Hybrid-Electric Aicraft Engine Targeting 30% Fuel Efficiency

Not “30% fuel efficiency”, but an improvement of 30%.

FTA: “The project aims to demonstrate up to 30% improved fuel efficiency for a typical 250-nautical-mile regional turboprop mission”

I think there are startups making a similar sort of engine for general aviation. It's good to see that there is development of the same idea for commercial aviation.

This isn't like a hybrid car. It's a parallel hybrid, where the gas engine is just big enough for efficient cruise at altitude, and the electric motor/generator provides extra power for takeoff and ascent (or go-around power), and then charges slowly during cruise if needed.

This means that the battery is quite small and light, having only enough charge to take off and get to altitude.

I suspect that this system probably improves safety as well, if architected properly. If one or both of the gas engines fail, so long as they are not seized, that electric motor can still provide some power for diversion.

This is very clever: instead of focusing on electric only flight, just make the existing engine fly in the most efficient window while the electric engine buffers the flight profile.

Like a big-boy prius.

Only AI stories show up now, so they had to call it an Ai craft I guess.

I wonder if during descent instead of cutting power alot to control speed it can instead use the energy to charge the batteries.

anything that gets rid of leaded fuel on prop aircraft is a win even if 0% efficiency improvement

1300 HP electric engine power, now that's an achievement.

I do wonder if prop engines can act as "windmills" (similar to turbine engines, which often in accidents still have been found to provide a bit of hydraulic power), which means regenerative braking could be used instead of speedbrakes.

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Nothing on recharging the battery in the landing phase, so room for improvement.