Safran Electrical & Power is to equip Bye Aerospace's eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4 aircraft with ENGINeUS electric smart motors.

Bye is FAA-certifying the two-seat, all-electric eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi and advanced training uses. All of its current and future families of aircraft feature exemplary engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions that produce no CO2 and are designed to answer compelling market needs. These needs include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO2 emissions and decreased noise. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer will eliminate the release of millions of metric tons of CO2 each year for flight training alone.

The ENGINeUS product line includes a broad range of electric motors with power outputs from single digit to 500 kW. The ENGINeUS 100 product line, which will equip the eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4, delivers very high performance and features a fully integrated motor controller within the machine. The thermal management is provided by an optimised air-cooling system, jointly integrated by Safran and Bye Aerospace into the aircraft structure.

“We have concluded that Safran's ENGINeUS 100 smart electric motor is the optimal production solution to meet the requirements of our rigorous FAA and EASA certification schedules for eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4,” says George E. Bye, CEO. “Our list of future eFlyer purchase agreements, currently at 711 units, continues to grow, and we must continue forward at a high-tempo pace to meet the demands of aviation enthusiasts worldwide who have been waiting years for all-electric airplanes to come to market.”

“Safran is extremely proud to collaborate with Bye Aerospace, which has developed a strong vision for the future of electrical flights, from the eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4 to commuter and regional airplanes,” adds Hervé Blanc, executive VP and general manager of the power division at Safran Electrical & Power. ”This new contract demonstrates the success of our ENGINeUS product line and confirms the strong interest of the market in our approach to further increase the electric powertrain performance while simultaneously progressing the certification and production system readiness.”