Electric Firefly will feel like a conventional S-300C, says Sikorsky
One day Sikorsky (Booth No.

One day Sikorsky (Booth No. 2737) may be here at a Heli-Expo with an electrically powered helicopter. The U.S. manufacturer is getting closer to the first flight of the Firefly, a modified S-300C light single where the piston engine has been replaced with an electric motor and batteries. The proof-of-concept rotorcraft is expected to have limited endurance but is seen as a stepping stone toward a commercially viable electric helicopter.

The company had hoped to fly the Firefly by the end of 2010, but did not meet that target. “While there are no technical issues, there are a lot of moving pieces, as with any experimental aircraft program,” program manager Jonathan Hartman told AIN. Therefore, he said, the first flight will take place “as soon as we are ready.”

Loading…