Kawasaki Motors and French hybrid-electric aircraft developer VoltAero are to partner on testing and certifying a range of gasoline piston engines and a liquid hydrogen-fueled engine.
Speaking at the Farnborough Air Show in July, the companies outlined their roadmap for hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion development over the next decade.
Kawasaki’s program aims to deliver several high power, supercharged gasoline engines of various sizes for aircraft that will be certified by 2030.
The company is aiming for the new engines to be the same weight as similar turboshaft engines but with a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 50%. This range of engines will then be converted to run off hydrogen and other e-fuels and certified for use by 2035, with the largest able to output up to 1MW.
Meanwhile, VoltAero will integrate Kawasaki’s gasoline and hydrogen engines into its hybrid-electric Cassio aircraft, the first of which, the five-seat 330 is expected to be certified and flying by 2027.
The five-seat Cassio 330 is non-pressurized with fixed landing gear. Subsequent Cassio variants will be larger, with up to 12 seats and pressurized.
Last year VoltAero said it had chosen Kawasaki’s Ninja H2 motorcycle internal combustion engine to power the 330, and that Kawasaki had made a strategic investment in the company.
Detailing the expanded agreement, Hiroshi Ito, president and CEO, Kawasaki Motors said, “We believe that reciprocating engines have many advantages and great potential to help realize carbon neutrality in aviation. We are going to develop large engines in the 4.5 and 9-litre class which will be designed exclusively for aircraft.”
Jean Botti, CEO of Voltaero said, “It’s clear that reciprocating piston engines will challenge turbines in terms of cost and emissions, at least in general aviation. When you get to 1MW there is no chance for a turbine to be competitive.
“This is the beginning of a game changer. We are going to show the world there is another way to fly which is more efficient.”
The first Cassio 330 aircraft is being assembled and will be ready by the end of this year to start flight tests at the beginning of 2025. The company plans to be flying a second prototype by the end of next year.
VoltAero also announced a partnership with Luxembourg-based charter aviation company Sigma at the Farnborough Airshow to test the Cassio 330 operationally for business aviation uses.
In addition, VoltAero’s 3,000m² manufacturing plant in Rochefort, France is expected to open in September.
