The Extra 330LE uses an electric propulsion system but could be fully capable of aerobatics. Marino Boric
Extra Aircraft unveiled a wild aerobatic testbed for Siemens' new SP260D electric propulsion system at AERO Friedrichshafen in Germany that could be a harbinger of the future of emission-free airshow performances.
The 330LE is based on the German-built Walter Extra 300L tandem two-seater. Siemens intends to use the 330LE for flight test and optimization of a electric propulsion system based on the SP260D electric motor.
Full power with Siemens' 260 kW motor (5 min. max), with its massive torque from the very start, should fit well with heart-stopping acrobatic flight. Endurance at wide-open power is probably not more than 15-20 minutes, but that’s plenty to complete an airshow routine — albeit one absent of the usual growl of the Extra’s Lycoming IO-540 piston engine.
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