AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024 - 65

SPEC SHEET
Pipistrel Velis Electro
Base price: 193,000 Euros
Price as tested: 198,514 Euros
Powerplant / Pipistrel E-811,
57.6 kW max takeoff power
Recommended TBO / 2,000 hr
Propeller / Pipistrel P-812-164-F3A certified
fixed-pitch composite three-blade
Length / 21 ft 3 in
Height / 6 ft 3 in
Wingspan / 35 ft 2 in
Wing area / 102.4 sq ft
Wing loading / 12.9 lb/sq ft
Power loading / 22.9 lb/kW (17.089 lb/hp)
Seats / 2
Cabin width / 3 ft 5 in
Cabin height / 3ft 3 in
Empty weight / 941 lb
Useful load / 378 lb
Payload / 378 lb
Max takeoff weight / 1,320 lb
Battery weight / 150 lb ea
Baggage capacity / none
PERFORMANCE
Takeoff distance, ground roll / 791 ft
Takeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle / 1,342 ft
Rate of climb, sea level / 647 fpm
Max level speed, sea level / 98 KCAS
Endurance w/30-min rsv / up to 50 min
Glide ratio / 15:1
Service ceiling / 12,000 ft
Landing distance at sea level, ISA conditions,
asphalt runway
over 50-ft obstacle / 1,761 ft
ground roll / 600 ft
Recuperation function shortens distances (but
not rolls) by approx. 15%.
LIMITING AND RECOMMENDED AIRSPEEDS
VX
(best angle of climb) / 57 KIAS
VY (best rate of climb) / 75 KIAS
VA (design maneuvering) / 100 KIAS
VFE (max flap extended) / 81 KIAS
VNO (max structural cruising) / 98 KIAS
VNE (never exceed) / 108 KCAS
VR (rotation) / 50 KIAS
VS1 (stall, clean) / 51 KCAS
VSO (stall, in landing configuration) / 45 KCAS
For more information:
Pipistrel.com
All specifications are based on manufacturer's
calculations. All performance figures are
based on standard day, standard atmosphere,
sea level, gross weight conditions unless otherwise
noted. Find more specifications in AOPA's
Aircraft Guide.
aopa.org/aircraftguide
Pipistrel produces its own propeller,
motor, and batteries for the Velis
Electro. Electric powertrain
development challenges include
getting power quickly without
overheating, containing thermal
runaways, redundancy, and software
that manages the system efficiently
and monitors battery health. Cockpit
instrumentation includes an rpm/
power indicator showing the motor
power in kilowatts and an EPSI570C
(electric propulsion system instrument)
that provides information about the
operational state of the system.
" If you're going overnight someplace,
this is what you're going to wear in the
morning, " Ortega says, pinching his shirt.
The 30-percent battery alert sounds
on the base leg to Runway 19. By the time
we taxi back and shut down, it's at 27 percent.
The cockpit display reflects a Hobbs
time of 29 minutes.
The U.S. market
How long will it be before you see a
Velis Electro at a flight school near you?
Although Textron eAviation is building
a Pipistrel distribution network in the
United States, electric aircraft can't be
approved here under current light sport
aircraft rules. The Velis Electro can only
fly in the States as an experimental aircraft,
which means flight schools can't use
it for flight training.
The company has petitioned the
FAA for exemption, and the proposed
Modernization of Special Airworthiness
Certification (MOSAIC) could remove
powerplant and other restrictions for LSAs
as early as next year. Once those regulatory
barriers are removed, Textron eAviation
faces the challenge of convincing flight
training operators the Velis Electro is
worth the investment. Low operating
costs are appealing, but can a school get
enough use out of the airplane to realize
the benefit? The Velis Electro takes about
an hour to charge on a three-phase charger,
and charging times vary by charging
infrastructure. Students can't just gas up
and go as they would in a piston aircraft,
and they'll need to switch airplanes for
their cross-country training. And, since
battery endurance degrades over time,
batteries must be replaced at 500 hours.
Ultimately, operating costs for the Alpha
AOPA PILOT / January 2024
65
http://www.Pipistrel.com http://www.aopa.org/aircraftguide
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024

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