Erik Lindbergh announced the 2011 electric aircraft prizes at AERO-Friedrichshafen for the following:

Best Electric Airplane- 
In the best airplane category, there were several noteworthy candidates. It was very difficult to determine a winner, as all of the finalists have done a great job creating the new world of electric  flight. The finalists were:
• The Hugues Duval Electric Cri-Cri with power by Electrivia.
• The Pipistrel Taurus Electro
• The Sunseeker II solar airplane by Eric Raymond

The winner is: The Pipistrel Taurus Electro

Best Electric Propulsion:

In the best electric power system category, there were many new developments at AERO. In the judging, our experts gave strong consideration to the commercialization and scalability potential of the systems reviewed. The finalists are:

• The LZ Design FES (front engine sustainer) system.
• The Rapid 200 Fuel Cell propulsion system from Polytechnic Torino.

The winner is: The LZ Design FES system

The ’Outstanding Achievement Award’ went to the Solar Impulse team of Bertrand Piccard and Andre’ Borschberg for their pioneering work on the Solar Impulse.

The Outstanding Achievement Award is granted for significant achievement in the field of electric flight for a single event or cumulative effort in any of the following areas: engineering, design, public outreach, regulatory, or education. We believe that the flights of Solar Impulse compare with my Grandfather’s flights in the Spirit of St. Louis, and the flights of SpaceshipOne, in that each shifted public perception of the potential of their respective industries

These efforts had their own extraordinary challenges and evolved in different ways, but they each took a nascent industry and moved it into mainstream consciousness. This is a critical step toward reaching a tipping point that will move the aviation industry into the future. From a spectacular original vision to assembling a world class team to the execution of the test flight program to the educational outreach, Solar Impulse has helped to bring the electric aircraft industry to its tipping point.

(top left) Wolfgang Von Zeppelin, Cornelius Dornier, Bertrand Piccard, HSH Prince Albert II, Andre’ Borschberg,  Erik Lindbergh, Sergei Sikorsky, Yolanka Wulff  and International LEAP student team members from the United States, Monaco and Germany.

LEAP Symposium   First Families of Flight  

 Wolfgang Von Zeppelin, Cornelius Dornier, His Serene Highness- Prince Albert II, Erik Lindbergh, Bertrand Piccard, Sergei Sikorsky-  discussion moderated by Yolanka Wulff

Danger HOT!!

In late February we participated in an extraordinary meeting at Argonne National Labs south of Chicago. The Electric Aircraft Industry forum is a newly formed group of industry stakeholders working to accelerate the development of the electric aircraft industry. We got a fantastic tour through several facilities including the area where they test all the new electric cars on dynonometers, develop new charging technologies, engines and all sorts of cool stuff. Driving around the campus alongside elevated cooling pipes and giant domes with neutron accelerators with 15 foot thick cement walls and an extra foot of steel pique your curiosity about each project and where they might take us in the future. Our host, Don Hillebrand briefs us that Argonne is all about displacing oil as fuel in our society. The photo is of a multifuel engine that Argonne is testing.  Cant wait to head down to Sun n Fun for our LEAP Student Presentations and work on the TV documentary series – more on those next post!