VoltAero Cassio will be presented to the public for the first time at the France Air Expo

VoltAero has chosen the France Air Expo trade fair to present, for the first time to the public, its Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft.

VoltAero is developing a family of hybrid electric aircraft for uses that include commercial flights on point-to-point regional routes, air taxi / charter operations performed by regional airlines, deployment in various utility category applications, but also for private owners.

The aircraft will be offered in three versions that can accommodate four to ten seats, each of which shares a high degree of modularity and similarity.

"We are particularly proud to welcome the Cassio as a world premiere at the 2021 edition of the France Air Expo. VoltAero is a French company, based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, demonstrating, if it is still needed, that our aviation industry is ready to meet the challenge of the aviation of the future.

France Air Expo, which will open its doors on June 17-18-19, 2021 at Lyon-Bron airport, will also offer conferences on the themes of the aircraft of the future, among others.

VoltAero’s proprietary Cassio design is based on a sleek, aerodynamically-optimized fuselage, a forward fixed canard, and an aft-set wing with twin booms that support a high-set horizontal tail.

Seating from four to 10 persons, Cassio will have a flight duration of at least 3.5 hours – providing a highly-capable and reliable general aviation platform for private owners, air taxi/charter companies, commercial flights for point-to-point regional travel, and for use in other utility-category (cargo, postal delivery, Medevac) applications.

It will be certified to Europe’s EASA CS23 certification specification as a single-engine, general aviation category aircraft, and is designed from the start for a low cost of ownership.

Cassio will be offered in three versions, each sharing a high degree of modularity and commonality:

• Cassio 330, a four-seat configuration with propulsion from a combined hybrid-electric power of 330 kilowatts;
• Cassio 480, configured with six seats and a hybrid-electric propulsion power of 480 kilowatts;
• Cassio 600, with a 10-seat capacity and hybrid-electric propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.

The VoltAero flight demonstrator, the Cassio 1 aircraft, is validating Cassio’s powertrain configuration, de-risking it for airworthiness certification.

Initial deliveries are targeted for 2023, beginning with the four-seat Cassio 330 version.

Cassio aircraft will be produced at a purpose-built final assembly line in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of southwest France, with VoltAero leading a world-class team of partners and suppliers. Licensed production opportunities will be pursued in North America and Asia.

At full rate, VoltAero anticipates producing approximately 150 aircraft annually.

Performance 

•  Autonomy: 3.5 hours (extension possible to 5 hours) 
• Range: 800 miles 
• Cruise speed: 200 knots 
• Take-off/landing distance: less than 1,800 feet 
• Maximum takeoff weight: Under 2.5 metric tons (EASA CS23 certification) 
• Availability: 10 hours/day (equivalent to approximately eight rotations daily)