10.12.2020

UR-1 aircraft

The Race Air Race E is a test where success does not lie only in the quality of riding but in a multitude of factors.

To date, there is no 100% electric racing aircraft in the world. Each of the eight planes that take part in the race will have been built solely for this purpose. Whether it is the installation of high-performance batteries, a powerful motor or even the pilot interface, everything is new. Crossing the finish line will be an achievement in itself.

At Pie Aeronefs SA, we want to create a high-performance and innovative aircraft. While many competitors are reusing older generation fuselages and wings by incorporating electrical technology - a process called in the jargon "retrofit" - we decided to create a tailor-made aircraft.

The idea behind this choice is simple, we want to develop the most efficient aircraft in terms of mechanics and aerodynamics, but also to test new concepts that we can subsequently incorporate into commercially available planes.

General

Profile view of electric swiss racing plane
Mass: 400 kg
Wingspan: 6.6 m
Length: 4.7 m
Height: 1.5 m
MAC : M 0.93
Aspect Ratio : 7
VNE : 320 kts
Fixed landing gear

Engine

3D image of EMRAX 348 engine for the UR-1 Swiss electric aircraft

Our electric motor EMRAX 348 is intended to develop 150 kW (203 HP) during the race. It is fixed to a lightweight and sturdy carbon fiber propeller. The propeller has a fixed pitch, meaning that it is not possible to change the angle of the blade depending on the speed, as it is normally the case on powerful engines.

Motor
Mass: 41 kg
Size: 34.8 x 10.7 cm
Max power: 380 kW
Propeller

Mass: 1 to 3 kg
Diameter: 1.86 m

Batteries

3D image of a battery of the Swiss electric racing aircraft UR-1

The aircraft will be equipped with a set of 12 high-performance batteries developed for our aircraft.

Learn more about our batteries in the following article.

Each unit:

Mass: 8 kg
Dimension: 176x675x65mm
Capacity: 1.15 kWh
Voltage: 55.5 V

V Tail

Schematic of the V-tail of the Swiss electric aircraft UR-1

When a wing flies, the air flows around it in generating lift. However, all surfaces in contact with that flow also generate a certain amount of "drag".

There are basically two types of drag to which a wing is subjected: induced and parasite.

An airplane tail, also called “empennage”, is generally made up of three surfaces: a vertical rudder and two horizontal stabilizer. When using a V-shaped tail, we reduce the number of dragging surfaces. The main effect is a noticeable reduction in the interference drag which will allow our plane to go faster.