The champions have returned!
Here are some photos from the public reception and press conference below:
The event in Santa Rosa, California, was hosted by the CAFE foundation. (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency.)
More about the Pipistrel aircraft and history can be read HERE. More about this year’s NASA CAFE GFC can be found HERE.
Ivo Boscarol, the general manager of Pipistrel, said:
“We are happy to have had the opportunity to raise the limitations of the electric flight one step higher. What was science fiction three years ago is reality today! Pipistrel has proven that at the moment, aircraft industry has far overtaken the automotive industry – no car in the world is capable of driving 250 miles with the average speed higher than 100 miles per hour and the fuel consumption of less thank one gallon per passenger – what is more, we did this regardless of the weight limitations in aviation and despide huge founding that the automotive industry has.
This achievement was made by Pipistrel and nobody can take this away from us anymore.”
The second place was claimed by the team E-genius of the University in Stuttgart. This means a double victory for Pipistrel, who has been team E-Genius’s development partner. Their aircraft is actually a modified Pipistrel Taurus (wings and fuselage) with a specially developed tail section and an electric propulsion system in the tail. So in a way, Pipistrel’s aircraft claimed the first and the second place!
Just after the results were announced, the team Pipistrel astonished the organizers, the judges, the media and everyone present with a challenge of their own:
Pipistrel’s philosophy has always been to set a goal TOO high and then strive to achieve it.
Therefore they have challenged the NASA, CAFE foundation, Google and the entire global aviation industry!! Pipistrel will donate a part of their 1.35 million prize money towards the prize for the next challenge, the objective of which will be to produce a supersonic electric aircraft.
To conclude, Pipistrel would like to thank the entire team of developers – without your knowledge and hard work, the world’s first 4-seat electric aircraft would not fly!
Thanks to all the Pipistrel employees for their support and hard work, to the organizers for the wonderful and well-prepared competition, to the judges for the job done fair and well and to all the other competing teams.
Thanks to everyone who helped this project in any way and lest but not the least – thank YOU for your support and kind words!
A big THANKS also to all of our sponsors below.
PLATINUM SPONSORS:
Albatross Fly d.o.o.
Transocean Shipping
GOLD SPONSOR:
Albastar
SILVER SPONSORS:
Dynon Avionics
Winter Instruments
Weiss
Zavarovalnica Triglav
NKBM Banka
Kokam
Beringer brakes
Mobitel
BRONZE SPONSOR:
Lingva