Despite the well documented complications arising out of the Boeing 787’s “more electric” architecture, French engine and equipment manufacturer Safran earlier this month restated that electric systems will replace hydraulics and bleed air in future aircraft at an accelerated rate. The group, which includes companies like Snecma, Hispano-Suiza, Sagem and Labinal, disclosed numbers that highlight how electric systems have become a strategic research area.
Onboard electric power and systems will account for eight to 10 percent of an “all electric” short- to medium-haul jet's value, according to Safran, which has spent €250 million ($350 million) in two research and technology programs. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Clean Sky joint technology initiative has been using Hispano-Suiza’s “copper bird” testbed for aircraft electric networks. In 2009, Safran also created a new entity, Safran Power, employing 130 design engineers and technicians.
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