General Aviation News

Swiss E-sling Electric Light Aircraft Takes off

Swiss E-sling Electric Light Aircraft Takes off

The first flight of an electric aircraft called “e-Sling” (electric Sling), developed by students and faculty at ETH Zurich, took place recently.

The project, which began in 2019, mainly focuses on research and testing the power succession and modular battery use in a four-seat electric aircraft.

The aircraft is based on South Africa’s Sling TSI four-seat nested homebuilt aircraft. The current maximum motor power is 110 kW, the maximum continuous power is 75 kW, whilst the maximum take-off weight is 950 kg, the cruise speed is 160 km/h, and the range is 250 km.

The TSI aircraft is a new model developed by Sling based on its Sling 4 four-seater aircraft, which first flew in 2018 and is currently sold as a homebuilt aircraft.

The aircraft uses a Rotax 915 turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 140 hp (105 kW).

INDUSTRY REPORTS