Bye Aerospace, which started production of its electric two-seat eFlyer earlier this year, has announced it is developing an eight-seat, all-electric twin. 

A Bye spokesperson said the design is in response to growing demands for regional all-electric mini-airliners, which will offer significantly reduced operating costs. The eFlyer 800 will also be a contender in the lucrative utility market, which is currently dominated by Beechcraft’s best-selling King Air series. 
Performance estimates for the eFlyer 800 include a top cruise speed of 320kt, a 35,000ft ceiling and 500nm range, with 45-minute IFR reserves at the normal cruise speed of 280kt. It will have powertrain supplied by Safran. 

Safety features include two wing-mounted electric motors, each with dual redundant motor windings, quad-redundant battery packs and a full aircraft Ballistic Recovery Parachute System. Proposed additional features include an emergency auto-land system, [flight] envelope protection, terrain avoidance and an electrically-powered drive wheel for taxying. Bye believes the eFlyer 800 will have one-fifth the operating costs of traditional twin turboprops. 

Commenting on the announcement Bye Aerospace CEO George E Bye, said: “this type of remarkable economy and performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and advanced battery cell technology that results in significantly higher energy densities.”  

The company is also in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for professional flight training and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training use.

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Bye Aerospace