Deutsche Aircraft has agreed to support Vaeridion in its efforts to bring the all-electric, nine-passenger Microliner aircraft to market. Under a memorandum of understanding signed on September 23, the German start-ups agreed to collaborate in testing battery technology, as well as structural design and preparations for the manufacturing phase of the program.
As a first step, Vaeridion will be flight testing its battery technology on the D328UpLift D-CUPL flying test bed made available with the support of the DLR German Aerospace Research agency. Deutsche Aircraft is working on an extensive modernization program for the D328 twin turboprop, with plans for a 40-seat version that would operate on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.
Under the agreement, the Bavaria-based companies aim to pool research and technology resources in the belief that their respective aircraft have the potential to revitalize regional air services to underserved communities. Vaeridion aims to certify the Microliner under EASA’s CS23 rules, which Deutsche Aerospace is seeking CS25 certification for its D328eco model.
Both companies operate from the Munich area and have facilities at the AirTech Campus at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport. Earlier this month, Vaeridion announced that it has acquired battery manufacturing and test facilities at that site that were formerly owned by eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium, which went out of business in February.
With battery cells sourced from Molicel, Vaeridion is developing its own battery packs, which will be integrated into the wing of the Microliner. With public funding from the Bavarian and German federal government, it has already built a second wing demonstrator and will use this for systems integration work.
Partners Back Path to Flight Testing
Earlier this year, Vaeridion announced strategic partnerships with Evolito (covering the propulsion system), MT Propeller, GKN Aerospace (aerostructures and wiring system), Dassault Systèmes (IT) and Bosch General Aviation Technology (electric drive technology). It also has a launch customer lined up for the Microliner in the shape of business aviation group ASL, and several other prospective partners have joined its market advisory committee, including Aero-Dienst, Copenhagen Air Taxi, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
According to Ivor van Dartel, Vaeridion’s CEO and co-founder, his engineering team plan to be ready to start wind tunnel tests with a sub-scale airframe in 2026, and battery tests on the DLR test bed could begin in the second half of next year. With the aim of starting flight tests with a full-size prototype in 2027, the company is targeting first deliveries in 2030 for an aircraft that is expected to operate on routes of up to around 217 nm.
“We’re now on a path to first flight and will do [ground] tests on a ‘copper bird’ test bed, first with sub-scale battery systems and at some point moving to full-size,” van Dartel explained. It was the need to produce higher volumes of battery packs that lead Vaeridion to acquire the former Lilium assets.