Ua hoʻolauna ʻo Ampaire a me IKHANA Aircraft Services i kahi NASA- ka hoʻonaʻauao kūpono no ka hoʻololi ʻana i ka mokulele ʻo Twin Otter workhorse no ka hoʻoulu ʻana i ka hybrid-electric.
Ua hāʻawi ʻia ʻo Ampaire i kahi ʻaelike NASA e hoʻoponopono i ka hoʻoulu ʻana i ka hybrid-electric propulsion ma ka Twin Otter ma ke ʻano he ʻāpana o ka NASA EAP (Electric Aircraft Propulsion). Ke hoʻokō nei ʻo Ampaire a me IKHANA i kēia papahana NASA. Ke hui pū nei nā hui ʻelua e loiloi i nā ʻano hoʻonohonoho diesel hybrid / uila no ka mokulele, a e hoʻomohala i nā kumukūʻai, hoʻonohonoho a me nā hoʻolālā hoʻohaʻahaʻa pilikia no kahi pae hou o ka hoʻomohala ʻana i nā mokulele.
ʻO ka pahuhopu hope loa ʻo ia ka paionia i kahi ʻano ʻokoʻa uila hybrid hou o ka mokulele RWMI DHC-6-300HG™ Twin Otter o IKHANA. ʻO kēia mokulele 14,000 lb. (6350 kg) e hoʻopuka ma luna o 1MW o ka mana holoʻokoʻa a lawe i 19 mau ohua a me nā ukana, ʻoiai e loaʻa ana ka hoʻemi nui ʻana i ka hoʻohana wahie. Hoʻoikaika kēia hoʻoikaika ʻana i ka hui pū ʻana o Ampaire a me IKHANA no nā hoʻokolohua lele a me ka hoʻomohala ʻenehana ma nā mokulele ʻelua Ampaire Electric EEL ʻeono noho hōʻikeʻike lele, ʻo ia nā māhoe Cessna 337 i hoʻololi ʻia no ka mana uila hybrid. Ke hoʻohana nei i ka ʻenehana propulsion hybrid plug-in o Ampaire, ua wehe ka hybrid Twin Otter i nā mea hiki ke wāwahi i ka lepo no nā mea kūʻai kīwila a me ke aupuni.
"ʻO ka electrification o 19-seat commuter aircraft he mea hiki ke hoʻopōmaikaʻi i nā mea hoʻokele a me nā mea kaʻa, ʻoiai e hōʻemi ana i ka hoʻokuʻu ʻana o ka lewa a me ke kōkua ʻana i ka ʻoihana mokulele e hoʻokō i kāna mau pahuhopu ulu kalapona," wahi a Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. "ʻIke mākou i ke kākoʻo o NASA ma ke ʻano he hōʻoia o ka hoʻolālā retrofit a Ampaire. He ala haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa, hiki ke loaʻa i kahi hybrid/electric, a ʻo ka hope he uila piha, ka wā e hiki mai ana. Hoʻokaʻawale kēia hoʻolālā retrofit iā Ampaire mai nā papahana hoʻomohala hou.
Ua wehewehe ʻo Noertker i ke koʻikoʻi o ka māhele 19-noho i ka holomua i ka lele uila. "ʻO ka noiʻi ʻana o Ampaire i ka mākeke mokulele e hōʻike ana i ka hapakolu o nā hoʻokuʻu mokulele i helu ʻia e nā ʻāpana ala ma lalo o 1,000 mau kilomita. Loaʻa iā mākou ka ʻenehana i kēia lā no ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i kēia mau ʻāpana ala, ma nā mokulele a hiki i 19-noho., ʻoiai e hele mai nā hoʻonā uila hybrid no nā mokulele nui i ka wā lōʻihi. Hiki iā mākou ke loaʻa kahi hybrid uila Twin Otter i ka lawelawe i loko o kekahi mau makahiki. ʻO ia ka mea e hana ai i kēia kaʻina hana mua no NASA groundbreaking. E loaʻa i kēia noiʻi kahi noi ākea ma mua o ke kahua ʻo Twin Otter.
"ʻO ka Twin Otter kahi mokulele ʻokoʻa like ʻole me ka maʻalahi o ka hana ʻana ma ke ʻano he commuter kūlanakauhale, kahi mokulele nahele kua ʻāina, a ma nā noi mikiona kūikawā like ʻole. He kahua hōʻike maikaʻi loa ia no nā ʻenehana electrification a ma ke ʻano he huahana i hōʻoia ʻia e loaʻa i ka mākeke ākea ma kona pono ponoʻī. “Ua hauʻoli ka hui ʻo IKHANA i ka hoʻolaha ʻana i ka ʻenehana hybrid no ka DHC-6 Twin Otter; ʻO ka hoʻololi ʻana a me ka hōʻoia ʻana i nā mana hou e hoʻonui ai i ka pono no nā mea hana ʻo ia kā mākou mea āpau.
