VoltAero debuts hybrid powerplant for kit aircraft
SAINT-AGNANT, France - VoltAero has unveiled its HPU 210 aircraft powertrain, which brings the company's patented hybrid-electric propulsion technology to propeller-driven airplanes in the homebuilt, kit-built and very light aircraft categories, AviationPros reports. Continue reading original article.[1] The Military & Aerospace Electronics take: 6 June 2025 -The HPU 210 is equipped with Kawasaki's H2SX thermal engine - which provides maximum power of 150 kW (201 hp), along with a 60-kW (81 hp) electric motor.
In typical operation, the thermal engine delivers baseline propulsive power, while the electric motor kicks in during high-power demand situations, which Volt says results in shorter takeoff distances, enhanced obstacle clearance and increased cruise speeds. The supercharged H2SX is derived from its utilization on Kawasaki's Ninja H2 SX sport motorcycle, tailoring this high performance, four-cylinder in-line engine for airplane applications. It uses electronic fuel injection, and has an estimated time between overhaul of 1,500 hours.
"With the HPU 210, a new category of airplanes will benefit from the patented, proven hybrid propulsion technology pioneered by VoltAero for our Cassio family of regional aircraft, which are now advancing into their pre-production phase," said Jean Botti, VoltAero's CEO & Chief Technology Officer. "We've validated our hybrid propulsion architecture on our in-house Cassio S flying testbed, which has logged more than 185 flight hours and flown approximately 25,000 kilometers in a full range of operating conditions." Related: Electra completes wind tunnel testing for ultra-short takeoff aircraft[2] Related: Anduril to lead UK consortium exploring eVTOL and BVLOS for civil, defense purposes[3]
Related: FAA advances certification of Ampaire's hybrid electric propulsion system[4]
Jamie Whitney[5], Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
References
- ^ Continue reading original article. (www.aviationpros.com)
- ^ Related: Electra completes wind tunnel testing for ultra-short takeoff aircraft (www.militaryaerospace.com)
- ^ Related: Anduril to lead UK consortium exploring eVTOL and BVLOS for civil, defense purposes (www.militaryaerospace.com)
- ^ Related: FAA advances certification of Ampaire's hybrid electric propulsion system (www.militaryaerospace.com)
- ^ Jamie Whitney (www.militaryaerospace.com)