European technology groups cooperating on electric propulsion for airliners

European aerospace giant Airbus, British high performance power systems company Roll-Royce and German engineering and technology business Siemens have partnered to develop a hybrid-electric propulsion system for commercial aircraft which will be test flown in the near term, the three enterprises jointly announced at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London at the end of November. The flight demonstrator is designated the the E-Fan X and will probably employ the airframe of the four-engine BAE 146 regional airliner. It is expected to fly in 2020.