VoltAero's Cassio 330 had a starring role in its US debut at AirVenture
The 2023 EAA AirVenture fly-in enabled a broad spectrum of the aviation sector and the public to see VoltAero's Cassio 330 and to learn about the company's vision for the future of hybrid-electric aircraft. VoltAero brought its full-scale Cassio 330 mockup to Oshkosh, which attracted a steady flow of visitors to the company's outdoor exhibit in the main display area. As part of its activity, VoltAero organised a press conference for international journalists, who were provided with an update on the Cassio aircraft family's development and certification process.
Jean Botti, the CEO and Chief Technology Officer, underscored VoltAero's approach of "revolution by evolution," which includes the company's in-flight validation of its electric-hybrid powertrain on a testbed aircraft during the past three years, leading to the first flight of the no. 1 Cassio 330 scheduled for late this year. "We will fly the Cassio 330 initially in pure thermal version to validate the aircraft's aerodynamic configuration, which is 50 percent more efficient than any aircraft flying today in the same category," Botti told journalists at the press conference. "This will be followed by flight tests and certification with the Cassio 330 equipped with its electric-hybrid powertrain."
One of the VoltAero Oshkosh exhibit's highlights was the display of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd.'s four-cylinder and six-cylinder piston engines that are to operate with hydrogen, providing a look at the future of the Cassio aircraft family's powertrain. This is part of the Japanese company's roadmap as it enters the general aviation marketplace, with Kawasaki Motors serving as both an engine supplier and a strategic investor in VoltAero. For the nearer term, Kawasaki Motors' gasoline-fuelled engines will power the Cassio 330, with testbench operations already underway.
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