Results for: flyer

Bye Aerospace has picked up an order deposit from European carrier, Air2E. The airline announced this week it has executed a purchase deposit agreement for the all-electric eFlyer 800 for its air taxi operations and regional airline operations in Europe.

“The eFlyer 800 is the first all-electric propulsion technology that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety with no CO₂ and extremely low ops-cost compared to legacy turboprop aircraft.” said George E. Bye, Bye Aerospace CEO. “These legacy jet and turboprop aircraft have been solid performers in the air charter market, but at high operating cost contributing to relatively expensive prices and for a small group of business customers. Customers like the ones served by Air2E are demanding greater flexibility and cleaner, more efficient means of transportation. That’s what we aim to deliver with our all-electric eFlyer aircraft.”

“Air2E’s mission is to accelerate the transition to sustainable aviation and now with the eFlyer 800 we are another step closer to this aim.” said Norbert Werle, Air2E’s Founder and CEO. “We intend to build an eFlyer 800 fleet for our AirTaxi service, which is already today the most economical individual flight solutions available. In contrast to large airline operations, small 4 to 10-seat airplanes are the ideal size for a regional network of on-demand flights, consequently providing the fastest road to sustainable and cost-effective individual air-travel with all-electric airplanes like the eFlyer 800.”

Bye Aerospace announced the eFlyer 800 program earlier this year in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility. The company is also in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer’s professional flight training mission and for the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses. All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric system solutions that are specifically designed to address compelling market needs. Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO2 emissions, and substantially decreased operations noise. The company estimates eFlyer will eliminate the release of significant amounts of CO2 each year as its deliveries begin and the current general aviation fleet is replaced.

“At Air2E we see a large demand of our expanding customer base for individual air travel. Every flight generates additional funding for the further fleet expansion towards emission free, sustainable flight as soon as the eFlyer800s become available. Bye Aerospace shares the same vision and provides the ideal airplane. Now it’s time for the customers that want to save time and gain flexibility on business trips to join this pathway towards environmentally sustainable and emission free travel,” Werle said.

Why it matters: Bye receiving its first major eFlyer 800 order marks a key milestone in realizing its commercial dreams. The configuration offers operators a familiar fixed-wing platform that traditional pilots will be comfortable operating. Expect to see more customers place orders as Bye Aerospace begins flight testing and pursues certification.

Source: Bye Aerospace Press Release

Bye Aerospace announced that Rheinland Air Service GmbH (RAS), a European MRO outfit, has completed purchase deposit agreements for five all-electric eFlyer 800 aircraft. RAS will act as an MRO support to eFlyer800 aircraft in Central Europe with its service and support facilities in Germany. Furthermore, RAS will be a designated reseller of eFlyer800 aircraft in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

“We are proud to be investing in the future of sustainable aviation and to be supporting Bye Aerospace in the transformation of flying. The eFlyer800 with its remarkable economy and flight performance will support the European Market while balancing the amount of carbon emissions” said Johannes Schaesberg, CEO of RAS.

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said RAS is an important partner for many reasons, including its physical location in western Germany. “We have known Johannes and his company for 20 years, and recognize the significant role RAS has, supporting business aviation for this important part of Europe,” Bye said.

Bye Aerospace announced the eFlyer 800 program earlier this year in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility. The company is in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses.

All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions are designed to specifically address compelling market needs.  Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO2 emissions and decreased noise. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer will eventually eliminate the release of millions of metric tons of CO2 each year as its deliveries begin and the general aviation fleet is replaced.

Why it’s important: Of late, the conversation within aerospace has shifted from that of triage toward orders and future growth – and the sphere of electric aviation is included in that transformation. In recent months, hundreds of orders for eVTOL aircraft have been announced, and on a higher level, the overall general aviation and light aircraft market is continuing to be burgeoned by the influx of demand for future propulsion technology that allows for reduced carbon emissions and more efficient operations.

Bye Aerospace has announced an eight-seat all-electric twin turbo-prop class airplane, the eFlyer 800, in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility.

Bye Aerospace eFlyer 800

Performance estimates for the eFlyer 800 include up to 320 knot cruise speed, 35,000 feet ceiling and 500 nm range with 45-minute IFR reserves at normal cruise speed of 280 knots. Safety features include two wing-mounted electric motors, each with dual redundant motor windings, quad-redundant battery packs and a full airplane parachute. Additional potential features include emergency auto-landing system, intelligent algorithm ensuring envelope protection, terrain avoidance and routing for emergency auto-land, and also an option for supplemental power solar cells and in-wheel electric taxi. The airplane’s 8-seat configuration consists of up to seven passengers and one or two pilots. The eFlyer 800 will have only one-fifth the operating costs of traditional twin turboprops and is geared for the air-taxi, air-cargo, regional and charter aircraft markets.

“The eFlyer 800 is the first all-electric propulsion technology airplane that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety with no CO₂ and extremely low operating costs,” said George E. Bye, Bye Aerospace CEO. “This type of remarkable economy and performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and advanced battery cell technology that results in significantly higher energy densities.”

Bye Aerospace and Safran are currently assessing the most efficient electric powertrain for the eFlyer 800 (dual ENGINeUS™ electric motors and GENeUSGRID™ electric distribution and network protection system). “Safran product lines with the ENGINeUS™ motors, rated from 50kW to 500kW/1MW and GENeUSGRID™ systems, perfectly fit with the Bye Aerospace portfolio of e-aircraft,” said Hervé Blanc, Executive Vice President and General Manager Power with Safran Electrical & Power. “Building upon our successful cooperation on eFlyer2 and eFlyer4, we are very proud to bring our best expertise to support Bye Aerospace in the design of the new eFlyer 800.”

Bye said eFlyer 800 customer deposit agreements are complete, and several are being developed with U.S. and European air-taxi, air-cargo and air charter services. “Details about those agreements will be announced soon, and as they are finalized,” he said.

Bye Aerospace is in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses. All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions designed to specifically address compelling market needs.  Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO₂ emissions, and decreased noise. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer will eventually eliminate the release of millions of metric tons of CO₂ each year as its deliveries begin and the general aviation fleet is replaced.

Why it matters: Bye Aerospace is extending its product offerings square into the twin-turboprop segment long dominated by the King Air family by Beechcraft. With superior operating costs and customer deposits from a variety of aviation stakeholders, the eFlyer 800 could be the product to finally disrupt the traditional fixed wing aviation space. Expect to see test flights in the near future when Bye Aerospace’s lofty claims about its design will be put to the test.

Source: Bye Aerospace Press Release

Denver, Colorado based Bye Aerospace has begun assembly of the fuselage of eFlyer serial number #001, marking the first assembly steps for the aircraft which has garnered 717 purchase order agreements to date for eFlyer, four-seat eFlyer 4, and other Bye Aerospace all-electric aircraft. The company announced in a press release on Monday, March 1st that the fuselage is being assembled in Warren, Oregon by Composites Universal Group (CUG). CUG will also assemble the Toray carbon composite wings for the production eFlyer 2 aircraft, which are both technically complex composite assemblies that likely reflect similar geometries and manufacturing processes that will be used for aerial mobility aircraft in the future.

Bye Aerospace eFlyer 2 during takeoff. Image // Bye Aerospace

CEO of Bye Aerospace, George Bye, stated that “We are closing several new agreements and expect to make additional market announcements very soon.” which would raise the number even higher than 717.

Also included in the Release was an update on Specific Certification Plans (SSCPs), most of which are near completion and are in final approval coordination with the FAA. “Even with the challenges presented to us by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, our team remains laser focused on collaboration efforts with the FAA on the eFlyer 2’s certification program,” Bye said.

In sorting through the nuance of managing supply chain sources and confirming partnerships with composite manufacturing firms poised to handle an increased rate of manufacturing of electric general aviation aircraft, Bye Aerospace foreshadows what a typical eVTOL supply chain and manufacturing infrastructure may ultimately look like. Paired with SSCP dialogues with the FAA, the design, manufacture, and certification of the eFlyer 2 series of aircraft will undoubtedly afford aerial mobility companies with the opportunity to examine the lessons learned from Bye’s production processes and apply those lessons to generate even more efficient production schema. Further, the sheer quantity of demand for Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer aircraft is indicative of the level of interest in new electric aircraft, whether they be for training, general aviation, or air taxi purposes. The willingness of flight training providers to adapt to these new aircraft will also allow for the realization of reduced emissions during operation, and lower operating costs per hour with simpler propulsion systems.

Why it’s important: Bye Aerospace’s current progress should serve as a building block upon which aerial mobility companies base their production plans. While the specific aircraft being produced will differ, the common features of this production ecosystem will closely mirror those of future eVTOL aircraft, and manufacturers that can already manage the unique requirements of composite production will likely in the future have growing waitlists once aerial mobility aircraft reach their final certification phases.

Bye Aerospace, a growing developer and manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, has partnered with aviation propulsion expert Safran to power its eFlyer2 and eFlyer4 aircraft. The eFlyer2 is an advanced, all-electric trainer aircraft that has already been in the skies quite often for extensive flight testing. A $5,000 deposit is required to pre-order the aircraft, and 711 of these purchase deposits have already been made. According to Bye Aerospace, the purpose of the eFlyer is to create an environmentally sustainable aircraft for flight training and recreational purposes.

Bye Aerospace’s ‘eFlyer2’ all-electric trainer aircraft. Photo: Bye Aerospace

Safran, a global leader in aviation propulsion technologies, has spent much of the past few years preparing both for growing eVTOL markets and for electric propulsion in general aviation aircraft. The company has already established several partnerships for electric propulsion, including with electric aircraft developers Zunum Aero, VoltAero, Bell, and even Boeing. With these partnerships, Safran has created development efforts for eVTOL and for traditional aircraft electric propulsion, as well as created its own electric motor specifically for eVTOL.

According to Safran, its ENGINeUS ^TM product line includes a broad range of electric motors with power outputs from single digit to 500 kW. The ENGINeUS ^TM 100, which will equip eFlyer 2 & eFlyer 4, has particularly high performance and features a fully integrated motor controller within the motor package. The thermal management is provided by an optimized air-cooling system, jointly integrated by Safran & Bye Aerospace into the aircraft structure. Said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, “Bye Aerospace has concluded that Safran’s ENGINeUS ^TM 100 smart electric motor is the optimal production solution to meet the requirements of our rigorous FAA and EASA certification schedules for eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4…We must continue forward at a high-tempo pace to meet the demands of aviation enthusiasts worldwide who have been waiting years for all-electric airplanes to come to market.”

Why it’s important: Companies like Bye Aerospace are expanding the envelope for what kind of performance specifications are possible using all-electric motors. By creating electric systems for traditional fixed wing aircraft, Bye Aerospace is getting electric flight tech in the air sooner rather than later, which will help pave the way for future applications for electric propulsion in new eVTOL aircraft and more. Notably, Bye Aerospace joins Pipistrel, MagniX, and VoltAero by flight testing and even beginning to sell all-electric aircraft.

Bye Aerospace has begun the next phase of its flight test program for its two-seat all-electric eFlyer 2. The latest aircraft built is a technology demonstrator aircraft that will pave the way for the future of electric flight, and the final version eFlyer 2.

Bye Aerospace’s two-seater eFlyer 2 technology demonstrator.

Bye Aerospace’s mission is to develop innovative and effective zero CO2 electric propulsion systems, along with integrations of structural and mechanical systems and aerodynamic advances. With electric aircraft like the eFlyer 2 moving towards production, the future of electric flight slowly is becoming more clear. This next stage of testing for the eFlyer 2 focuses on identifying an efficient and effective propellor for the eFlyer’s all-electric flight, setting the stage for the propellor dynamics of electric aircraft of all kinds, including eventual all-electric eVTOLs. It’s likely that industry discoveries and innovations being made in these traditional fixed wing electric aircraft (like the eFlyer 2, the magniX Cessna Grand Caravan, and the Ampaire EEL Electric Aircraft) will eventually make their way into all kinds of aerial mobility aircraft, including vertical-lift electric aircraft and more. For now, Bye Aerospace hopes that the eFlyer 2 will dramatically reduce operations costs and eliminate C02 emissions within the pilot flight training industry.

The eFlyer 2 in-flight

Said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye: ““Data from these flight tests will help our engineering team determine the most efficient propeller that will maximize the overall efficiency for the typical flight training syllabus requirement. The prototype Rolls Royce electric motor currently on the eFlyer 2 technology demonstrator has varying torque and a large RPM range with a relatively small size and cross-section compared to a conventional internal combustion engine.  Therefore, more of the propeller length is available to provide thrust across a broad range of RPM.” Mr. Bye concluded by mentioning that multiple iterations of the propellor will be tested over the summer against beneficial and unique electric propulsion criteria required for flight training missions.

Watch a full video summary of Bye’s mission below:

Why it’s important: Bye Aerospace is one of the world’s top companies pushing forward the electric propulsion and flight industry. With advancements made by Bye and similar electric aerospace companies, overall contributions to eVTOL aircraft such as batteries, aerodynamics, and propulsion technologies will be vast.

Kitty Hawk has announced this week it is ending its Flyer program to focus on its heavier prototype, Heaviside launched last year. This update is to no surprise as the bulk of the eVTOL/aerial mobility market has shifted from the inception of the Flyer to larger vehicles with the ability to carry multiple passengers. Heaviside fits the bill with a top speed of 180 mph and a range of 100 miles.

Kitty Hawk’s Flyer frame in 2015.

“Today, we are winding down the Flyer project,” Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun and Flyer President Alex Roetter wrote in a blog announcement. “We have learned what we needed from it—things like vehicle design and testing, manufacturing aircraft, and most of all, how humans would experience eVTOL. We are proud to have built the first electrically-powered VTOL aircraft in the world flown by non-pilots.”

It should be noted, the incredible accomplishments of Kitty Hawk’s Flyer program were important in developing a deep understanding and strategy for bringing a commercial eVTOL vehicle to market. During its history, Kitty Hawk built over 111 prototypes and conducted in excess of 25,000 test flights.

In its blog post detailing the sunset of the Flyer program, Thrun and Roetter say that, with the closing of Flyer, they are “doubling down” on Heaviside. Further, Kitty Hawk and Boeing have been working for the past year on a strategic partnership centered on another prototype design dubbed Cora, a semi-autonomous two-seat aircraft (now renamed Wisk).

Why it matters: With an impressive logbook of flight tests completed and technical understanding of developing eVTOL platforms, Kitty Hawk is well positioned to get their Heaviside prototype into flight test with a strong configuration from the start. With backing from the likes of Google co-founder, Larry Page, as well as their Silicon Valley roots, Kitty Hawk promises to be a continued voice in the aerial mobility space, as they embark on a new chapter for the company.

Bye Aerospace, the developer of the two-seat all-electric eFlyer 2 aircraft, announced it has finalized the supplier agreement with Garmin to provide its eFlyer 2 with the full suite of new Garmin G3X Touch avionics.

Garmin’s aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. The company’s portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, an expansive suite of ADS-B solutions and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value. This partnership with Garmin follows another announcement this month regarding a collaboration between OXIS Energy and Bye Aerospace to develop lightweight battery cells for the eFlyer.

Garmin G3X Touch Avionics. // Garmin

“Garmin is supplying the full VFR to IFR instrument capability, ADAHRS, GPS, transponders and standby instruments,” said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace. “We are so pleased that eFlyer 2 will utilize the most advanced avionics technology available. Garmin’s reputation for providing comprehensive, intelligible, superior avionics systems aligns with our goal to provide flight schools and owner/operators with the safest, most reliable, and innovative pilot training aircraft ever produced.”

OXIS Energy and Garmin make up two strong partners for Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer.

“As the trusted leader in avionics, we are very excited pilots have the opportunity to fly behind the G3X Touch avionics suite in the eFlyer 2,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “The G3X Touch in the eFlyer 2 boasts a superior feature set with modern capabilities such as wireless connectivity and synthetic vision, as well as geo-referenced charts, traffic, terrain and more, offering advanced avionics capabilities in a glass cockpit that is both impressive and intuitive. We look forward to continuing our business relationship with Bye Aerospace as they bring the eFlyer family of aircraft to market.”

The eFlyer family of aircraft, including the eFlyer 2 and the 4-seat eFlyer 4, aims to be the first FAA-certified, practical, all-electric airplanes to serve the flight training and general aviation (GA) markets. Learn more about the recent orders placed for the eFlyer by Quantum Air and OSM Aviation Academy.

Why it’s important: As Bye Aerospace markets the eFlyer as an alternative flight trainer or GA aircraft, it is critical that pilots can find and rely on the same avionics and integrated systems found in today’s state-of-the-art aircraft. The commitment from Garmin to supply technology to Bye also demonstrates the manufacturer’s confidence in Bye Aerospace’s ability to certify and fulfill orders for the all-electric airplanes.

Source // Bye Aerospace

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Bye Aerospace is developing an all-electric FAR 23-certified general aviation trainer aircraft, and plans to source lithium sulfur cell batteries from OXIS Energy to satisfy the eFlyer’s powerplant requirements.

Check out a video of the eFlyer prototype’s first flight here. Photo // Bye Aerospace

George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said “New Li-S battery cells from OXIS have the potential to greatly enhance the quality, cost and performance of eFlyer 4 and our other future aircraft projects.” OXIS Energy Ltd is involved in the design, development and now the move towards commercial production of lithium sulfur cells for battery systems.  OXIS manufactures and produces all aspects and components in the making of the Li-S cell.  

The OXIS Energy Lithium-Sulfur battery cell technology offers significant benefits to aviation and as a result, it is collaborating with Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado to produce a common Li-S advanced battery cell for the high voltage battery pack system to be considered for Bye’s future electric aircraft.  These cells will achieve the higher energy density required for such aircraft. The project will commence in September 2019.

Huw Hampson-Jones, CEO of OXIS Energy, said, “Aviation is one of OXIS’ target markets, and in the first instance, Regional Rapid Air Taxi Transportation. A key measure of OXIS’ suitability is to be able to consistently produce cells in excess of 400 Wh/kg, which are already undergoing evaluation. OXIS expects to achieve 500 Wh/kg by early 2020. Our Li-S cells and battery systems are ideally suited for aviation. They are over 50% lighter than the current Li-ion cell and battery systems, with the winning formula of a high energy cell at the power required. The use of the same cell format across batteries will also help our customers to minimise cost and improve serviceability.”

In ground tests in Europe, OXIS has already shown that Li-S has demonstrated a significant improvement in simulated flight duration compared with Lithium NMC; it will now undertake a further series of tests which will provide a robust indication of the OXIS Li-S performance.

Why it’s important: Over the next 18 months, OXIS aims to move towards the production of commercial cells and battery systems; Bye Aerospace already has 60 orders for their eFlyer aircraft from OSM Aviation Academy, upon which they are looking to expand. The new battery technolgy from OXIS has the potential to not only support Bye’s current orders, but also be integrated in to various other electric aircraft being developed by OEMs around the globe.

Source // Bye Aerospace

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