SOLAR SHIP AND CANADIAN CABIN ADVENTURES SIGN LOI TO DEVELOP ELECTRIC BUSH PLANES FOR CARBON NEUTRAL ADVENTURES IN NORTHERN CANADA.
Apr. 24, 2019
Today, Solar Ship and Canadian Cabin Adventures announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to develop electric bush planes.
Solar Ship will develop a 6 passenger electric float plane starting with converting a Zenair Gavilan by replacing its 350 horsepower combustion motor with a 300 kW (400 hp) electric motor providing a range of 160 km at a speed of 250 km/h. Solar Ship will develop a float plane version of its Caracal aircraft to accommodate 8 passengers, with a range of 160 km at a speed
of 50 km/h using Solar Ship’s hybrid aircraft design.
Canadian Cabin Adventures President Josh Varickanickal: “I worked at Solar Ship for four years developing these aircraft so I know the technology intimately. I know the design and approach to safety and I witnessed the performance superiority of these aircraft. Electric bush planes are coming into the marketplace much faster than people think. I do not see this as a risk-taking entrepreneurial move. My partners and I see this as mitigating risk – the technology is safer, cheaper and more reliable than combustion aircraft. I know this because I witnessed it. We are just taking the next natural step – buy the aircraft and start the shift to carbon neutral operations in Canada.”
Solar Ship’s CEO, Jay Godsall: “Josh came to us over 5 years ago and said he wanted to change the adventure business by converting the bush plane industry to electric. He brings a fanatical attention to detail when it comes to all aspects of safety, maintenance and regulation. Josh knows the bush plane industry extremely well and he knows electric bush planes are safer than combustion planes and far more profitable to operate. What might seem like a pioneering move on the outside, feels like a baby step for us working with Josh because we have been getting up at 4 a.m. with him for years testing and evaluating the systems and mastering this technology. As climate change brings more pain to northern Canada, entrepreneurs should be rewarded for converting to clean electric bush planes, boats and cabins, as Josh is doing.”
ABOUT SOLAR SHIP
Solar Ship Inc. is a Canadian company with its head office in Toronto and operations in Ontario, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Solar Ship develops electric aircraft and aerostats to service remote areas. The aircraft uses two forms of lift: static lift, generated by buoyant gas like an airship, combined with the aerodynamic lift of a bush plane. This creates the capacity to fly large loads into areas without infrastructure and it enables the aircraft to fly without the use of fossil fuels. Aerostats use similar materials as the aircraft and do not use fossil fuels. Aerostats provide low cost, solar powered internet connectivity in remote areas.
ABOUT CANADIAN CABIN ADVENTURES
Based in Red Lake Ontario, Canadian Cabin Adventures was formed to create a a carbon neutral Canadian adventure experience. A partnership between the child of immigrants, Josh Varickanickal and a veteran bush plane operator, one of Canada’s icons in fly-in fishing adventure tourism, Bruce Lavigne, Canadian Cabin Adventures combines the tradition of fly-in adventures with clean technologies to offer global adventurers with a peaceful immersion into Canadian wilderness.
For more information, contact
Jay Godsall, CEO, Solar Ship | [email protected]
Josh Varickanickal, CEO, Canadian Cabin Adventures | [email protected]
Today, Solar Ship and Canadian Cabin Adventures announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to develop electric bush planes.
Solar Ship will develop a 6 passenger electric float plane starting with converting a Zenair Gavilan by replacing its 350 horsepower combustion motor with a 300 kW (400 hp) electric motor providing a range of 160 km at a speed of 250 km/h. Solar Ship will develop a float plane version of its Caracal aircraft to accommodate 8 passengers, with a range of 160 km at a speed
of 50 km/h using Solar Ship’s hybrid aircraft design.
Canadian Cabin Adventures President Josh Varickanickal: “I worked at Solar Ship for four years developing these aircraft so I know the technology intimately. I know the design and approach to safety and I witnessed the performance superiority of these aircraft. Electric bush planes are coming into the marketplace much faster than people think. I do not see this as a risk-taking entrepreneurial move. My partners and I see this as mitigating risk – the technology is safer, cheaper and more reliable than combustion aircraft. I know this because I witnessed it. We are just taking the next natural step – buy the aircraft and start the shift to carbon neutral operations in Canada.”
Solar Ship’s CEO, Jay Godsall: “Josh came to us over 5 years ago and said he wanted to change the adventure business by converting the bush plane industry to electric. He brings a fanatical attention to detail when it comes to all aspects of safety, maintenance and regulation. Josh knows the bush plane industry extremely well and he knows electric bush planes are safer than combustion planes and far more profitable to operate. What might seem like a pioneering move on the outside, feels like a baby step for us working with Josh because we have been getting up at 4 a.m. with him for years testing and evaluating the systems and mastering this technology. As climate change brings more pain to northern Canada, entrepreneurs should be rewarded for converting to clean electric bush planes, boats and cabins, as Josh is doing.”
ABOUT SOLAR SHIP
Solar Ship Inc. is a Canadian company with its head office in Toronto and operations in Ontario, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Solar Ship develops electric aircraft and aerostats to service remote areas. The aircraft uses two forms of lift: static lift, generated by buoyant gas like an airship, combined with the aerodynamic lift of a bush plane. This creates the capacity to fly large loads into areas without infrastructure and it enables the aircraft to fly without the use of fossil fuels. Aerostats use similar materials as the aircraft and do not use fossil fuels. Aerostats provide low cost, solar powered internet connectivity in remote areas.
ABOUT CANADIAN CABIN ADVENTURES
Based in Red Lake Ontario, Canadian Cabin Adventures was formed to create a a carbon neutral Canadian adventure experience. A partnership between the child of immigrants, Josh Varickanickal and a veteran bush plane operator, one of Canada’s icons in fly-in fishing adventure tourism, Bruce Lavigne, Canadian Cabin Adventures combines the tradition of fly-in adventures with clean technologies to offer global adventurers with a peaceful immersion into Canadian wilderness.
For more information, contact
Jay Godsall, CEO, Solar Ship | [email protected]
Josh Varickanickal, CEO, Canadian Cabin Adventures | [email protected]