France-based VoltAero unveiled the production configuration for its Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft family on Wednesday. The Cassio 330 will seat four and have a 330-kilowatt hybrid-electric propulsion system. The 480-kilowatt Cassio 480 will seat six and the 600-kilowatt Cassio 600 will seat ten. VoltAero is intending to certify the Cassio family under EASA CS23 certification specifications as a single-engine general aviation category aircraft.
“The Cassio production design’s unveiling represents the latest step in our realistic and highly pragmatic creation of an all-new aircraft family,” said VoltAero CEO Jean Botti. “It benefits from our team’s unmatched experience in hybrid-electric aviation, as well as the ongoing full-scale flight testing that removes the risk as we move toward the production phase.”
The Cassio aircraft family will be powered by two wing-mounted electric motors—each driving a forward-facing propeller—and a proprietary hybrid power module that combines a 300-kW (402-HP) internal combustion engine with three 60-kW (80-HP) electric motors. The engine will drive an aft-facing pusher propeller during cruise flight and charge onboard batteries. The Cassio is expected to have a range of approximately 800 miles and cruise speed of around 200 knots. As previously reported by AVweb, VoltAero began flight testing its Cassio 1 test bed aircraft, which is based on a Cessna 337 airframe, in March. The company is targeting the end of 2022 for the first deliveries of the 330 model.
Looks like they forgot to include the “forward facing propellers” in the rendering. A common hazzard when herding vaporware.
Being a canard design, I assume pitch control is done with the forward winglets. So, not sure of the purpose of the rear horizontal tail. Also, with the wing mounted so far back, pitch changes would be very pronounced for the passengers. Not much fun in turbulence.
Three-surface types like this usually put the elevators on the trailing tail. The configuration permits the main wing to reach CLmax (a no-no for pure canards) thus reducing minimum speed.
The idea was to reach 200 kn something not reached by single propeller airplanes. As to the other questions. Botti was Airbus ex-CTO. It could be assumed they figured out most of that stuff?
Actually, the two wing-mounted Safran electric motors will only be on the 660 kW 9-seater Cassio 2. I confirmed with them.