Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens team up for electric future ? Rolls-Royce
This looks interesting. Airbus, R-R, and Siemens developing an electric demonstrator aircraft. Specifically, the airframe is a BAe 146 with one engine replaced with a ducted electric fan. The power comes from a 2MW turboshaft generator in the tail - like a big APU (IIRC that's in the same ball park as the 787's electrics). Once that's working they'll swap a second engine.
Questions I have about this:
1) Is the efficiency gain that good it's still worthwhile when the power is coming from a gas turbine?
2) Or is the idea to prove the power electronics and the fan, with a view to getting the power from something else?
3) Are they thinking of a duty cycle change - take-off on turbofan and cruise on turboelectric?