Bristow Group, the global provider of vertical flight solutions, announced today it has placed a firm order for five electrically powered vertical take-off and landing ALIA-250 (“ALIA”) aircraft manufactured by electric aviation company BETA Technologies. Bristow also confirms it has the option to purchase an additional 50 ALIA aircraft.
In a press release the company reports “The ALIA will have a maximum range of 250 nautical miles and is designed to carry 1,400 lbs of payload or can carry six people including a pilot. With a 50-foot wingspan and a carbon-fibre fuselage, the aircraft uses a single distributed direct-electric propulsion system and has four horizontally mounted rotors that provide vertical lift and a single propeller in the rear to propel the aircraft forward.
“The battery will be charged in under an hour using BETA’s own charging infrastructure, which can be deployed as a standalone fixture to enable airport operations or integrated into a charging pad for off-airport applications.”
For more in formation
(Image: Bristow)