Integral E plane: what if we flew on electricity?

It all started about fifteen years ago, when the three engineers met. Wilfried was responsible for innovation at Assystem Technologies, Jérémy, who holds a master's degree in fluid dynamics, was responsible for the certification of the Airbus A320neo and the famous Beluga XL. Finally, Fabien, elected best worker in France in Mechanics and Production, worked on the Airbus digital transformation platform.

The centenary of one of the most important events in the history of aeronautics would provide the trio with the first opportunity to work on their shared passion. September 20, 2013 marked the centenary of the very first flight over the Mediterranean by Roland Garros, at the controls of the legendary plane built by the two brothers Morane and Raymond Saulnier. "The Mediterranean crossed by airplane," headlined Le Petit Journal at the time, "non-stop from Saint-Raphaël to Bizerte. Leaving the Côte d'Azur at 5:52 in the morning, the intrepid aviator landed in Tunisia at 1:45 in the afternoon."

A first challenge won

This commemoration gave the engineers the crazy idea of ​​making a replica of this revolutionary bird, using modern techniques. Their association Replic'air thus won its bet, and above all achieved its first major achievement in the very demanding world of aeronautics. The team was now going to be able to tackle the great challenge of its time. The Constellation, the 747 and the Concorde had popularized high-capacity long-haul flights; today, the goal for aircraft manufacturers and airlines is no longer to cross the Atlantic, carry 500 passengers or fly at Mach 2. No, this challenge can be summed up in one word: decarbonization.

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg led the way with their famous Solar Impulse which flew around the world without fuel, powered only by solar energy. In Toulouse, to take part in this process, Jeremy, Wilfried and Fabien founded their company, Aura Aero, then proceeded in two stages. They first designed and manufactured two two-seaters, the Integral R, for "Racing", intended for pilots fond of acrobatics, and the Integral S, as "School" for training schools. And in this area, the needs are great: 600,000 pilots will have to be trained worldwide in the coming years. The trio still had in mind the latest in the series: the Integral E, entirely electric. It is now coming out of the hangars and has been preparing for months to make its first flight. Once the authorizations are granted, it will be the first French electric plane to fly over the territory.

"It is easy to convince the market when you have a good plane with a good thermal engine", explains Wilfried. Translate: it is much less obvious with an electric plane. Another advantage of the Integral E: it does not emit any noise in flight. This is exactly what the flying clubs are demanding, whose neighbors complain every weekend about the noise pollution from loop-the-loopers. The Integral E, equipped with a Safran ENGUNeUS engine, aims to be the champion in its category with an extremely low hourly cost and a charging time of only 30 minutes. Aura Aero is also in the process of finalizing a partnership with EDF to install charging stations in airfields.

When you enter the hangar where Aura Aero is located, on the former Francazal military base in Toulouse, you are struck by the marriage of craftsmanship and high technology. We are even more surprised when we discover that these planes are made of wood! To do this, the researchers selected four species for their specific properties, on which carbon materials are glued that will tomorrow be made of linen or bamboo fiber. The plane gains two essential qualities: lightness and rigidity. "In addition, these are recyclable, repairable and inexpensive materials," explains Fabien. A second challenge to take up.

Then our three engineers decided to tackle passenger transport. In this respect, their project is totally disruptive. And the ambition to build a 19-seater hybrid aircraft does not leave anyone indifferent. While it is still only a model and should not enter service for six years, ERA (for Electric Regional Aircraft) has already received more than 500 pre-orders from airlines and aircraft leasing companies, including 200 from Amedeo, a major investor in aircraft leasing. Proof, if proof were needed, that the choices of the three creators of this aircraft seem judicious to the aeronautical world. And if we had to qualify the three founders, it would be with an oxymoron: reasonable madmen!

Why only 19 seats? "It would be utopian, with current technology, to imagine a 40-seater hybrid aircraft," explains Wilfried. In addition, in terms of regulations, a 19-seater aircraft has a huge advantage: it can fly with a single pilot and does not have to have cabin crew. "We started from scratch." It was indeed from a blank page that our inventors designed this suppository-shaped aircraft and, above all, achieved unmatched energy efficiency per passenger. It is thus equipped with eight engines when its thermal competitors only have one, sometimes two. The three engineers are also working on their aircraft on a voltage of 800 volts, unknown in aeronautics. This requires multiple test and certification campaigns.

If the bet is met, the ERA will be the aircraft of the world's regions. In Europe alone, more than 500 "routes" have been listed, mainly cross-country connections poorly served by train and complicated by car. The company is supported by Airbus, Safran, Thales, Innovacom and the Occitanie region. It will expand to invest in new buildings of 56,000 m² thanks to the Toulouse metropolitan area, owner of the land at the end of the Francazal runway, with the aim of increasing the number of employees from 250 to 1,300.

To finance these projects, the three protagonists have carried out two fundraising rounds and called on crowdfunding, which has enabled the company to broaden the diversity of its shareholders. They have also just been awarded the European Innovation Council (EIC), which will give them access to an additional European financial grant of 17.5 million euros. As you can see, our three inventors work 24 hours a day. When we tell you that aeronautics is only a matter for enthusiasts.