Alpha Electro 

The 2-seat electric trainer: the greenest way of learning to fly!

Performance of the Alpha Electro 2-seat electric trainer is tailored to the needs of flight schools. Short take-off distance, powerful 1000+ fpm climb, and endurance of one hour plus a 30 minute reserve. The Alpha Electro is optimized for traffic-pattern operations, where 13% of energy is recuperated on every approach, increasing endurance and at the same time enabling short-field landings.

Ivo Boscarol, CEO of Pipistrel says: "With the ever growing cost of fuel it is time to rethink pilot training. Our solution is the first practical all-electric trainer! Technologies developed specially for this aircraft cut the cost of ab-initio pilot training by as much as 70%, making flying more affordable than ever before. Being able to conduct training on smaller airfields closer to towns with zero C02 emissions and minimum noise is also a game changer! Alpha Electro meets microlight and ASTM LSA criteria, as well as standards for electric propulsion and is already certified in France. More countries will follow soon and we are applying for an exemption with the FAA to allow training operations as an S-LSA. Alpha Electro is our 5th electric aircraft project and the second to result in a commercial product."

The prototype WATTsUP was developed in partnership with Siemens AG, who provided the electric main propulsion components, and represents the next generation of Pipistrel's electric aircraft. Every single element of aircraft has been refined to be lighter, more efficient and more reliable. The 85 kW electric motor only weighs 14kg and is more powerful than the popular Rotax 912 series, typically used on microlights and LSAs. The 17 kWh battery pack is dual-redundant and designed to be either quickly replaceable within minutes or charged in less than one hour, thanks to the next generation of Pipistrel's Battery Management technology. The airframe uses proven features from hundreds of Pipistrel's aircraft flying worldwide.

Frank Anton, Executive Vice President Traction Drives and the initiator of electric aircraft development at Large Drives, Siemens AG, says: “Siemens is developing electric drive systems with highest power-to-weight ratio for aircraft propulsion. Only with innovation we can solve the problems of rising fuel costs, rising passenger demand and rising environmental regulations. Innovations used in the WATTsUP will be instrumental in making aviation more sustainable in the long run. As electric drives are scalable, we can expect, that in the future also larger aircraft will use electric propulsion. The world is becoming electric, whether in the air, on land or at sea.”

Alpha Electro has been developed, in part, through WATTsUP project.
Click here for more info: http://wattsup.pipistrel.si
WATTsUP project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 683959.

Pricing (Updated 15/09/2021)

The price is Euro 133 000,- excl. VAT, ex. delivery and registration

Please Contact us for more information.

Alpha Electro technical data

model	WATTsUP
Motor	Electric motor
power	50 KW+ at 2200 rpm
Propeller	Fixed pitch wooden 1800 mm (71 inch) diameter propeller with protected leading edge
PROPORTIONS
wing span	34,4 ft (10,5 m)
length	21.33 ft (6.5 m)
height	6.07 ft (2.05 m)
wing area	96.6 sq.ft (9.51 m2)
rudder area	11.8 sq.ft (1.1 m2)
horizontal tail area	11.6 sq.ft (1.08 m2)
aspect ratio	11,3
positive flaps	0°, 15°, 25°
center of gravity	20% - 38% MAC
WEIGHTS
empty weight (without batteries)	552 lbs (251 kg)
empty weight (with batteries)	831 lbs (377 kg)
payload	380 lbs (173 kg)
max take off weight (MTOW)	1212 lbs (550 kg)
weight of std battery system	277 lbs (126 kg)
PERFORMANCES	DATA PUBLISHED FOR MTOW 1,212 lbs (550 kg) All speeds in Knots
stall with flaps	37 kts
stall without flaps	43 kts
cruising speed	85 kts
max. horizontal speed at sea level	105 kts
VNE	135 kts
max. speed with flaps down	70 kts
maneouvring speed	86 kts
best climb speed	75 kts
max climb rate	1,350 fpm
best glide ratio speed	64 kts
best glide	15:1
take off run MTOW	492 feet (150 m)
take off over 50' obstacle MTOW	885 feet (270 m)
service ceiling	16,000 feet
45°-45° roll time	2.6 sec
endurance	1 hour (PLUS 30 min reserve)
cruise range distance	108 NM (200 km)
max load factor permitted (x1,8)	+4g -2g
design safety factors & tested	minimum 1.875

Pipistrel reserves the right to revise the above data whenever occasioned by product improvement, government/authority regulations or other good cause.
The design basis follow the strictest EASA CS-22, CS-VLA and CS-23 (sections), as well as rules applicable to ultralight/microlight aircraft (LTF-UL 2003, etc.) and ASTM-LSA standards.
Ultralight/Microlight certification basis varies from country to country, therefore the actual certificated data may be different from stated above. Please check the certifications link.