Hungarian Engineers Assist in Aviation Breakthrough

Rolls-Royce's team in Hungary, Italian aircraft manufacturer Tecnam and Austrian engine manufacturer Rotax have achieved a major breakthrough in revolutionizing aviation and making it even more sustainable.

Following several successful ground tests, a unique hybrid-powered experimental aircraft took to the skies for the first time on December 21, 2021, the first in the world to be powered by an integrated parallel hybrid propulsion system. The test flights proved that a small aircraft equipped with a hybrid-electric propulsion system is more efficient and energy-saving, using up to 20% less fuel than a conventional internal combustion engine-powered aircraft of the same size. This results in significant emissions reductions.

The design, manufacture and integration of the electric propulsion system, electric motor, inverter, battery and control system for the Tecnam modified P2010 aircraft was the responsibility of the Hungarian Rolls-Royce team.

The advanced technology built into the aircraft enables fuel consumption and emissions reduction, as well as flight analysis, as the system collects comprehensive data in real time during flight to ensure optimal operation. The creation of the propulsion system also reflects Rolls-Royce's global sustainability objectives to contribute to the company's goal of carbon neutrality in aviation and the aviation industry as a whole by 2050.

The H3PS (High power, Hybrid powertrain and High-scalability aircraft) is one of the major projects of the Rolls-Royce Hungary team in which a flight test has been successfully carried out. The

The H3PS (High power, Hybrid powertrain and High-scalability aircraft) is one of the major projects of the Rolls-Royce Hungary team in which a flight test has been successfully carried out. The program, which was completed with outstanding results, also strengthens the long-term collaboration with Tecnam, as the two companies joined forces to bring to market an all-electric commuter aircraft.

program, which was completed with outstanding results, also strengthens the long-term collaboration with Tecnam, as the two companies joined forces to bring to market an all-electric commuter aircraft.

According to Zoltán Koltai, Head of Global Manufacturing, Rolls-Royce Electrical, "the successful maiden flight of the H3PS aircraft is a pioneering achievement for the Hungarian Rolls-Royce team in the development of hybrid-electric flight. The program has demonstrated our ability to design, manufacture and install a fully integrated system and has provided further flight experience in hybrid-electric flight. The knowledge gained here will be used by Rolls-Royce Hungary in future international projects to create higher performance hybrid propulsion systems capable of powering a 19-seat commuter aircraft."

The Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Hungary Dr. György Balázs Gergely, highlighted that "thanks to H3PS, we have further increased our competencies in the development of pure electric and hybrid-electric power conversion and propulsion systems for aviation. Our Hungarian colleagues are working as part of an international team to revolutionize aviation, such as the development of an all-electric propulsion system for an eVTOL (electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. Rolls-Royce is committed to achieving sustainable carbon neutral aviation."