VoltAero announced last week it has started certification testing of its electric-hybrid powertrain for the company’s Cassio 330 five-seat version aircraft, reports a press release. The ground-based test bench runs of Cassio 330’s powertrain are underway at the Bayonne, France facility of AKIRA Technologies.
The release explains, “Installed on a ground-based test bench, this powertrain integrates the key elements for series production Cassio 330s: Safran Electrical & Power’s ENGINeUS™ 100 smart electric motor; and Kawasaki’s four-cylinder high-performance thermal engine derived from the iconic Ninja® motorcycle.”
It continues, “The Cassio 330’s powertrain has a combined electric-hybrid power of 330 kilowatts, with 180 kilowatts delivered by the ENGINeUS™ 100 electric motor and 150 kilowatts provided by the Kawasaki thermal engine.”
Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and CTO, commented, “Full-scale powertrain certification testing for our Cassio 330 marks another important step in VoltAero’s commitment to produce a new-generation electric-hybrid aircraft family, bringing together our proprietary powertrain with an airframe that is optimized for aerodynamic and operational efficiency.”
Botti pointed out the VoltAero’s overall architecture for the 330 powertrain has been validated already after extensive flight testing with the company’s Cassio S testbed airplane, equipped with a powertrain version rated at 600 kilowatts, viewed as the most powerful electric-hybrid system of its type flying today.
The electric-hybrid powertrain for VoltAero’s Cassio 330 aircraft is shown on the testbench
Cassio S has performed more than 230 flights since October 2020, surpassing the combined 170-flight-hour mark while covering 15,000 kilometres and visiting 40-plus airports.
The release goes on, “The VoltAero parallel electric-hybrid propulsion concept for Cassio is unique, with the aircraft using the electric motor in its aft fuselage-mounted propulsion unit for all-electric power during taxi, takeoff, primary flight (if the distance traveled is less than 150 km) and landing.”
Adding, “The hybrid feature – with the internal combustion engine integrated in the powertrain – comes into play as a range extender, recharging the batteries while in flight. Additionally, this hybrid element serves as a backup in the event of a problem with the electric propulsion, ensuring true fail-safe functionality.”
Via this integration, Cassio can deliver a higher performance as compared to the current competition, while providing significantly lower operational costs.
Jean Botti
Certification for the Cassio 330 is aimed for late 2025 and will be followed by the six-seat Cassio 480 with a combined electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, and then the Cassio 600, sized at a 10/12-seat capacity with electric-hybrid propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.
The various aircraft uses will include regional commercial operators; air taxi/charter companies; private owners; as well as in utility-category service for cargo, postal delivery and medical evacuation (Medevac) applications.
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