The Allplane Podcast #41 - electric planes, with David Doral
David Doral, founder of Dante Aeronautical
David Doral is the co-founder of Dante Aeronautical, a Spanish startup that is involved in a number of interesting electric flight projects, from Australia to the Balearic Islands.
One of these projects is that of Australian seaplane operator Sydney Seaplanes (whose founder was also a guest of this podcast!) that intends to electrify its fleet as soon as it becomes technically possible. Dante Aeronautical is working also on a similar project in the Balearic Islands, one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations and one where very short inter-island flights are the norm.
But more recently Dante Aeronautical has been in the news because of a partnership it has formed with two well established airlines, Volotea and Air Nostrum. These two Spanish airlines are looking at possible options for small hybrid-electric aircraft and this has also drawn attention to previous designs of Dante Aeronautical for a prospective all-electric airliner.
We talk with David about all these projects, but more generally about the electrification of commercial aviation, its opportunities and its challenges.
Tune in for a chat about electrical aviation with a professional that is working every day with some of the air operators that are pushing harder in this direction…
Download this episode from:
Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher
Things we talk about in this episode:
The story of Dante Aeronautical & David’s work in the aerospace sector
The clean-sheet electrical plane Dante Aeronautical designed
Why Dante Aeronautical is now focusing on the hybrid-electric retrofit market
Dante Aeronautical’s projects involving seaplanes, in Australia and Spain
Prospects for commercial electric flight
Next milestones for Dante Aeronautical
Resources:
Some pictures of the brand new airliner concept that we mention
Press note (in Spanish) about the joint project with Volotea and Air Nostrum
Podcast with Sydney Seaplanes founder, Aaron Shaw, explaining their electric seaplane project
Some background on the Volotea story
MTorres, the Spanish firm David worked in that makes machines tools for aero composites
MagniX, the electric engine manufacturer that works with Dante Aeronautical
What is a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)
CASA, the Australian aviation authority
Isla Air Express, the new seaplane airline in the Balearic Islands
Ibiza and Formentera, touted as a possible setting for some of the first electric flights
Podcast Music: Five Armies by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3762-five-armies
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Interview Transcript
(please note that, although we strive to make it as close as possible to the original recording, the transcript may not be 100% accurate)
Coming soon…