CAFE Green Flight Challenge is funded by NASA & sponsored by google in order to promote green technology and inspire the development of more fuel-efficient air crafts. It is So far the largest prize ($1.35 million) in aviation history & won by team Pipistrel-USA.com of State College, Pennsylvania, by demonstrating Pipistrel-USA, Taurus G4 aircraft. The second place grabbed by team eGenius, of Ramona, California by scooping $120,000.
“NASA congratulates Pipistrel-USA.com for proving that ultra-efficient aviation is within our grasp,” said Joe Parrish, NASA’s acting chief technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Today we’ve shown that electric aircraft have moved beyond science fiction and are now in the realm of practice.”
The main challenge was to fly 200 miles in less than two hours by consuming one gallon of fuel equivalent in electricity per occupant.
Both winning teams used electric powered air crafts & achieved twice the fuel efficiency requirement of the competition just using over a half-gallon of fuel equivalent per passenger.
“Two years ago the thought of flying 200 miles at 100 mph in an electric aircraft was pure science fiction,” said Jack W. Langelaan, team leader of Team Pipistrel-USA.com. “Now, we are all looking forward to the future of electric aviation.”
The competition was held at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, California, under management of Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation under an agreement with NASA. There were originally Fourteen teams registered for the competition, just three teams met all the necesary requirements to compete for the Prize.
Information Source: NASA