Page 38 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition

AIRCRAFT

TESLA OF THE SKIES IN TWO

YEARS

By Nicholas Zart

eople buy a Tesla because it is electric,
Pcool and has plenty of performance.
What if you could buy an airplane that you
could fly for 100 miles, land and go to a busi-

ness meeting, then fly home a few hours later

after it has recharged at the airport?

A French aviation startup called VoltAero,
which has been moving quickly along those

lines, recently released the final design of

its nine-seat Cassio 2, a hybrid aircraft with
a cruising speed of 230 mph - much faster

than conventional single-prop planes - that

will be able to fly in electric-only mode for

125 miles. The futuristic-looking Cassio 2
could be on the market within two years.
The Cassio 2 is a breakthrough in
electric-aircraft design because it com-

bines aerodynamics and electric-hybrid
propulsion to make it much quieter, more

efficient, and greener than conventional

aircraft its size.

“Airframe design is not enough to reduce
drastically emissions,” said Jean Botti,

founder and CEO of VoltAero.

“You need to find the best optimisation

between the powertrain for the propulsion
and the frame.
“That’s why an electric hybrid airplane is

the most pragmatic solution for emission

reductions.”
VoltAero has moved far beyond its original
Cassio 1, which was loosely based on a Cessna

377, by redesigning the entire concept, adding

new fuselage positions and reconfiguring wing

and tail sections. Looking more like a sci-fi jet our Cassio models. Fortunately, we’re well a four-seat configuration with propulsion

fighter with its ‘push’ propeller in the rear, the ahead of competitors. Now that we’ve from combined hybrid-electric power of 442

Cassio 2 has three lift surfaces that greatly proven our hybrid electric powertrain is horsepower (330 kilowatts); the Cassio 480,

improve its aerodynamics and handling. reliable, we’ll see how it appeals to different configured with six seats and hybrid-elec-

Botti, former Chief Technical Officer categories - from private owners to regional tric propulsion of 644 horsepower (480

of Airbus, and his team at Airbus made airlines, as well as charter, fleet companies, kilowatts); or the Cassio 600, with a 10-seat

aviation history when their Airbus E-Fan cargo, delivery services and even Medevac.” capacity and hybrid-electric propulsion of

became the first all-electric aircraft to fly VoltAero designed the all-composite Cassio 805 horsepower (600 kilowatts). They are

across the English Channel in 2015. 2 with partner Aero Composites Saintonge. designed to fly eight times a day for up to 10
Five years later, Botti and his VoltAero team The one-of-a-kind urban air mobility airplane hours. The Cassio 2 will be much quieter than

plans to do the same with the Cassio 2, but on can be configured different ways, as a ‘mild’ conventional aircraft, flying below the decibel
a much broader scale. There are few teams hybrid four- or six-seater (think the original levels of most airport noise ordinances.
with as much experience in electric-hybrid Toyota Prius with its gas engine and electric “The design represents the latest step

aircraft and Botti himself spent ten years de- motor) or a nine-seater with two Safran in a very realistic and highly pragmatic

veloping fuel cells at General Motors. He sees ENGINeUS 45 electric motors that allow the creation of an all-new aircraft family,”

the nine-seat Cassio 2 with a broad appeal for aircraft to operate solely on battery power. said Botti. “It benefits from our team’s

business aviation, crossing different market VoltAero partnered with Formula E auto- unmatched experience in hybrid-electric

segments, while also being a huge step for- mobile racing company, Solution F to develop aviation, as well as the ongoing full-scale

ward in environmental stewardship. the biofuel Nissan V6 engine that turns the flight testing that removes the risk as we

“Adding sustainability to aviation will be rear propeller while recharging batteries. move toward the production phase.”

key to its future,” Botti said. “Aviation needs Designed to fly up to 3.5 hours, with a Initial deliveries are targeted for the end

to be greener and quieter - and cheaper range of 800 miles, the Cassio 2 will be of 2022. The company has a production

to operate. That’s what we’re doing with offered in three versions: The Cassio 330, facility in southwest France. Q
World Airnews | June 2020
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