VoltAero’s Casio 330 To Feature A Hybrid Powerplant
Story and photos by Ken Kula
A mock-up of the Casio 330 was displayed at the record-setting 2023 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh celebration of flight; the media briefing that was given beside the craft gave an insight to the future hybrid power design that will greatly reduce carbon emissions.
The first Casio 330 airframe is under construction, and is expected to fly before the end of this year. It will feature a hybrid power plant tandem design with electric motors and a normally-aspirated engine for its initial stages of testing. Later though, a Kawasaki hydrogen-fueled engine will complete the tandem power plant arrangement. VoltAero is already using the Casio 1, a modified Cessna 337, as a testbed for their hybrid engine combination. This includes a Safran ENGINeUS© electric engine with a maximum of 180 Kw of power.
VoltAero expects to build a family of the Casio aircraft… after the 4 to 5 passenger Casio 330 will come the 6-passenger Casio 480 and finally the 10-seat Casio 600. The spacious 330 mockup had plenty of room inside the cabin, and minimal cockpit controls with flat screen digital displays and a single throttle handle.
Kawasaki Motors will supply a modified 4-cylinder Ninja H2R motorcycle engine for initial use in the Casio 330. Interestingly, the Kawasaki company was involved in aircraft before becoming a worldwide player in motorcycle design and development. Because motorcycle motors are lightweight, adapting one to an aircraft makes a lot of sense. Later, by 2030, a 6-cylinder gasoline-powered motor is planned to be certified for these lines of aircraft, and by 2035 the motor should be certified to burn hydrogen as its primary fuel, although the use of biofuel has also been discussed.
The AKIRA Technologies company of France will integrate the electric and “thermal” motors in the Casio aircraft. A combination of electric power (electric power for quiet taxiing, take-offs, climbs and descents) and thermal engine (during long range cruise) will save fuel, and during longer flights (more than 150 km.), the internal combustion engine can actually charge the batteries of the electric engine in flight. For added safety, if one of the two power units fail in flight, the other motor can safely allow the aircraft to land.
The Casio family of aircraft are envisioned to be used by air taxi operators, regional commercial airlines, cargo, parcel and medical evacuation flights, and personal use. The aircraft will be manufactured at the VoltAero company headquarters, located in France at the Rochefort Charente-Maritime Airport.
