+VIDEO It’s been a busy couple of months for VoltAero, the French startup developing a range of hybrid-electric powered aircraft.
First, on 11 October it’s Cassio 1 prototype made its first flight fitted with the new hybrid-electric power unit at VoltAero’s Royan-Médis Airport home base in southwest France.
Second, VoltAero agreed a deal with Sonaca Group to further develop and manufacture its range of Cassio aircraft.
And third, just this week, VoltAero has been selected by the European Innovation Council as one of the game-changing start-ups and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to receive multi-million-euro funding.
VoltAero was chosen for an initial €2.1 million grant, and also is designated for ‘blended financing’ at a higher value that includes an equity portion of up to €11 million.
VoltAero was among the very top-rated companies in a jury’s assessment of 2,077 candidates for this European Union project funding.
Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and Chief Technology Officer, said, “The European Union project funding keeps us on track for our highly pragmatic and realistic strategy to create an all-new hybrid-electric aircraft family, with the goal to initiate deliveries of production-version Cassio airplanes in 2023.”
VoltAero’s Cassio design brings together a sleek, aerodynamically-optimised fuselage, a forward fixed canard, and an aft-set wing with twin booms that support a high-set horizontal tail.
The hybrid-electric power module combines three 60kW high-performance electric motors, arranged in a triangular configuration, with a 370hp internal combustion engine.
This is the configuration intended to be fitted to VoltAero’s largest production Cassio aircraft version, the 10-seat Cassio 600. The plan is to deliver a total hybrid-electric power of 600kW (800hp), giving a 200kt cruise speed.
In regular operation, the power module’s electric motors will be used for low-noise takeoffs and landings, with the internal combustion engine serving as a range extender and for recharging the Cassio’s batteries while aloft.
VoltAero’s series/parallel hybrid power module can operate in modes from full electric to full hybrid, depending on the mission profile and range requirement.
Both the electric motors and internal combustion engine are linked to a common shaft that drives a five-blade pusher propeller. That means each can operate independently with one source acting as a backup in case of a problem or failure of the other.
VoltAero Cassio 1 prototype
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VoltAero Technical Director and test pilot Didier Esteyne flew Cassio 1 for the flight tests. He said, “I felt very comfortable with its performance from the first takeoff. The power module provides a real propulsive ‘kick,’ and I look forward to opening the aircraft’s flight envelope.”
VoltAero has tied up with Belgium’s Sonaca Group to develop the airframe for its Cassio family of 4, 6 and 10 seat hybrid-electric aircraft.
Sonaca Group produces the two-seat Sonaca 200 training aircraft but also has extensive aerospace manufacturing expertise. The company will take Cassio from its current design status into a production-ready aircraft and will oversee the aircraft’s manufacture.
“Our partnership with Sonaca Group takes us one very important step closer to production,” said Botti.
VoltAero plans to offer Cassio in three versions, each sharing a high degree of modularity and commonality. They are:
- Cassio 330, a four-seat configuration with propulsion from a combined hybrid-electric power of 330 kilowatts
- Cassio 480, configured with six seats and a hybrid-electric propulsion power of 480 kilowatts
- Cassio 600, with a 10-seat capacity and hybrid-electric propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.