eFlyer 2 Edges Nearer To First Flight Bye Aerospace has been quietly working on their work to advance the eFlyer 2 towards its first planned flight. That first flight is coming up soon as the company is targeting 2027 for certification. Given many of the orders and commitments have come in from overseas customers, this is not just a FAA PART 23 certification endeavour. EASA's PART 22 Certification will also come into play to be complied with.
The company has over 1,000 orders for the eFlyer 2 and the eFlyer 4 models (1,124 to be precise). This has been a long journey for Bye Aerospace after initially applying to FAA certification back in 2018. Since then some aspects have changed which necessitated an update to the application. In terms of the current preparations for the first flight, Bye Aerospace has now revealed some of the suppliers that will provide major components and equipment for the current program to keep it tangibly moving forward. Some of these components include composite structure, powerplant, batteries, and avionics applications. A key component is the Safran Electrical and Power EngineUs 100B1 electric motor, which is EASA-certified and undergoing the FAA validation process, according to Bye CEO Rod Zastrow. The motor will be powered by MagniX USA battery modules, redundant power distribution, and charging equipment. Sensenich Propellers is supplying the propeller.
Closer inspection of some of the components showcase the composite airframe of the aircraft will be done in materials from Toray Composite Materials America, while Composite Approach is building the full-scale eFlyer 2 prototype with the empennage made by Flying S. The nose landing gear and precision-machined components are sourced from Risse Racing. Garmin will provide the touchscreen G500 TXi display and other avionics.
To prepare for the first flight, the eFlyer 2 has undergone structural load testing of the wing, fuselage, and flight controls, and limit-load testing as well as low- and high-speed ground testing. The battery engine assessment truck (aka “the Beast”) is a mobile test rig carrying a forward fuselage, motor, and propeller, and is used for propulsion system testing. The Beast is also helping Bye engineers develop the pilot interface for the electric powerplant, which the company elected to develop in-house. The eFlyer 2 is the world's first all-electric training aircraft. It costs 80% less to operate, recharges in under 30 minutes, and produces zero emissions. For more information: Bye Aerospace Denver, Colorado, USA www.byeaerospace.com ***
