Rotorcraft
Li-ion Battery 'Tipping Point' Here, True Blue CEO Says
True Blue Power CEO Todd Winter sees much more growth ahead for its batteries in rotor and fixed-wing aircraft.
A True Blue Power TB17 Advanced Lithium-ion Battery under assembly at the company’s Wichita facility. Note the battery’s circuit board, which company officials call the battery management system that regulates a number of its operations including preventing overcharging, communicating faults within the battery and turning parts of it on and off. (Photo: Jerry Siebenmark)
A True Blue Power TB17 Advanced Lithium-ion Battery under assembly at the company’s Wichita facility. Note the battery’s circuit board, which company officials call the battery management system that regulates a number of its operations including preventing overcharging, communicating faults within the battery and turning parts of it on and off. (Photo: Jerry Siebenmark)

It’s taken a decade, but True Blue Power (Booth C3413) president and CEO Todd Winter thinks the threshold has been crossed for broader industry acceptance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. “The tipping point is now people are using [the technology],” Winter told AIN. “We’re delivering for...production aircraft. We know it works. They know it works. Now, it’s actually starting to become commonplace."