20 March 2023
This unusual looking aircraft is the Cormorant Seaplane, an electrically powered multi-mission amphibian being developed by a Dutch company.
Cormorant Seaplanes’ boss Chris Rijff said the company is developing “a revolutionary new, electric, amphibious, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, possibly to be made using nature’s original, renewable, composite material: wood.”
Rijff said the Cormorant would have a hydrogen fuel cell to power the electric motor and 1.2 metre diameter fan at the rear. That’s said to deliver takeoff power of 520kW (697bhp) and max continuous power of 258kW. A maximum speed of 220kias is claimed, with a cruise of 188kias and a stall speed of 66kias.
Cormorant recently announced a round of funding from an unlikely source – the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE 2) programme based in Kirkwall, Scotland. It also revealed a new partner to work on the airframe, Leichtwerk AG based in Braunschweig, Germany, an EASA Part 21J Design Organisation.
Reiner Kickert, CEO at Leichtwerk AG, said, “Supporting innovative aircraft projects from concept to flight testing is one of our specialties. We are especially enthusiastic when these projects will contribute to more sustainable and safer general aviation.”
Chris Rijff added, “This represents a major step toward optimising the flight dynamics of Cormorant prior to the next stage – construction of a flying prototype. We welcome Leichtwerk AG as a valued addition to the community of organisations with which we are collaborating to drive our project forward.”
