The French start-up Voltaero, which develops small hybrid fuel-electric regional aircraft, presented its first aircraft in its final form on Sunday, a five-seater that it hopes to mass-produce by 2025 and which has already collected more than 200 pre-orders. .
First shown on the eve of the opening of the Le Bourget Air Show, the Cassio 330 applies the principle of plug-in hybrid cars to aviation. Electric for takeoff and landing, guarantee of silence, the aircraft is equipped with a small heat engine that is only started once in flight, to recharge the batteries if necessary. These can also be plugged into the mains when the plane is on the ground.
Voltaero, which has begun construction of an assembly plant in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime), is in the process of certifying its aircraft by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and expects to obtain the green light by the end of 2024. , explains its founder and executive director, Jean Botti, to AFP. “If all goes well, we will start producing the planes for delivery in early 2025,” he added, referring to the ambition of a rate of 150 units per year.
The Cassio, which will be developed in larger versions, is intended for the general aviation sector, cross-links between regional airports. This is a “big market” according to Jean Botti, a former Airbus employee, who also promises “extremely competitive” hourly costs compared to current aircraft.
5.6 million euro grant
Voltaero in turn has the Japanese engine manufacturer Kawasaki and the Italian industrial company Tesi, in addition to Jean Botti and his associates who own 70% of the shares. The company has just received a grant of 5.6 million euros from the French public investment bank Bpifrance.
But he is still looking for “between 10 and 15 million euros of private money,” concedes Jean Botti. The Cassio 330 (by its power, 330 kilowatts), which should make its first test flight by the end of the year, and a replica of the cockpit are on display at Le Bourget, where the prototype used to develop these technologies is located, the ” Cassio S” based on Cessna 337, must perform flight demonstrations.
Botti also hopes that the presentation of the Cassio 330 at Le Bourget will convince buyers and convert the 218 pre-orders registered by his company into firm contracts. In the longer term, Voltaero wants to run its aircraft’s thermal engine, supplied by Kawasaki, on non-fossil fuel, then “green” hydrogen, for completely carbon-free flights.
Source: BFM TV
