Toulouse-based Aura Aero will unveil a full-scale mockup of the 19-seat cabin of the in-development hybrid-electric Electric Regional Aircraft (ERA) at the Paris Air Show next month.
The aircraft’s configuration has been “frozen,” meaning the technology and customer requirements are sufficiently well understood to lay industrial foundations for the program.
First flight is scheduled for 2026, simultaneously with the opening of a factory at Toulouse Francazal Airport, which was previously planned for 2024. Entry into service is predicted for 2028, Aura Aero CEO Jeremy Caussade said during a May 12 media event in Toulouse and online.
A feature of the aircraft’s architecture is the distributed propulsion system, involving eight electric motors, up from the previous iteration’s six, and an 800-volt electrical network.
Supplier Safran Electrical and Power has received a design organization approval (DOA) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The DOA makes it the third commercial propulsion company inside Safran, alongside Safran Aircraft Engines and Safran Helicopter Engines, said Bruno Bellanger, general manager of Safran Electrical and Power.
Aura is developing a fly-by-wire control system in-house. It will pave the way for more autonomous flight, Chief Technology Officer Mattia Padulo says. Accordingly, Thales will provide a “single-pilot ready” avionics suite, said Jean-Paul Ebanga, Thales’ flight avionics vice president. When regulation allows it, the aircraft will have the right equipment to be flown by one flight crewmember instead of two, thus cutting the operator’s costs.
Moreover, Thales’ flight management system will be integrated with Aura’s power management system. Thales’ algorithms will thus enable the crew to navigate in the most energy-efficient way, Ebanga said.
The ERA will be available for commercial passenger operations, cargo, business aviation and special missions. Its short takeoff and landing capability will make it suitable for more airports, Chief Commercial Officer Gwenola Robert says. The two turbogenerators will be compatible with 100% sustainable aviation fuel use.
By the end of 2022, the startup had announced letters of intent (LOIs) for more than 330 ERA, which has a maximum payload range of 200 nm and a maximum range of 800 nm, including hybrid reserves.
Meanwhile, Caussade said development of the two-seat Integral E, an all-electric trainer, is progressing. It will also be unveiled at the Paris Air Show before being shipped back to Toulouse to complete the propulsion system’s integration. First flight is scheduled for this year.
May 12 was the last day of test bench activity, Caussade added.
