THE FIRST ELECTRIFIED WINGSUIT FLIGHT
Electric mobility by BMW i is conquering the third dimension – the first electric drive system for a wingsuit with which the centuries-old dream of flying can be realised in a completely novel way.
Developed in collaboration between BMW i, Designworks and the professional wingsuit pilot Peter Salzmann from Austria, the Electrified Wingsuit is made possible by an extremely powerful, compact and light electric drive unit and energy storage package. Integrated into the front of the wingsuit, the drive unit comprises two encased carbon propellers – so-called “impellers” – delivering a total output of 15 kW, which is available for approximately five minutes.
When jumping from cliffs or out of an aircraft, Salzmann uses the textile layer stretched between the arms and legs of his wingsuit as a paraglider, gaining up to 3 m of horizontal flight with each metre of descent. Wingsuit skydivers can reach speeds of more than 100 km/h.
The aim of the electric drive system is to increase the performance of the wingsuit in order to achieve a better constant glide flight, thus allowing longer distances to be covered. Upon activation, the pilot experiences immediate acceleration, allowing them to fly at speeds of more than 300 km/h.
For the maiden flight with the Electrified Wingsuit by BMW i, Salzmann was flown by helicopter, together with two other wingsuit pilots, over the mountain tops of his Austrian homeland. Directly after the jump from an altitude of 3,000 m, all three flew in formation in the direction of a mountain massif. With the aid of the electric drive Salzmann accelerated faster than his colleagues and was able to fly across the peak in steep flight. After flying a further curve, he met up with the other two pilots who had flown in glide flight around the mountain.
The three wingsuit pilots finally opened their parachutes and landed at the agreed destination.
The Electrified Wingsuit by BMW i demonstrates perfectly which previously undreamt-of possibilities can become reality with the help of electric mobility.