eFlyer 2 | |
---|---|
Role | Electric training aircraft |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Bye Aerospace |
First flight | 10 April 2018 |
Status | Under development (since 2016) |
Number built | 1 |
Variants | Bye Aerospace Sun Flyer 4 |
The Bye Aerospace eFlyer 2 (formerly the Sun Flyer 2) [1] is a light electric aircraft designed and under development by Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado.
The aircraft was first publicly introduced on 11 May 2016, and first flew on 10 April 2018.
The two seater is designed for the flight training market with a single tractor electric motor powered by Lithium-ion batteries.
The design was originally developed by Bye Aerospace subsidiary Aero Electric Aircraft Corporation (AEAC). [2] [3] Arion Aircraft of Shelbyville, Tennessee constructed the proof-of-concept prototype [4] and delivered it in March 2016. [5]
The eFlyer 2 was first publicly introduced at the Centennial Airport in Colorado on 11 May 2016. [3] Ground and taxi tests on the prototype were started in November 2016. [6] A four-seater derivative model, named the Bye Aerospace Sun Flyer 4, was announced in July 2017. It will be a day/night IFR aircraft with an 800 lb (360 kg) payload, capable of 150 kn (280 km/h) maximum cruise speed and a 4.2 hour endurance. [7] [8]
The eFlyer 2 first flew on 10 April 2018. [9] [10] AEAC and Bye Aerospace merged in 2018 and Bye Aerospace took over the project. [11]
Development of the four-seater should follow completion of the smaller eFlyer 2, the certification of which is forecast to cost US$25 million. Bye had received 220 orders for the two models by October 2018. [12] By January 2019, Subaru and SBI Investment invested in Bye Aerospace to advance the eFlyer 2 certification. [13] On 8 February 2019 the eFlyer 2 flew for the first time in its intended production configuration, including with a Siemens SP70D electric motor. [14]
FAA Part 23 Certification was planned for 2020, [15] with Siemens taking an active part. [16]
In November 2020 it was announced that the motor supplier would instead be Safran. [17] In an email to AOPA, George Bye indicated the reason for the change, that Bye Aerospace was “… unable to reach a mutual commercial proposition…” with Siemens/Rolls-Royce. [18]
At AirVenture in July 2021 George Bye of Bye Aerospace stated that the eFlyer 2 will be certified in late 2022 or early 2023 with a target price of US$489,000. [19]
A Bye Aerospace press release in January 2023 announced that the eFlyer 2 “…has reached FAA Approval of its G-2 “Means of Compliance for Certification” issue paper.” [20]
In September 2024, a press release officially announced the initiation of building eFlyer 2 serial #00001 at the Bye Aerospace facility in Centennial, Colorado. See: Bye Aerospace Begins Initial Build of First eFlyer 2
The aircraft is intended to be certified under FAR 23 and supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft. [21] [2] It has been designed specifically for the flight training market and is projected to have a 3.5 hour duration. [2] [3] The eFlyer 2 features a cantilever low-wing, a two-seat side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single electric motor in tractor configuration powered by up to six Lithium-ion battery packs. [2] [5] [3] [22]
The design has a gross weight of 1,900 lb (860 kg) [2] and is made from composite material, primarily carbon fibre. The cockpit employs an iPad used for cockpit instrumentation display, including motor, battery and aircraft systems. The aircraft connects to Redbird Flight Simulations' Sidekick system, which wirelessly tracks the eFlyer's motor, flight time, physical location and attitude in real time when in flight. [2] [5]
The previously-used 57 lb (26 kg) Siemens SP70D had a takeoff rating of 90 kW (120 hp) and 70 kW (94 hp) continuous. Utah-based Electric Power Systems provides the 92-kWh energy storage including battery modules, management and distribution. The 138 kn (256 km/h) cruise aircraft is projected to have hourly operating costs one-sixth of a piston-powered Cessna 172. [15]
The Safran motor announced in November 2020 will be from the ENGINeUS 100 line. [23]
By February 2019, one example, the prototype, had been registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration. [24]
By December 2018 the company had 220 deposits, split evenly between the eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4, [21] growing to 298 by April 2019. [16] In December 2020, the company indicated it had 711 purchase agreements. [25]
The following organizations have ordered the aircraft:
Data from AVweb [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
The Piper M-Class is a family of American light aircraft manufactured by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Florida. The aircraft are powered by single engines and have six seats. Twentieth century production of the class was all piston engined, but turboprop versions called the M500, M600 and M700 (Fury) are now also available.
Sonex Aircraft, LLC is an American kit aircraft manufacturer located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, producing kits for four all-metal homebuilt monoplanes. The company was founded in 1998 by John Monnett, who has designed the Monnett Sonerai sport aircraft series, Monnett Monerai sailplane, Monnett Moni motorglider, and Monnett Monex racer.
The SOCATA TBM is a family of high-performance single-engine turboprop business and utility light aircraft manufactured by Daher. It was originally collaboratively developed between the American Mooney Airplane Company and French light aircraft manufacturer SOCATA.
An electric aircraft is an aircraft powered by electricity. Electric aircraft are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights. Electricity may be supplied by a variety of methods, the most common being batteries. Most have electric motors driving propellers or turbines.
Pipistrel d.o.o Ajdovščina is a Slovenian light aircraft manufacturer established in 1989 by Ivo Boscarol and based in Ajdovščina. Its facilities are located in Ajdovščina, Slovenia, and near Gorizia, Italy. By March 2019, Pipistrel had produced more than 2000 aircraft.
The Pipistrel Alpha Trainer is a Slovenian two-seat, single-engine light-sport aircraft intended specifically for flight training, designed and produced by Pipistrel in Gorizia, Italy.
The Airbus E-Fan is a prototype two-seater electric aircraft that was under development by Airbus. It was flown in front of the world press at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom in July 2014. The target market was intended to be pilot training, but production of the aircraft was cancelled in April 2017.
The Pipistrel WATTsUP is an electric aircraft proof-of-concept trainer design that was built in Slovenia by Pipistrel.
The NASA X-57 Maxwell was an experimental aircraft developed by NASA, intended to demonstrate technology to reduce fuel use, emissions, and noise. The first flight of the X-57 was scheduled to take place in 2023, but the program was cancelled due to problems with the propulsion system.
The Eviation Alice is an electric aircraft designed to accommodate nine passengers and two crew members. First developed in Israel, its construction incorporates 95% composite material, is powered by two electric motors, and has a T-tail. The prototype first flew on 27 September 2022.
The Airbus/Rolls-Royce/Siemens E-Fan X was a hybrid electric aircraft demonstrator being developed by a partnership of Airbus, Rolls-Royce plc and Siemens. Announced on 28 November 2017, it followed previous electric flight demonstrators towards sustainable transport for the European Commission’s Flightpath 2050 Vision. A BAe 146 flying testbed was to have one of its four Lycoming ALF502 turbofans replaced by a Siemens 2 MW (2,700 hp) electric motor, adapted by Rolls-Royce and powered by its AE2100 turboshaft, controlled and integrated by Airbus with a 2 t (4,400 lb) battery. In April 2020, the programme was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bye Aerospace eFlyer4, originally named the Bye Aerospace Sun Flyer 4, is an American electric aircraft under development by Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado. The design was announced at the 2017 AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The aircraft will be type certified and supplied complete and ready-to-fly.
The Bye Aerospace Sun Flyer is an electric aircraft that was developed from the PC-Aero Elektra One by Bye Aerospace's Aero Electric Aircraft Corporation division of Denver, Colorado, United States, introduced in 2015. The company had a license agreement and engineering contract for the design with Calin Gologan, the Elektra One's designer.
Bye Aerospace is an American aircraft manufacturer based in unincorporated Arapahoe County, Colorado. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of electric aircraft, including unmanned aircraft for geospatial role and light aircraft for the flight training role. The company was founded by George E. Bye, who remains the CEO.
The Volocopter 2X is a German two-seat, optionally-piloted, multirotor eVTOL aircraft. The personal air vehicle was designed and produced by Volocopter GmbH of Bruchsal, and first introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen airshow in 2017. The aircraft is sold complete and ready-to-fly. Volocopter was formerly known as E-volo.
Vertical Aerospace Ltd. is an aerospace manufacturer based in Bristol, England. It designs and builds zero emission, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) electrically powered aircraft.
magniX is an electric motor manufacturer for electric aircraft, wholly owned by Singapore investor Clermont Group. The company is headquartered in Everett, Washington, United States.
The VoltAero Cassio is a family of hybrid electric aircraft being developed by startup company VoltAero. The company plans to produce three configurations of the Cassio aircraft: the four-place Cassio 330, the six-place Cassio 480, and the ten-place Cassio 600.
A hybrid electric aircraft is an aircraft with a hybrid electric powertrain. As the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is much lower than aviation fuel, a hybrid electric powertrain may effectively increase flight range compared to pure electric aircraft. By May 2018, there were over 30 hybrid electric aircraft projects, and short-haul hybrid-electric airliners were envisioned from 2032.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro is a Slovenian light aircraft, designed and produced by Pipistrel of Ajdovščina. The aircraft was EASA CS-LSA fully electric type certified in June 2020 and it is intended primarily for the training aircraft role, particularly multiple successive take-off and landings at the airfield. The design is the first type certified electric aircraft and is supplied complete and ready-to-fly.