18 June 2023
French company VoltAero will unveil its first Cassio 330 electric-hybrid aircraft at the Paris Air Show which opens at Le Bourget Airport on Monday.
It follows several years of testing a prototype based on a Cessna 337 airframe.
“Today marks a true milestone for electric aviation, as VoltAero delivers on its promise to take an all-new approach for quiet, efficient and eco-friendly transportation that is based on a hybrid design combining thermal and electric propulsion for maximum flight safety,” said Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and Chief Technical Officer.
The no. 1 Cassio 330 prototype is targeted to perform its maiden flight in late 2023. This aircraft will be used to validate the overall airframe configuration and aerodynamics of VoltAero’s all-new design for Cassio, and will be powered by a four-cylinder Kawasaki Motors thermal motorcycle engine.
It will be followed by the no. 2 Cassio 330’s maiden flight in the second quarter of 2024. This aircraft will be used for the airworthiness certification program, and is to be equipped with VoltAero’s hybrid propulsion unit composed of the four-cylinder Kawasaki Motors thermal engine with a peak power rating of 165 kW and a Safran ENGINeUS smart electric motor with a peak power rating of 180 kW.
VoltAero has been testing a prototype hybrid Cassio in a Cessna 337 airframe
VoltAero has selected Akira Technologies for the integration and validation of Cassio’s hybrid propulsion unit. Akira specialises in the design and production of energy conversion systems and test benches. It will design and develop the Cassio hybrid propulsion unit’s gearbox, plus mechanical integration and ground testing.
The no. 2 Cassio 330 prototype also will have the full-definition avionics suite from Avidyne, integrating a glass cockpit with new-generation Quantum 14-inch displays for single pilot operation. At the Paris Air Show, VoltAero’s stand includes the Avidyne cockpit panel configuration, highlighting its dual PFD/MFD (Primary Flight Display/Multifunction Display) layout with 4K resolution.
The Cassio 330 will have a four/five-seat interior configuration, followed by the six-seat Cassio 480 with a combined electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, and the Cassio 600, which is to be sized at a 10/12-seat capacity with electric-hybrid propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.
VoltAero is also looking at sustainable fuels for Cassio’s hybrid propulsion unit, including biofuel and hydrogen. Currently, VoltAero’s Cassio S testbed aircraft is performing flight validations of VoltAero’s hybrid power unit with biofuel. And as part of its Paris Air Show exhibit, VoltAero is displaying a Kawasaki Motors thermal engine that operates with liquid hydrogen, which will be used on Cassio 330 aircraft in the future.
The Cassio family of aircraft will be aimed at 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.
VoltAero will assemble the Cassio aircraft in a purpose-built facility at the Rochefort Charente-Maritime Airport in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
