Bye Aerospace has announced an eight-seat all-electric twin-turboprop class passenger aeroplane in response to the growing demand for regional electric air travel with significantly reduced operating costs, as well as increased capacity and utility.
Bye Aerospace's new eFlyer 800 model hopes to revolutionise the eVTOL market. Credit: Bye Aerospace
The eFlyer 800 is the latest model from the Denver-based company, which claims performance estimates in the range of 320-knot cruise speed, 35,000 feet ceiling and 500 NM range with 45-minute IFR reserves at a normal cruise speed of 280 knots.
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Safety features include two wing-mounted electric motors, each with dual redundant motor windings, quad-redundant battery packs and a full aeroplane parachute.
The company have also laid plans for further features like an 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 company claims the operating costs clock in at under one-fifth of traditional airliners, specifically designed for the burgeoning air-taxi, air-cargo, regional and charter aircraft markets.
Bye Aerospace's CEO, George E. Bye claims the eFlyer 800 is the first of its kind in terms of twin-turboprop design designed to operate at low costs with few CO2 emissions.
He said: “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 added that the 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.
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“Details about those agreements will be announced soon, and as they are finalised,” he concluded.
The product's design is being aided by space tech group Safran. The two companies will jointly assess the most efficient electric powertrain for the eFlyer, aided by electric motors and electric distribution and networking systems.
Hervé Blanc, Safran's executive vice-president said: “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.
"Building upon our successful cooperation on eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4, we are very proud to bring our best expertise to support Bye Aerospace in the design of the new eFlyer 800.”
According to a statement released by the company, Bye is currently seeking certification for professional flight training missions for another of its models, the eFlyer 2, and advanced training operations for its four-seat eFlyer 4 to meet market needs.
All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions designed to specifically address compelling market needs.
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The company claims the primary benefits of their systems are significantly reduced CO2 emissions and reduced noise, both of which present persistent problems within the aviation sector.
Aviation is considered a "high-risk" or difficult to decarbonise industry. Actively attempting to reduce emissions for the sector has become essential in the energy transition and net-zero goals.
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