Yuneec’s E430 Electric Airplane Has Up to 2.5 Hours’ Endurance

The Yuneec E430 electric light sport airplane has made an appearance at EAA AirVenture, and is scheduled to fly for the crowd at least once before the end of the show this weekend. Built in China and shipped to the U.S. last week, the two-place high-wing composite aircraft is powered by a 40 kilowatt (approximately 54 horsepower) electric motor driven by a "three-pack" of lithium polymer batteries, all designed and manufactured by Yuneec. With the three-pack, the airplane is expected to have an endurance of 1.3 to two hours cruising at about 53 knots. With a five-pack battery configuration, endurance is said to be 2.25 to 2.5 hours. Empty weight with a three-pack is 550 pounds with a max takeoff weight of 1,050 pounds. The five-pack adds about 110 pounds to the empty weight. It takes about three hours to charge the batteries from regular AC power outlets. Batteries are expected to last about 1,500 hours and cost about $6,500 to $7,000 per pack-for a cost of about $15 per hour including the cost of electricity and battery replacement. Yuneec's founder, Tian Yu has announced plans to open a 260,000-square-foot factory in Shanghai on October 8 with production starting later in the year. First deliveries are expected late next year at a selling price of $89,000.