Photo: Beta
Electric vehicles are very much a thing these days, but electric aircraft not so much. Even if there are plenty of companies working on developing such contraptions, the low speed at which things are going kind of makes it obvious that airplanes powered exclusively by electricity are still a long time away. But that doesn't stop the few existing ones from reaching new and exciting milestones.
You've probably never heard of an aircraft called ALIA, and who can blame you? It's not something that's been in the news that much, it doesn't seem impressive in any way, and its future doesn't look all that exciting.
ALIA is a small conventional take off and landing bird designed to carry people and cargo between airports, from where larger, more capable aircraft can be boarded. Powered by an electric powertrain whose details are not entirely known, it can be used to carry up to six people, pilot included, for distances as long as 288 miles (463 km).
The aircraft is the product of a startup (established in 2017) called Beta. This crew first stepped into the spotlight with a 4,000-pound (1,814 kg) vertical take-off and landing machine called AVA-XC. A year later, the ALIA idea of a a simpler and more refined aircraft was born.
And now, in July 2024, the ALIA made U.S. Air Force history by conducting its first cargo flight on behalf of the military branch during a demo flight. The test took place on July 9, and was used to ship cargo from the Dover Air Force Base in Delawareand Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and the other way around.
The USAF used this plane for the test because it says it was instrumental to the development of the ALIA. The plane flew a lap pattern between the two bases, moving at first 319 pounds (145 kg) of cargo from Dover and then, on the return trip, 222 pounds (101 kg). The journey was completed in 45 minutes for a distance that by road is almost 114 miles (183 km).
The USAF chose to see how using an electric aircraft of this size could be included in its daily operations because this approach has the potential to save money and other resources that would otherwise be tied up in transport missions.
This plane can be ready to go in mere minutes, so it's a time saver as well. It can be quickly charged with the help of a specially developed piece of hardware, and because the battery is mounted low in the plane, it doesn't interfere with the way cargo is loaded into the aircraft.
It's unclear at this point if the ALIA will get a more permanent role in the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Air Force.
ALIA is a small conventional take off and landing bird designed to carry people and cargo between airports, from where larger, more capable aircraft can be boarded. Powered by an electric powertrain whose details are not entirely known, it can be used to carry up to six people, pilot included, for distances as long as 288 miles (463 km).
The aircraft is the product of a startup (established in 2017) called Beta. This crew first stepped into the spotlight with a 4,000-pound (1,814 kg) vertical take-off and landing machine called AVA-XC. A year later, the ALIA idea of a a simpler and more refined aircraft was born.
And now, in July 2024, the ALIA made U.S. Air Force history by conducting its first cargo flight on behalf of the military branch during a demo flight. The test took place on July 9, and was used to ship cargo from the Dover Air Force Base in Delawareand Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and the other way around.
The USAF used this plane for the test because it says it was instrumental to the development of the ALIA. The plane flew a lap pattern between the two bases, moving at first 319 pounds (145 kg) of cargo from Dover and then, on the return trip, 222 pounds (101 kg). The journey was completed in 45 minutes for a distance that by road is almost 114 miles (183 km).
The USAF chose to see how using an electric aircraft of this size could be included in its daily operations because this approach has the potential to save money and other resources that would otherwise be tied up in transport missions.
This plane can be ready to go in mere minutes, so it's a time saver as well. It can be quickly charged with the help of a specially developed piece of hardware, and because the battery is mounted low in the plane, it doesn't interfere with the way cargo is loaded into the aircraft.
It's unclear at this point if the ALIA will get a more permanent role in the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Air Force.
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