Collins Aerospace unveils hybrid electric motor prototype

Collins Aerospace has produced the first working prototype of its 500 kilowatt electric motor suitable for Hybrid Air Vehicles’ Airlander 10 aircraft.

The company, Cedar Rapids’ largest employer and a business unit of Raytheon Technologies, made the announcement Wednesday at the Farnborough International Airshow being held this week in England.

The prototype was developed in partnership with Hybrid Air Vehicles and the University of Nottingham. Characterization testing of the motor has begun at the University of Nottingham.

For the 2,000 RPM permanent magnet electric motor, Collins Aerospace said on its website it is aiming for “specific power density levels of 9 kilowatts per kilogram and 98 percent efficiency through the use of a novel motor topology and composite construction.”

The goal of the Airlander 10, which employs non-flammable helium, is to “deliver up to 75 percent reduction in emissions over comparable aircraft,” according to its website.

Collins is designing the motor at its Electronic Controls and Motor Systems Center of Excellence in Solihull, United Kingdom, where it’s also developing its 1 megawatt electric motor and motor controller for the Pratt and Whitney Canada regional hybrid-electric flight demonstrator.

Pratt and Whitney also is a subsidiary of Raytheon.

The two motors are part of what Collins Aerospace calls its “road map for the development of a family of electric motors that can be scaled up or down to meet the needs of various hybrid-electric and all-electric applications across multiple aircraft segments.”

Airlander 10 is scheduled to begin hybrid-electric operation in 2026, followed by all-electric, zero-emission operation in 2030.

Airlander is based in the United Kingdom.