ABOVE: Aura Aero aims to deliver around 15 Integral R units to customers in 2025

French manufacturer has certified its first aircraft – the two-seat, aerobatically-capable Integral R -six years after the company’s inception, and in line with timescales suggested last year. With the receipt of EASA CS-23 type certification, serial production will ramp up, with the first customer deliveries to follow in January 2025.

“This is the materialisation of five years of relentless work and most of all, the recognition of our credibility as a full aircraft manufacturer with DOA/POA approvals and certification,” emphasized Aura Aero co-founder and president Jérémy Caussade.

The flight test campaign of the nosewheel Integral R variant was concluded last month, drawing to a close four years of what Aura Aero described as “a rigorous process of testing and technical evaluations”. Over 250 hours were flown, complemented by the production of over 100 technical files and over 12,000 pages of documentation. However, it was a campaign marred by tragedy, with a fatal crash in 2022 claiming the lives of both pilots and destroying the prototype. 19 months later, in November 2023, the R recommenced its test campaign.

“I am very proud today of how far we have come,” elaborated William Dufaud, co-founder, executive director and head of airworthiness. “We would like to thank all those who believed in us and who supported us in this project, our customers, our investors and our teams. But there’s more to come! We are now aiming for FAA certification for the US market.”

The Integral R is also the first aircraft to be certified in the CS-23 category, in aerobatics conditions, with a whole aircraft rescue ballistic parachute, added co-founder and chief operations officer Fabien Raison. He added that Aura Aero’s customers “will be able to access all the data to analyse their flights and will benefit from predictive maintenance to anticipate breakdowns”.

The taildragger variant, the Integral S, continues to progress with its flight test campaign with certification expected in the second half of 2025. Aura Aero is also expecting certification of its all-electric E variant – which performed its maiden flight earlier this month – within two years.

IMAGE: AURA AERO