NASA Reveals Its First Electric Aircraft X-57 Maxwell: First Flight Slated For 2020

NASA scientists have developed an electric aircraft which will be capable of taking passengers to different places. NASA has showcased its first-ever version of its all-electric aircraft known as - the X-57 Maxwell. The aircraft was unveiled at NASA's aeronautics lab situated in California desert.m. Here are the details:

According to the report, the last modification to the electric aircraft added lightweight and narrow wings along with the setup of 14 electric engines. The aircraft also features six smaller lift props at the edge of each wing and two bigger cruise props at the tip of the wings.

The report also suggests that the lift propellers will be active at the time of take-off and landing and it will be pulled in with a mechanism when the aircraft starts cruising. Electric motors are lighter, compact, and simpler to maintain when compared to the traditional combustion engines. Meanwhile, it will also require less energy to fly. Moreover, it will also make less noise, unlike the conventional engines.

NASA might face challenges with improving the battery storage capacity and energy consumption. They have to come up with a solution where they can use the same battery with bigger storage capacity along with fast charging solution. Carrying too many batteries will unnecessarily increase the weight of the aircraft and it might give more pressure on the electric motors.

"The X-57 team is using a "design driver" as a technical challenge, to drive lessons learned and best practices. This design driver includes a 500% increase in high-speed cruise efficiency, zero in-flight carbon emissions, and flight that is much quieter for communities on the ground," reads NASA official website.