Diamond Aircraft announced yesterday that it had signed a deal with French manufacturer Safran to supply electric motors for the eDA40 trainer.
Safran Electrical & Power will provide Engineus 100 engines that will deliver 130 kW of power to the eDA40, which is an airframe derived from Diamond's popular DA40 piston/diesel aircraft.
"The DA40 is a proven aircraft, arousing worldwide interest among private pilots and professional flight training operators," aid Thierry Sieg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Safran Electrical & Power.
"Creating an electric version and participating in the electrification of this bestseller aircraft is not only a technical challenge, but it is also a response to the growing global demand to decarbonise aviation using electric propulsion.
"This new contract demonstrates the success of our Engineus product line and confirms the strong interest of the market in our approach to further increase the electric powertrain performance."
When certified, the eDA40 will be the first FAR 23 electric aircraft to feature Direct Current (DC) charging, which will enable owners to charge a depleted aircraft in under 20 imnutes. Diamond expects the aircraft's endurance will be 90 minutes, with operating costs 40% less that traditional trainers.
Diamond expects to make the first flight of the eDA40 by the end of this year, with engine certification due in mid 2023 and full FAR 23 certification in early 2024.