Elfly lanseres som King Air killer - AIN

 

Akkurat som for elbiler: Mangler rekkevidde, men en god begynnelse. (Red.) April 22, 2021 View in browser   •   Email Editor Bye Electric eFlyer 800 Seeks To End King Air’s Reign Bye Aerospace today unveiled plans to enter the business aviation market with the eFlyer 800, an all-electric aircraft powered by a pair of Safran Engineus electric motors. The twin will be able to carry seven passengers and two pilots on flights of up to 500 nm at 320 knots, the company added. The new model will compete with existing turboprop models such as the Beechcraft King Air 260 and Daher TBM 940, albeit with less than one-third of the range. Denver-based Bye Aerospace indicated it expects to complete type certification by 2026, but said that it already has “customer deposit agreements” from undisclosed air taxi, charter, and cargo operators in the U.S. and Europe. Bye Aerospace is working toward FAA Part 23 type certification for its two-seat eFlyer 2 model, which will mainly be used for flight training. It is also developing a four-seat eFlyer 4 aircraft that could also be used for air taxi and cargo missions. Both are also powered by the Safran motors, which have a power rating ranging from 50 kW to 500 kW. The company claims that operating costs for the eFlyer 800 will be one-fifth of comparable jet-A-powered aircraft, based on the assumption that electricity will cost less than fuel and that electric motors will require less maintenance than turboprop engines.