Electric-hybrid aircraft have taken another step from the exotic to the practical with VoltAero unveiling the production model of its Cassio 330 five-seat regional passenger aircraft that combines quiet efficiency with the most spacious cabin in its class.
At last week's Paris Air Show, VoltAero showed off a mock-up of the new production configuration of the company's Cassio 330 aircraft that maintains the futuristic, streamlined profile that incorporates a tweak of the propulsion system and tail section.
Designed for low-cost operations as well as conforming to Europe's EASA CS23 certification specification as single-engine, general aviation category aircraft, the Cassio 330 is designed for regional passenger, cargo, medical evacuation, and air taxi/charter services.
It's based on a 440-bhp (330-kW) electric-hybrid propulsions system that uses two Safran ENGINeUS electric motors mounted in nacelles on the rear fuselage. Supplementing the battery banks that power these motors is what the company calls a "thermal engine," which is an interesting way to refer to a Kawasaki four-cylinder engine. During taxiing, climbing, and landing, propulsion is fully electric, while the engine is used to charge the batteries during cruise flight. For safety, the Cassio 330 uses dual-battery strings and dual-channel stator windings in the motors to maintain partial operation in an emergency.
The Cassio 330 has a cruising speed of 200 knots (230 mph, 370 km/h). Under full electric mode, it has a range of 110 nautical miles (127 miles, 200 km) and 650 nautical miles (750 miles, 370 km/h) in hybrid mode. Its wing configuration allows the aircraft to handle runways of under 1,800 ft (550 m) and its electric motors drop its noise profile to four decibels in flight and noiseless while taxiing.
Meanwhile, the aerodynamic fuselage as a forward fixed canard while the tail has been tweaked by replacing the prototype twin-boom tail with a T-tail to avoid structural damage if there's a propeller failure. Inside, the cabin is the largest in class by height and width and forward is a full glass cockpit with Avidyne avionics with Quantum 14-inch displays designed for single-pilot operation.
VoltAero anticipates a production run of 150 aircraft per year.
"As we take another step toward the Cassio 330’s production, our strategy remains unchanged: using safe and efficient electric-hybrid propulsion and power technologies that are realistically available today, applying them to a conventional takeoff/landing aircraft for sustainable regional transportation using existing airport infrastructure," said Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO & Chief Technology Officer at the Paris Air Show unveiling.
SourceL VoltAero
