VoltAero’s Cassio 1 hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft on Monday embarked on a 2,600 km (1,656 mile) promotional tour of 10 French cities. After departing from Lorient on France’s Atlantic coast, the aircraft was due to make stops at airports in Tours, Le Havre, Toussus-le-Noble (near Paris), Troyes, Dijon, Annecy, Aix-en-Provence, Nimes and Toulouse, before finishing the circuit in Rochefort on July 11.
The purpose of the tour is to demonstrate the sort of short- and medium-range regional services for which the Cassio is expected to be used when it enters service from the second half of 2023. VoltAero is developing a family of aircraft including the four-, six- and 10-seat Cassio 330, 480, and 600 models for scheduled and on-demand flights, with the numbers in each model name referring to the power rating in kilowatts.
The production versions of the Cassio will be powered by three of Safran’s 60-kW Engineus 45 electric motors and a 370-hp internal combustion engine, collectively driving a five-bladed pusher propeller. The Cassio 1 demonstrator has a pair of forward-mounted propellers, each driven by an Engineus 45 motor.
The projected range for the aircraft is up to around 750 miles and with a speed of around 230 mph. They will be able to take off and land in less than 1,800 feet
According to VoltAero, the Cassio aircraft are being designed to be available for 10 hours of daily commercial service, which it says will support the equivalent of around eight rotations daily for regional services. In addition to passenger operations, the aircraft is also expected to be used for cargo, emergency medical support and freight services.
Last week, Airways Aviation, which is based at Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport, agreed to buy up to 15 Cassio aircraft, which it plans to use for on-demand and scheduled passenger services and also for pilot training. VoltAero said that it expects to manufacture around 150 aircraft per year.
During the tour, VoltAero is being supported by its infrastructure partner Edeis, which runs 19 regional airports around France. At each stop, business leaders, aviation companies, airport officials, and local politicians are being given the chance to see the aircraft. As of July 5, the Cassio 1 had made 105 test flights, logging around 76 flight hours in total.
“With Cassio 1’s French tour, we are providing realistic examples of how our future family of Cassio airplanes will bring reliable and eco-friendly air service to regions that–more than ever–require such connections,” said VoltAero CEO and chief technology officer Jean Botti. “Such service will have the full benefits of low-noise operations and reduced CO2 emissions that come with hybrid-electric aviation.”
