The Allplane Podcast #103 - Eric Lithun, the software entrepreneur creating an all-electric seaplane
Eric Lithun is a successful software entrepreneur from Norway, who, after selling the company he had co-founded, focused his efforts on the development of an electric seaplane.
Elfly is a startup developing a new generation battery-powered seaplane.
Electric aviation is tough: energy density is not yet there for most use cases, but this is not the case, Eric thinks, of the many of the missions seaplanes operate nowadays.
In areas like the Norwegian fjords or the Maldives, seaplanes can play an important role linking communities that, while not distant as the crow (or the seaplane!) flies, are separated by some stretch of water that make air transport a desirable and efficient option.
An aircraft that can operate those short distances economically, sustainably and with little need for infrastructure can open up numerous opportunities in this type of places. This is why Elfly plans not only to develop a new generation of electric seaplanes that can be upgraded progressively as new battery technology becomes available, but also to become an operator on its very own, showing to the world the operational and financial feasibility of the concept.
Eric is a fantastic conversationalist that lays out very clearly what. are the the key factors that will make possible for the seaplanes to experience a renaissance of sorts in the coming decades.
Tune in for a fascinating conversation about Elfly and the future of electric seaplanes!
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Things we talk about in this episode
Eric’s professional background and how he got into aviation
The Elfly story, background and current status
Why electric seaplanes have a compelling business case in Norway
How Elfly plans to avoid some of the issues that have prevented a more widespread use of seaplanes
The NoEmi seaplane, features and charateristics
Eric’s plan to serially-produce the NoEmi seaplane
Resources
The previous podcast with Tomas Brødreskift
The announcement of a cooperation agreement between Elfly and the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway, including the vintage-style poster we talk about during our conversation with Eric.
A report by the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) about opportunities for electric aviation in Scandinavia
The NoEmi in flight (as you may see it one day in the Norwegian fjords)
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)