The sophisticated electric drive system was specially developed for the Antares and it is the soul of the Lange concept.
The EM42 electric motor
The 42 kW EM42 brushless external rotor motor was the first electric motor to be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). With its very high, extremely efficient overall efficiency of > 93 % and maximum torque of 228 Nm, the engine is unique not only in aviation.
The low-vibration propulsion system protects the airframe and is also extremely low-maintenance. Together with lightweight and environmentally friendly high-performance batteries, innovative power electronics and a large-diameter, slow-turning propeller, it is part of a comprehensive, integrated, tailor-made system.
Propeller
Developed and optimized specifically for the Antares, the two propeller blades are attached directly to the external rotor of the electric motor and have a propeller disk diameter of 2 m ( 6.6 ft ). The large diameter combined with low rotational speed results in high propeller efficiency and low noise emissions.
Since the electric motor is not affected by the air density, only the propeller remains as a height-dependent drive component. At 3000 m ( 9840 ft ), the efficiency loss of the propeller is just 4% compared to sea level. This makes the Antares ideal for operation at high-altitude airfields and mountain flying.
