Founded in 2016, smartflyer AG is developing a four-seat cruise aircraft with a hybrid drive. While the aircraft will not be able to fly entirely without fossil fuels for the time being, it will have only half the fuel consumption of a conventional aircraft, according to the Solothurn Economic Development Agency.
In addition, a new aerodynamic concept will contribute to improved efficiency by mounting the propeller at the rear on the rudder and not at the tip of the aircraft. “For aerodynamic reasons, the efficiency there is much higher than at the aircraft’s nose,” said smartflyer CEO Rolf Stuber.
The aircraft’s first flight is scheduled for 2021. Project costs were initially estimated at 1.2 million Swiss francs, and the company is receiving financial support from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), which is assuming 72 per cent of the costs through a special financing scheme. However, the costs are now estimated at 2.6 million francs, and smartflyer has submitted a change request to FOCA. The remaining financing will be borne by the smartflyer team.
According to Stuber, hybrid aircraft could breathe new life into the small aircraft market, with potential customers in the area of private aviation and especially in pilot training. What’s more, the company’s hybrid drive concept is scalable and can even be used on larger aircraft.
For now, smartflyer has yet to decide how to market the new development. “We will either sell the technology to aircraft manufacturers or build the aircraft ourselves here in Grenchen,” Stuber said.
The company sees Grenchen as an ideal location for its business, thanks in part to the opportunity to cooperate with University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Several research projects have already been carried out with them in the field of plastics technolog and battery cooling. “The input from the universities of applied sciences is of great benefit to us,” Stuber said.
The company’s choice of location is also strongly linked to Grenchen Airport, where “there is a particularly high affinity for flying”.
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