VoltAero has confirmed its selection of Avidyne for the development and supply of avionics to equip the electric-hybrid Cassio 330 in an exclusive agreement.
The Cassio 330 will be equipped with a glass cockpit incorporating Avidyne’s new-generation Quantum 14-inch displays in a dual Primary Flight Display/Multi-function Display (PFD/MFD) configuration. In addition to the screens significant size, the Quantum displays provide brightness and synthetic vision system (SVS) capabilities at 4K resolution, as well as processor performance improvements over legacy systems.
Avidyne will customize the avionics’ human-machine interface (HMI) specifically for the Cassio 330’s flight operations, significantly facilitating the pilot workload while managing the aircraft’s electric-hybrid propulsion system.
By accumulating and processing all aircraft information and delivering it in an intuitive manner, the avionics suite will simplify the pilot’s decision-making process, as well as improve flight safety and simplify pilot training. Additionally, the avionics are designed for the connected aircraft environment.
“In developing an all-new airplane family to set the standards for electric aircraft, our exclusive agreement with Avidyne ensures that Cassio’s avionics are just as advanced, innovative and capable for the future operators,” said Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and Chief Technical Officer.
Avidyne President Dan Schwinn added: “The Quantum open avionics platform has been specifically developed to meet the unique requirements of the next generation of hybrid aircraft, and is well aligned to support the Cassio 330’s advanced hybrid electric systems and aircraft missions.”
The Cassio 330 is the first of three Cassio aircraft versions to be developed by VoltAero for seating capacities of up to 12 persons. VoltAero unveiled its no. 1 Cassio 330 prototype at the 2023 Paris Air Show. Also at the Paris Air Show, Avydine’s Quantum avionics suite was shown for the first time, incorporated in VoltAero’s full-scale Cassio 330 cabin mock-up on its exhibit stand.
Designed with a five-seat cabin, the Cassio 330 will be powered by a 330-kilowatt electric-hybrid propulsion system. The follow-on six-seat Cassio 480 will have an electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, while the Cassio 600 is sized at a 12-seat capacity with electric-hybrid propulsion power of 600 kilowatts. All three versions share a high degree of commonality as a result of VoltAero’s modular design strategy.
