger centrally located energy storage system (ESS) compartment has also been added above the wing, “that can integrate a range of ESS solutions now and in the future”, it says.
Changes to the fuselage shape will reduce the Alice’s part count and manufacturing costs, says Eviation, “while also enabling future variants of the aircraft”.
Inside the aircraft, passengers will also benefit from optimised cabin space “allowing for a side-mounted carry-on stowage compartment”.
Structural segments are now designed to be reassembled in the field using standard tooling available to MRO providers.
Conducted alongside TLG Aerospace, the conceptual design review built on the data gathered from Alice’s 8min flight in September 2022 – the aircraft’s only sortie – and recently completed windtunnel testing.
Feedback from the company’s customer advisory board was also incorporated, it says, “alongside months of engineering work”.
“Completing the conceptual design review is a major step in Alice’s journey, moving us significantly closer to aircraft certification and entry into service,” says Andre Stein, Eviation chief executive.
Eviation previously stated that it would fly a production-conforming prototype in 2025 with the aim of securing certification around two years later. It says it holds orders for the Alice worth more than $5 billion.
